What your dining table needs to host friends and family in style, stress-free.
Sometimes it can be tough to know what things in a dining room are necessities, nice-to-haves, and can be left in the past. So ditch the pressure of adhering to your grandmother’s standards or trying to go centerpiece-for-centerpiece with the pros. Let us help you take the stress out of the table-setting equation by breaking it down to what's an absolute essential, a simple upgrade, or a traditional touch just asking for a modern twist.
These are important things to put on dining tables, the ones you cannot be without when you are hosting and having guests over.
1. Basic Place Settings
Start off by covering the dining essentials for your guests first – those table needs that ensure they are able to savor your hard-cooked meal, of course. That means stocking up on the appropriate dinnerware, flatware, and glassware, as well as cloth napkins for an upmarket feeling. What you'll need depends on the menu, but here's a standard lineup: dinner and salad plate, dinner and salad fork, knife, and a water and wine glass. Swap out the salad plate and fork for a bowl and spoon, or wine glass for specialty barware, as the event requires.
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2. Basic Collection of Serveware
It's easy to get tablescape tunnel-vision, but how you intend to serve the meal itself is also a large part of the experience. It's a great idea to stock up on a few versatile pieces that can come out of the kitchen and take center stage on the table or buffet when and as you need them. Along with serving bowls and platters, have at least a three-piece set of serving flatware on hand.
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3. A Water Pitcher
No one wants a parched guest who's too polite to interrupt conversation to request a refill—nor a hostess that keeps running into the kitchen, one glass at a time. Make your life (and theirs) as simple as possible by placing a full water pitcher at one end of the table. Want both still and sparkling? Look for smaller, slimmer options and go with two. With such a wide range of available styles, from glass to ceramic to metal, you're sure to find your match.
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There are a few things to keep on dining tables that will serve to take any meals to the next level.
1. Either a Tablecloth, Runner, or Placemats
If you only want to make one upgrade to your table, this is the one to choose. Laying down a tablecloth or runner helps to set the foundation of your tablescape in more ways than one: It transforms the look of your dining table, establishes your desired vibe (formal or casual), and gives you a clean slate to build upon. A tablecloth and runner will lend sweeping style to a dressier spread, while placemats suit more mellow affairs.
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When it comes to table needs, charger plates are a decorative baseline that can quickly add serious tabletop impact. Despite being plates, chargers aren't for eating – but rather for making everything you will eat off of that much prettier. They also catch drips, keeping your tablecloth that much cleaner, too. First time setting a table with charger plates? Start with an evergreen style that plays off your existing dinnerware for the most mileage. Collect an array of options from there, spanning casual and formal, to give yourself the flexibility to get more creative down the road.
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3. Create a Centerpiece
The beauty of this decorative addition lies in its endless possibilities. As the name hints, adding a centerpiece to your table creates an eye-catching focal point, and it can include anything from a vase of fresh or faux florals to a tray of seasonal fruits or veggies to simple decorative candle holders with a few pretty candles. The only limit? Your guests' sight-lines. (You don't want to accidentally stifle conversation with your creations.) As you finalize your tablescape, take a seat to confirm you can see across the table.
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There are a number of decorative things for dining tables that are not imperative but still work to make your space more inviting.
1. Showstopper Napkins – Not Napkin Rings
No tablescape ever "needs" napkin rings – especially not when you can up the style ante with colorful patterned or trimmed napkins instead. With a wealth of gorgeous styles out there – not to mention a slew of clever ways to fold them for display – you can take the money you saved on the rings and splurge on linens that'll make the table.
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2. Reusable Place Cards
We'll always love a good place card for its practicality and welcoming touch, but the days of relying solely on paper cards attached to stands have come and gone. Between reusable place cards (write on, wipe off) and DIY alternatives—like nestling cards into those fabulous folded napkins—you can clearly mark where each guest is sitting without the traditional duo.
We can't deny the cuteness of outfitting each setting with its own salt and pepper shaker, butter dish, and bread plate. But after an evening of entertaining, do you really want to corral – and clean – each of those little pieces? (No, thanks!) You can still capture the playfulness of miniatures without having 12 sets of everything. Instead, go for full-sized versions of your serving pieces in a vibrant color of fun pattern. The whole table can share (and admire) these standouts.
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Whether you pick what your table needs, wants, or cannot be without – we have got you covered.
