SUMMERILL & BISHOP: TALK TO THE TABLE
Work on three items for each setting, she advises; a charger or place mat, a middle plate for the main course, and finally, a beautiful, smaller ‘top’ plate.
“Candles, seasonal flowers and simple touches (like a bowl of lemons or lush red vine tomatoes) don’t just add colour, but bring a table to life. Hand-written place cards or guests’ names written on shells, stones or even leaves can look charming.”
If the whole thing still feels a bit intimidating, she adds reassuringly: “It’s lovely to have a theme and to pay attention to details, but things don’t need to be too perfect. The best tables feel personal, intimate, and beautiful but welcoming.”
“IF A table is a visual feast, people will spend more time there, linger and the occasion will be extra special and memorable,” declares Seb Bishop, CEO of Summerill & Bishop, specialists in sophisticated, timeless tableware and accessories.
“The table, as a place where we share time, talk, and exchange experiences and worries, has really been valued in the current difficult times,” he adds. “People are much more aware of taking time to enjoy moments with friends and family.”
Ramp up the colour if you want to be on trend, he advises, with bright, bold tablecloths, which can transform the look of a room, as well as a table.
“Don’t be afraid to mix and match, and include items that mean something to you and bring you joy. Add an heirloom plate, a quirky vase
Flirty Word linen tablecloth in petal pink, from £465; ‘brushed’ ceramic serving bowl in pastel pink, £114; pasta bowl, £46; dinner plate,£57; citrouille vase, large by Astier de Villatte, £595; handblown Bumba glass in rose pink, £48; full painted pink ceramic bowl with gold rim, from £48.50, Summerill & Bishop
or a bloom tied with ribbon to each napkin – so you conjure your own table ‘recipe,’” he says.
“A successful table is one that looks lovely, but also has individuality and details which trigger memories and anecdotes, which will be talking points and add to that sense of occasion.”