Setting a Beautiful Table — a foolproof guide

Image: Summerill & Bishop

Some of the best evenings happen around a table. Not because everything matched, but because someone took a little time to make the table feel like an occasion. Here is how we do it: a foolproof guide that works for a birthday, a long lunch or an ordinary weekday that deserves a little more.

Step 1: Set the tone. Think about the mood you wish to create, the food you're going to serve and the overall level of formality. Are you hosting indoors or outside in the garden? Keep your personal style in mind too, a table that is a reflection of the host always feels more authentic.

Step 2: Choose your colour scheme. Start by choosing your colour palette and brainstorm colour combinations that fit the mood. Get inspiration online, browse favourite books, check out shop windows and look around your home or garden. Sometimes a dinner plate or tablecloth is the starting place. Other times, it's a single flower you just have to use.

Step 3: Start putting it all together. Begin with your table linen, that's your tablecloth (if using), napkins and placemats. Choose matching colours and patterns for a chic, pulled together look or go bolder by mixing coordinating pieces.

A few directions to consider:

• Crisp block colour makes everything on the table look deliberate, jewel-toned linen like Volga Linen does this effortlessly.
• Bold prints work especially well outdoors, our Mallorcan ikat tablecloths were made for a long lunch in the shade.
• Stripes and hand-woven cottons, like those from Made in Tangier, sit somewhere lovely in between.
• And if the celebrations are likely to get messy, a paper tablecloth with matching napkins lets everyone relax.

Step 4: Crockery, glassware and flatware. With the linen decided, choose your plates, glassware and cutlery, keeping the overall look in mind. Silverware and crystal will always elevate a table, make sure it's all polished on the day. We love using coloured glassware; it's especially beautiful when it catches the light and creates a jewel effect across the table.

Step 5: The centrepiece. This can be any combination of edibles, flowers, unusual objects, vintage pieces you've collected over the years and candles, always candles; the light they cast is magical. Remember to leave space for serving dishes if you're eating family-style, and make sure your guests can see (and talk) over whatever you build.

Beyond the dining table, a small arrangement in the entranceway makes a captivating first impression and smaller ones in the rooms your guests will use, such as the living room and guest bathroom, quietly finish the job.

Step 6: Place cards. Guests like to be told where to sit. A carefully planned seating arrangement means you get the best out of your group's dynamics and helps get the party going.

Step 7: Music (and scent). This, more than any other element, is a personal choice, but whatever you do, make sure your guests can still converse over the music.

A tip from Steph: keep a running checklist for your table settings, shopping list included, and add to it or amend it as you go. Note what worked and what you'd do differently next time, and take photos of any setups you particularly loved so you can find your way back to them. A table setting doesn't have to be a for one night only kind of thing.

Ultimately, remember this should be fun, so don't get too uptight about getting it perfect. Sometimes the best parts of life are the ones you don't plan for. Aim for enjoyment rather than perfection.

And as the evening winds down and the table is a beautiful mess, wax down the candlesticks, glasses scattered, napkins abandoned mid-conversation. Take a moment to take it all in. It's honestly one of the best parts, and proof of a successful evening. I love watching the table unravel every bit as much as I love setting it.