I don’t know about you guys, but I am SO happy it’s summer! There’s nothing better than summer in Chicago and it’s my favorite time of year to entertain – everyone is always happy and the rosé never stops flowing! When entertaining, I love creating beautiful table settings for guests to enjoy and it allows me to be creative with designs, textures and colors. Today I’m sharing 3 easy steps for creating a tablescape – you’ll be surprised by how easy it can be! I’ve also linked all products from this tablescape below!

*This post contains affiliate links

Step One: Choose your Theme/Style

When creating a tablescape, I start by deciding my overall theme based on the occasion taking place – the occasion could be a casual brunch, afternoon tea, formal dinner, etc. I put together this tablescape for a small dinner party and knew I wanted it to have an elegant feel while still keeping it appropriate for summer. I wanted to incorporate blush & gold (my favorites) to create a warm ambiance and found some GORGEOUS rose gold charger plates that I’m obsessed with (pictures below). I decided immediately that the rest of the tablescape design would revolve around these chargers.

Step Two: Create the Place Settings

When it comes to putting together your place settings, layering is key – it adds depth & dimension to a table, and allows you to add different colors, textures and patterns. Below are some typical place setting items for tablescapes:

1.    Table runner or linen
2.    Placemat
3.    Charger Plate
4.    Dinner Plate
5.    Salad/Accent Plate
6.    Napkin
7.    Napkin Ring
8.    Drinking Glasses
9.    Silverware

There are many different ways to set a table and add layers, so do whatever works best for your occasion and meal! You may need to add a bowl for soup or an extra plate for dessert, or you may choose to go without a charger plate for a more casual vibe. There are no rules, so have fun with it! The “staple” items for place settings include plates, drinking glasses and silverware. Once you have these items, you can play around with everything else and mix it up. For example, you may choose to use a bright, floral-patterned napkin in the spring/summer, and switch it out for a darker-colored napkin in the fall/winter.

I chose to go with a neutral, champagne-colored placemat so the rose gold charger plates could stand out. I then used my staple white dinner plates, and a soft blush salad plate on top. Can we talk about how stunning the rose gold silverware is? I’m obsessed. Lastly, I put out champagne glasses because starting with champagne makes any occasion feel more exciting and elegant. I love this quote:

Step Three: Add Decor

This is my favorite part of styling a tablescape! Adding a few decorative accents will make a tablescape look polished and complete - candles, string lights, lanterns, votives and other decorative items are all great elements to incorporate and bring the table together.

When it comes to decorating a tablescape, I always start with a centerpiece. Flowers are a beautiful go-to centerpiece, however there are many other options! For a brunch, your centerpiece could be a cake stand filled with baked goods. For a casual dinner, your centerpiece could be a large hurricane candle holder. Since I was going for a more elegant look, I chose to use flowers for my centerpiece and incorporated a few different colors in each bouquet, including greenery which helps make any space feel alive.

I placed the flowers on top of a sheer blush table runner - I love this runner because it adds some soft texture & color but doesn’t overwhelm the table. I then added some gold taper candles to balance the height of the flowers, as well as some smaller votive candles. I love decorating with candles because they create a warm & soft ambiance.

I also love this gorgeous tray because it’s both functional & stylish!

I had so much fun creating this design, and I hope these 3 easy steps will help you style your next tablescape! Click here to see more pictures of this tablescape.