How To Style A Simple Summer Table Setting

If any season demands less fuss, it’s Summertime. And while eating al fresco is a delight, sometimes situations dictate indoor dining. This sweetly scented Summer table features tiny black and white print dishes and a few fresh stems plucked from the garden. Very casual, and almost effortless. Let’s take a peek at how to recreate a simple Summer table setting. And if you can do it with home grown Hydrangeas (and a little Jasmine too) even better!  

I’ve included convenient clickable shopping links below for you. Some may be affiliate links. Click here for full disclosure.

To recreate a version of my table setting you will want to gather:

• a table runner

• placemats

• napkins and napkin rings

• dinnerware 

• glassware

• glass vessels 

• flowers

Welcome to the open concept living/dining room in our 1920’s cottage. Our table is set between our living room, our fireplace, our front door entry, and the entry to our kitchen. The dinning table is the hub of our tiny dinning area and really makes an impact on our entire upper floor, since it’s visible from every room. It sets the tone anywhere from very minimalistic, to fully set and ready to party! 

HOW TO STYLE A SIMPLE, RELAXED SUMMER TABLE SETTING

TABLE RUNNER

Now, a table runner isn’t an absolute necessity, but they can help to do three things:

1. protect your table top surface

2. act as a backdrop or stage for any center piece situation

3. introduce or unify a color, pattern or texture to the table

A very casual runner in a charcoal black cotton chambray was used on my table. I picked it up at HomeGoods, it felt like a neutral and versatile basic to me. In this setting, to my eye, it offered a nicely balanced contrast to my all white table, helped to ground the mini floral posy set-up, and most importantly, it played well and brought out with the tiny black print on my Norden dishes. 

PLACEMATS

I layered my Norden place settings on Water Hyacinth placemats. Softening the linear lines of both my rectangle farm table and table runner, with the round lines and the natural textural element.

NAPKINS & NAPKIN RINGS

The ruffled white linen napkins (and a matching runner, not pictured) were a HomeGoods find a few seasons ago. They are a favorite and they just seem to go with almost everything. If you’ve been following me for any amount of time, you know versatile basics of every sort are greatly valued in this house.

The beautiful brass napkin rings are from Katrina And Co. [find them here]. They add that perfect little bit of shine to the table, and I like the perfectly imperfect finish! 

THE DINNERWARE

• Norden Dinner Plate [click here]

• Norden Dessert Plate [click here]

• Norden Ice Cream Bowl [click here]

also available: 

• Norden Salad Bowl [click here]

• Norden Footed Mug [click here]

My beautiful Norden dishes were ordered from Katrina & Co.

A woman-owned small business I am thrilled to share and support!

I’ve never been so delighted with a dish pattern in my life. The tiny print is just so stinking adorable, without being cutesy, and the classic black & white coloring is a huge draw, while simultaneously being timeless. Plus they aren’t crazy expensive… like most of the things I instantly fall for, and then can’t afford. 

GLASSWARE

• La Rochère Napoleon Bee Wine Glasses [click here]

These wine glasses (and the line in general) are something I knew nothing about, but had always loved the tiny bee and the design. I stumbled across my set of four at Tuesday Morning several years ago, but the link above is a better value, and a set of six!

My Quandary

In the blogging world, tablescapes can be tricky. If you are sharing ideas for a particular season or holiday, you’ve got to style and shoot them well in advance, so people that admire them and want to recreate them can have the time to gather supplies and prepare. That makes complete sense. But that means when we see elaborate tables and settings with food and flowers… more often than not, it’s simply for the photos and there may be no company coming to enjoy it. And I get that, but it’s always been something that I struggle with, with my frugal nature. So I tend not to use food for props, and often try to use fresh flower alternatives to be more budget friendly. Faux floral and non-floral centerpiece alternatives also allow for re-use, and for tables to be set ahead of time when planning for gatherings, events or holidays. 

VASES & FLOWERS

• I actually used some thrifted glass and little Oui yogurt containers as vases

• I used free flowers. Hydrangeas from my garden and clipping from my Jasmine hedge

This was just enough, and I fell like you could still have serving dishes on the table, and be able to converse with family or company. An overabundance of flowers, or any elaborate centerpiece of any kind isn’t really needed for a casual, relaxed table. In fact with particular florals, the scent could be unpalatably overwhelming when eating. In fact, the few sprigs of Jasmine I used were so fragrant they perfumed the air upstairs for a a few days before they started to fade. 

Thank you so much for joining me today! I’ve missed getting to chat with you, share my heart, my home, and what we’ve been doing. Staging, styling, shooting, editing and writing blog posts has slowed a little bit as I’ve prioritized my health, but I’m still here, and we have some exciting things in the works! I’ll get them blogged up to share after the 4th of July holiday. Be well & happy! xo Shannon 

PS: if you need a good recipe for the 4th of July, try my 5-minute fruit salad [click here]

 It’s a huge hit every time and I’ve only ever gotten amazing feedback from anyone that’s tried it!

… and it’s another way to use those cute bee glasses!

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