THE PERFECT SPRING TABLE

Staying in has been rough, but it’s the right thing to do for our country and our world at this time. It means I’ve been cooking a lot more. Cooking is usually fun for me, but when it’s all you do day in and day out, it begins to lose its luster. So I’m finding that I need to be a bit more creative and make dining at home seem special. One way to do that is by making meals you normally don’t have the time to make…if you have the ingredients. Another way is to make a more festive table. And the bonus to doing all of this? When we no longer have to social distance and we can gather with family and friends again, we’ll have sharpened our cooking skills AND we’ll have a beautiful table setting to welcome and delight our guests.

There are a few great places to find affordable home goods to create the perfect table setting. I recently took a virtual trip to World Market and scored big time. My first rule of dinner plates is white. The second rule is large. Because I want the food to be the showstopper, and I want my guests to have room to pile it on. These dinner plates are perfect because they meet the criteria AND they’re affordable. For Spring and Summer, I love a natural fiber placemat. A round, charger-like style breaks up the angles of my rectangular table, but any shape placemat would be wonderful with this texture. That said, I do like a contrast with the wood tone of the table, so don’t make it too matchy matchy. I’m absolutely smitten with this corn husk design. For linens, I like to keep them light and simple, and they should work with the permanent decor in the room. This blue and white floral napkin is perfect in my dining room and the pattern is great for hiding food stains if you have messy guests (or messy children of your own!)

Another favorite for home goods? Target, of course! The glassware and flatware are both Target finds. I love the gold tone because it’s fresh and can take on a more formal look if desired, yet it’s perfectly casual next to our corn husk placemats, as well. The glassware is from our favorite friend Joanna Gaines and is part of their Hearth & Hand line for Target.

When it comes to flowers, I like to keep it simple and low. Low? I don’t want flowers blocking the view of my friends and family. So these gold bud vases from Paloma & Co. are absolutely perfect. Place your favorite seasonal bud in them and line the center of the table. It keeps flower costs low and doesn’t interfere with conversation. I used mini daffodils that are growing everywhere in The Hamptons right now. And I think it’s always a nice touch to give each guest a flower of their own to make their place setting more special. The daffodils matched the in-season forsythia that I have all over our home.

And finally, serving bowls are fun to mix and match. I love a variety of smaller bowls for holding condiments versus putting the ketchup and mayo jars on the table. This set from Amazon is perfect for serving food, placing at a bedside table to hold jewelry, or placing on a coffee table to hold candy. Don’t you just love versatility? The white serving bowl is a Home Goods find from a few years ago (I paid $5.99 each—WOW!), but I found a similar style here. It reminds me of the Nambé Butterfly style, which comes with a much higher price tag. I love a bargain, too!

This is a challenging time for all of us. But I am trying to make the best of it and enjoy time with my kids. They’re always wanting to go somewhere. It’s a bit of a blessing that they can’t, as it forces all of us to spend more time with each other doing the simple things in life. A beautiful table can make our dining at home more special, and in a way, we are “setting the table” for future company. Because it will happen. And I’m looking forward to it. Hang in there with me!

SHOP THE TABLETOP