Setting a Beautiful Table

The host or hostess welcomes guests into their home. What makes people feel welcome? Making them feel a part of your family or inner circle. What is it about some people’s homes, that when you visit you feel instantly transported to a place of welcome and enjoyment, and when you leave you are inspired to try to make your home feel the same way?

I believe that setting a beautiful table is one of best ways a host or hostess can do to tell their guests that they are special (though certainly not the only way). There are mounds of resources out there on the web, in print and on tv to inspire you. But really personalizing your table - like giving everyone their own individuals salt and pepper shakers, using beautiful name place cards, or have each napkin ring be different – a variation on a theme are good examples of ways to make guests feel special.

A neighbor friend of my parents once invited us up for lunch when I was in my late teens/early 20’s and home for a visit from school. And though we had shared many meals and holidays together, she included place cards with our names at each of the place settings. I was so impressed by this because it was a re-affirmation of our friendship and a new way to celebrate our togetherness. The smallest of gestures can have the greatest of impacts!

Another idea for your tablescape is to buy (or dig out) an interesting element for your table. One example may be using butter pats. Butter pats are small decorative dishes (about 3 inches in diameter) whose only purpose is to hold a “pat” of butter. In the Victorian era, from about 1880-1910, a well appointed table was not complete without individual butter pats. Butter was perhaps given such a place of honor not just because of its rich flavor but because of the labor involved in creating it. Store bought butter was unheard of and many hours went in to making each pound. Some families even had their family crests carved in to a butter stamp and embossed their dairy with the familial signature for effect. Even the butter pats may have been personalized with hand painting. The Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition of 1876 created a movement among genteel women to begin painting porcelains. Butter pats were a popular and simple dish to complete for their home or to give as gifts.

It might seem old fashioned to include these little frivolities (which can be found at flea markets and antique stores) but its something new and interesting that you wouldn’t find at your neighborhood Target, Wal-Mart or department store. Plus it adds a conversation piece and a bit of history to your dinner party!

Be aware, however that too much decoration and too much elaborateness can make the guests feel insignificant in comparison or intimidated and can lessen the enjoyment of the dining experience The environment you create should inspire passion for good food, promote stimulating conversation and make your guests feel cherished. It should not be a canvas to show off your new purchases or your design talents. Creating a balance takes skill, but a good rule of thumb is that good design always stops short of excess. Always create with humility in mind and leave a little room for the imagination rather than filling every surface with “stuff”.

A parting idea which you have no doubt heard before, and will hear again… Use your grandmothers china! My mother always said that things taste better when you eat on beautiful dishes. It’s the absolute truth.