The dining room table is a bit of an odd one when it comes to styling. If you are styling for the photographs of a glossy mag, then it’s easy. You can go all out, or keep it simple. Or even for sales purposes, you know that the table should be the focus, not what’s on it. But for your home, day to day? It’s a bit different. The table always serves the same primary purpose, but it changes depending on the meal you eat at it or how many people use it at any one time. So what’s the best way of keeping it looking nice all day long?
During the day, you wouldn’t have place settings made up, or food perfectly placed to look fab in a photo. You would have a table. In its raw form. But you can add to this without it looking too staged, just so you have something breaking up that vast flat surface.
Similarly to coffee table styling, flowers or other natural objects always look great at the centre of your dining table. As well as candles in hurricane lamps, or on candelabras. It really depends on the size of your space and the location of your table. If you happen to have a chandelier or other light fitting hanging low over your table, that adds to the overall styling of it, without it even touching the surface.
Sometimes, the simpler the better. A dining table needs to look clean and fresh, as well as inviting. So if it is clutter free, and allows you to quickly and easily set the table for dinner, it’s a winner. You just need a couple of small items grouped together, or one big one in the centre to add enough interest to an otherwise blank table top.
There are countless examples online, but here’s an interesting festive twist to an average vase. This was from a photo shoot I assisted on for Mel at Country Knole Interiors.
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