8 Steps to Creating the Perfect Tablescape

I love to entertain and host dinner parties for friends, but often the design of the table becomes the last thing I think about preparing, and I am left throwing something together at the last minute that is a little less than fabulous (a true crime).   So when I stumbled upon a gorgeous tablescape designed by Victoria Katsikis of the Atlanta based styling studio – Fig and Mint Market, I knew I needed her expert advice in my life.  Victoria describes Fig and Mint Market as a creative styling business that makes your daydream gatherings a reality. Not only does Victoria create beautiful and dreamy tablescapes, she also works styling wardrobe, props, and boutique events; and designs menu cards and custom wedding invitation suites as well. Victoria Katsikis of Fig and Mint Market

Victoria gained her experience after several years of working in the advertising and design industry for corporate clients, photography styling, and for several magazines. Her years of experience, nostalgic passion, and daily inspiration for vintage, rustic and anything pretty fuels her creative eye and transports you into magical, intimate environments. Victoria is a long time believer that a perfectly set table, good company and a serene surrounding equate to bliss and happiness. Victoria is often found playing out her art form across the South in styled shoots, intimate weddings, farm dinners and the summer garden dinner series at Milton’s Acre.

Styled tablescapes for one of Victoria’s Summer Farm Dinners

Lucky for me, Victoria agreed to provide me (and you) with some great tips to help guide us tablescape procrastinators through the processes to creating your very own dreamy tablescape.   Check out her great tips and follow along as I created my own summer entertaining tablescape.

Step 1: Get Your Story Straight

Your tablescape should be a reflection of what speaks to you.  The first thing Victoria does when dreaming up a new concept is to create a color story around that.  Are you thinking of a beachy vibe with shades of blue, white and tan?  Or perhaps an urban industrial feeling with various gray, black and wood tones?   Whatever your theme or idea, choose 3 or 4 main colors that help visually tell that story and create stimulating eye candy for your guests.  Selecting the colors palette first will help guide the rest of the sections for your table.

Nothing beats dining outdoors in the summertime.   And because I live in the woods, I knew I wanted to utilize what I already had and play upon the beauty of the natural setting just out my backdoor.   We have a small path through the woods that we used primarily for access purposes, and it made for the perfect spot to set up my table.  I knew that green and wood tones would be an automatic part of  my color pallate for my summery woodland themed table, and adding contrasting colors of white, black and golds helped create the elegant feel I was going for.

Step 2: When Life Gives You Lemons, Use Them In Your Tablescape

Use what your mama gave you.  Well, maybe not literally for this situation, but most of us have various collections of things (perhaps from your mama), old décor, or small tchotchkes on the bookshelf that can be temporarily relocated to your tablescape to help build out your look. This is a good starting point, especially if you are on a budget.  If the color and style of the item works with your theme (or if it’s something old, consider our old friend spray paint to make it a match), then by all means go for it.  It will save you a ton of time and money, and no one will know they are missing from their original spot.

And of course, let’s not forget about our biggest available resource – the great outdoors.  Especially in the summer months, or if you live somewhere with a mild climate year round, such as Victoria does in Georgia, there are an abundance of natural materials right at our fingertips that can help complement your tablescape.   Organic materials help bring life to the table and make a connection between to the source in which our food comes from.   The types of materials you use is dependent upon your location and theme, but a few examples might be moss, sand, ferns, leaves, grasses, twigs, shells, rocks or wildflowers.  If you live somewhere where you just cannot source these types of things direct from nature (what, do you live on the moon?) or don’t have the time, Victoria suggests visiting your local florist, grocery (she likes Trader Joes), superstore or craft store as they often will have something you can buy, either fresh or dried, to replicate what you can find in nature.

I really didn’t have to look too far to find the things I needed to start building out the items to dress up my table. We have an abundance of logs available due to fallen trees that worked perfectly to create wood platters (no worries, no living trees were hurt in this decorating process).  My husband was super manly and used his chain saw to cut me 2” slices of different sizes of logs (although,  it totally baffled him when I told him people pay big bucks for slices of wood for décor purposes!).   The varying sizes of the wood made it easy stack them and create some dimension on the tabletop.

I also used some larger branches from these downed trees to create the canopy between the trees, allowing me a space to hang lanterns from.  I simply created these lanterns using mason jars I had around the house, jute twine, and some inexpensive tea light candles.

I also sourced some moss from the forest, but ended up not utilizing it in the end design (in hindsight it probably would have been one of those little details that helped make the table – see tip #7 for more on that).  The ferns, while a typical forest staple, are not actually from my forest (we had very few that I could find), so I stole them off my Boston Fern plant on my front porch (she didn’t mind).

I happen to have the candles and candle sticks on hand, and they weren’t being utilized for anything in particular, so they got tossed in the mix as well.  I gave the candlesticks a coat of metallic gold spray paint, and taped off and sprayed the larger candles with some playful designs in the same color.

Step 3: Get Fresh With It

One of Victoria’s favorite things to use in a tablescape design is fresh herbs.  Not only are herbs pretty and smell great, they easily relate to the food itself.  Herbs can be displayed in a variety of ways, in small pots, tied in bundles, on the plate as a garnish, or scattered around the table.  When styling large garden dinner events, Victoria also tries to incorporate the use of herbs into the menu itself, or guest can be encouraged to use the herbs on display directly in their meal or drink.  This creates a connection between what you taste, smell and see (um, genius!).

I definitely share Victoria’s affection for herbs, and not just because it’s the only thing I can keep alive in a garden (brown thumb all the way here).  I love using herbs in cooking, cocktails, décor, and even recently made a herb bundle for the fire pit to help ward off mosquitoes.  I jumped at the chance to incorporate herbs into the tablescape to serve multiple purposes.  Herbs are beautiful, smell lovely, and I liked how they could simultaneously connect guests with both nature and the food.   And while the aroma of herbs is delightful to humans, certain herbs with pungent aromas help repel mosquitoes as well.  I used Rosemary, Lemon Thyme, and garden Sage as these all  help ward off those uninvited guests.  The best part is that the herbs can continued to be used throughout the summer too (bonus)!

Step 4: You Just Do You, Boo

It’s your party, and by-golly it should be as unique as you are.  Victoria suggests embracing difference and making some choices that are out of the ordinary.  Have a funky set of dishware that works with your theme that you adore- work it in!   Dying to do something off the wall fun that you’ve dreamt up –  go for it!  You can also use mix and matching options to create personality and double in purpose as well – such as the case with seating.  A section of vintage flea market chairs looks random yet intentional, or using blankets and pillows on the floor as seating around an old trunk for a table make for  non-traditional options.  By adding in your personality and weaving together different components when necessary, it will not only make you feel great about your tablescape, but it will create a point of conversation for you and your guests as well.

Step 5: Getting to Know You

Inviting those you care about into your home to join you for dinner and conversation is a personal thing – help them to feel even more loved by creating a personalized place setting for them.  Instead of a boring old place card, Victoria likes to attach a name card to something natural and organic that they can eat there, or take home with them.  She suggests using fruit (with a stem where the tag can attach), or loaves of bread wrapped with twine and some herbs.   For non-edible options, perhaps a small succulent or plant that coordinates with your theme would work for you.  From there you can make it easy on yourself and attach premade gift tags with your guest’s name, write directly on the item (if non-edible of course), or get creative and find a unique material such as wood slices or stones that can be personalized.

I loved Victoria’s suggestion to provide guests with a small take-away that doubles as a place card.  I opted to take her advice on the small loaf of bread (carb monster here) tied up with twine and added in a few sprigs of the meadow sage for color an interest.  Add a few shallow bowls of flavored olive oil and guests are encouraged to have a few bites while waiting for dinner.   The small wooden slices are from the craft store and can be used for decoration or for place cards by competing with each guest’s name.

Step 6: Flower Power, My Child

A floral arrangement is probably the quintessential tablescape item, and for good reason.  Flowers bring out the best in us, right?  It’s hard not to look at a beautifully arranged bouquet of flowers and not feel all warm and fuzzy inside (and not because of your allergies either).  Finding the right flowers for your table should be one of the easier selections.  With so many colors and varieties of flowers, you’d be hard pressed not to find something that compliments your color scheme.  Victoria recommends using a contrasting color for your floral arrangements.  If the main areas of your table are more neutral, go with bold blooms – if you are using strong colors in your plates or other items, try a more neutral arrangement.   The contrasting color will help draw attention to the star of the table.

In my search for flowers, I decided I wanted to stick with something neutral – because a neutral flower would actually contrast to the green of the forest.  I stumbled upon hydrangeas at my local supermarket and knew they were the perfect fit – nothing screams summer quite like hydrangeas(at least where I live)!  I threw in some soft pinkish spray roses (which worked well with the rosé wine –  rosé all day for this girl), and dropped in a few springs of the meadow sage ferns to add a bit of color and help tie the arrangements back to the table.  They turned out beautifully, if I do say so myself.

Step 7: Sweat the Small Stuff

Sometime we are so caught up in the big picture that we forgot it’s the little things that matter most.  Small details such as different textures or patterns in your linens, a custom printed menu card, small notions,  or natural materials scattered amongst the centerpieces of the table can go unnoticed in the grand scheme of things, but its really those details that pull your look together.  Victoria feels that these details are really what gives the table itself personality, and often notices that it’s these details that guests notice most.   When nearing completion of collecting all you need for your tablescape, lay it out in advance and look it over with a discerning eye.  If it feels too empty, those small details are probably want is missing – too much, maybe edit out some larger items until it feels right to you.

Step 8: Get in the Mood

Create the mood you want to see in your guests.  The ambiance you create around your tablescape will help set the vibe for the party itself.   Victoria advises that music and lighting are key components in setting up this scene.  If you are outdoors and looking for a calming setting, white string lights or hanging lanterns are go to options to amplify the mood as you move deeper into the evening and night hours (and allows your guests to see their food –  um, totally essential).  When dining indoors, the same soft mood can be applied through similar string lighting, lamps vs. overhead lighting, or an abundance of candle light.  For livelier settings, try switching up the white lights for colorful or playful themed string lighting, or perhaps situation your table near a bonfire to add both lighting and warmth.

Lighting for my tablescape setting was not only necessary to set the mood, but also an essential due to fleeting daylight during the evening hours. The tree canopy and hanging lanterns were the perfect solution to this.  These lanterns, along with the candles on the table provide enough light to dine, and help create the relaxed, elegant, secluded mood I was going for.

Overall, I was pretty happy with how my summer woodland tablescape turned out.  Hopefully these tips have inspired you to attempt your own tablescape for your next gathering, and if your looking for other creative summer inspiration – check out these great ideas as well!

9 Creative Summer Ideas
{from left to right, top to bottom}

Summer Matching Game – Free Printable // Wellies and Lemonade
Simple Summer Farmhouse Centerpiece // Making Joy and Pretty Things
Summer Mantle Inspiration // Sunshine and Munchkins
Summer Coffee Table Styling // Flourishing at Home
DIY Summer Wreath // Checking in with Chelsea
Front Porch Summer Decor // Restyle It Wright
Farmhouse Style Summer Tablescape // Craftivity Designs
Summer Tray Makeover // North Country Nest
Summer Entertaining Tablescape // W. Collective

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