Jessie Loves: Setting A Table

Nine helpful tricks for a pretty tablescape

Setting the table in our Cecelia dress.

Hosting makes me nervous, but I love setting a table. Here are some tricks I’ve learned over the years, and some of my favorite tables, saved for inspiration. It’s always a good idea to screenshot any tablescape that you love to reference for ideas later. 

My saved table setting inspo folder on my Instagram.

1. Candlelight

Even in the summer and even during the day. This is a trick I learned during my trip to Copenhagen last year. We stayed at the beautiful Hotel Sanders, which kept candles lit around the clock. 

I love candles so much. They are an incredible way to add a touch of color. I decided to install a candle rack directly onto my kitchen wall so I could have them at the ready at all times and be able to look at the beautiful colors. The candles I like to buy come from Danica Design. And they sell the candle rack, too. 

2. Vintage Pieces

Vintage makes everything so special and unique. I have pretty plates from eBay and Etsy in a pattern called “Italian Nove Floral.” It’s a good search term to keep on your list — I have a saved note of all my favorite search terms, which I’m constantly updating. I also love to check in on “majolica,” “reticulated plates,” and “earthenware.”

3. Ironed Linens

It seems sort of silly, but it is a small thing that I like to do — iron my napkins before I fold them and put them in the drawer. Since I was little, ironing has been a zen activity for me. And the feel of ironed linens is so luxurious. 

4. Timeless Flatware

There have been many trends in flatware over the years that I’ve gotten sucked into, including brass, which is quite difficult to maintain. The set I’ve settled on loving is the Bistrot set from Sabre. It comes in a million colors but I love the ivory. It’s that perfect casual/everyday thing that also feels elevated. So timeless and chic. I think the vintage finish is the most elegant, with a kind of pewter look. 

5. Florals

Obviously flowers and centerpieces are the icing on the cake of a beautiful table. I think it’s nice to pick up a few floral frogs. These keep flowers in the exact spot you want them within a vase. I was able to find some vintage ones which are so lovely. 

6. Layering

Layering is my favorite way to set a table. It shows so much love and care going into the meal. Different textures and colors and materials all set on top of each other make such a beautiful presentation. 

7. Natural Elements

I love finding unexpected ways to feature natural elements as accent pieces on my tablescapes. I always look to Kate Berry for inspiration here. She incorporates everyday items like fruits or vegetables in her table settings and it’s so stunningly beautiful. Find a few of my favorites from Kate below. 

Posts from Kate’s Instagram. Find them here, here, and here.

8. Place Cards

A nice way to make your guests feel special. We’ve chain-stitched names onto ribbons and tied them around napkins. I’ve had my kids paint rocks to use as place cards. Some of the menus and place cards I see online that I like best are free written or painted and very off the cuff and natural. I think doing something unexpected and creative is a lovely touch. 

9. The Mix

The mix is what I like best. I don’t want everything to match or look perfectly uniform. To me, a table is most interesting when there are all different elements coming together. Like some candlesticks from one of my trips, a vintage vase, a pretty table runner I got at Round Top, plates from Mexico. Fixtures that double as conversation pieces. A table that’s completely unique to you. 

The prettiest layered table with pieces from our collaboration with McGee & Co.

Resources I Love:

Table Linens: McGee & Co., Heather Taylor Home (especially their collab with Domino), Maison de Vacances, Fog Linen, Skye McAlpine, KD Weave

Plates: Carolina Irving and Daughters, Mestiz, Kaneko Kohyo

Tabletop Shops: L’Épicuriste, Porta, Jane Cookshop, Il Buco Vita

Flatware: Sabre

Candles: Danica Design

Candlesticks: M+A NYC

You can find a few of my favorite things from these shops and more, linked here.

…And one thing I hate*:

I hate having to remember how to correctly set a table. There is not a single time I haven’t had to Google which side the fork goes on. I’m left handed and I always feel mixed up about which side’s right. One trick I learned that always helps me at a fancy dinner is to make my thumb and pointer fingers into letters. On my left hand that becomes a “b” and that means that my bread is on the left. My right hand makes a “d” and that means my drink is on the right.

*my husband suggested that I always include one thing I don’t like at the end. Ha!