Spring style: A simple white table setting with baby’s breath

One of my favourite things to do is have friends over for a meal.  Not only is it so fun in the moment but so many memories are made around a table.  While I love these kind of gatherings, I’ve learned to keep things simple and stress-free.  That usually includes an easy to cook but delicious meal, a simple table setting and doing as much in advance as I can.

When it comes to table settings, I love a simple table that looks good but doesn’t take much time to pull together.  And I love to decorate with the seasons.  For this latest one I’ve gone for a simple white table setting using just a couple of stems of baby’s breath and a stem of some green foliage to finish off.  I went for white as, like most people, I have white plates and a white tablecloth.  Besides, you can’t go wrong with white – it looks crisp and fresh which is perfect for a spring table setting.

To create a warm and welcoming table I started with a base layer.  I used a white linen tablecloth but this isn’t always necessary.  If you have a beautiful table, you don’t always need to use a tablecloth.  I sometimes go with and sometimes without, depending on my mood!  When it comes to using tablecloths though I always opt for linen and here’s where I got this tablecloth – it really is the most beautiful linen so I would recommend it if you’re looking for a linen tablecloth.

After the table, I like to think of the next layer – the plates and napkins.  Sticking to the white look, I went with white plates and white linen napkins.  Here’s where I got the linen napkins – they’re the best value ones I’ve found and are great quality too.  I simply rolled the napkins and made a knot as I knew I was going to add a bit of foliage in each one.

I like to add in a few different textures to my table so I added in those rustic Japanese ceramic cups as well as different glass textures.  For me no table is complete without incorporating nature.  I got just two stems of baby’s breath and divided them up in to various different bottles and vases.  This gives varying heights which always adds interest to a table setting.

Here’s a short video of me putting together this table setting:

Whatever the season, I always add candles to my table setting.  I especially love tall, slim tapered candles like the white ones on this table.  I had to search high and low to find ones that were really slim. I wanted  slim ones because they add an effortless elegance to a table.   Here’s where you can find these candles if you’re interested.  I also added in a big chunky candle to add some contrast – I seem to have forgotten to photograph this but you can see it in the video above.

I didn’t have any candle holders narrow enough to fit my new slim candles so I improvised with some tiny glass bottles which happened to fit perfectly.  That is a big part of putting together a table setting for me – using what I have and repurposing it if I need to.

Lastly for a bit more texture and because you can never have too much nature, I tucked a small stem of foliage in to each napkin.  I bought just one stem and cut it up.  You of course don’t have to buy any foliage, you could just forage instead.  Or get something from your garden if you have that option.

As you can see from the video, this white table setting takes minutes to put together.  And it looks so pretty.  The key to putting together any tablescape is adding in texture, nature and I always opt for a neutral colour palette.  Beyond that, I  get creative with what I have at home.