Ever wonder what to do with your dining room table in between gatherings with loved ones? While we’ve shared plenty of tablescape designs and our tried-and-true Tablescape Recipe (see Part 1 and Part 2!), we know that these looks aren’t necessarily for the everyday. And, we don’t think it comes as a big surprise that our dining room tables aren’t usually styled with a full design either! Instead, we style our dining room tables with everyday looks that, while simple, give our space a polished, thoughtful feel.
Looking to find a way to make your dining room table look sophisticated yet casual for your everyday life? Read on, friend! We’ve put together 3 easy, attainable, and elevated looks for those times between hosting friends and family.
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How to Style Your Dining Room Table for Everyday Living: 3 Easy Looks
Everyday Look #1
Everyday Living Look #1: The Details
A deconstructed style, this everyday look for your dining room table truly embraces the casual days of summer. However, if you look at the details, you’ll notice that this set-up still sends the message that the dining room table is always open for gathering, from fragrant florals to cloth napkins, drawing loved ones in to connect.
The Summer of Woven Baskets
Crafted from durable, natural vines, woven wicker and rattan baskets are on repeat in our homes this summer. Not only does the material offer an organic texture and look, it also blends seamlessly with existing decor – a win win to us!
Here, we chose our Handwoven Basket Set, which offers two heights for more visual interest while still maintaining a casual style.
We paired these wicker baskets with the warm, gold hues of our Hand-Forged Antique Brass Taper Holders, paired with Pleated Taper Candles in Linen to create a timeless look.
#HostfulHack: Incorporate varying taper candle heights to add subtle depth to your overall design and to create a more sophisticated aesthetic.
Unexpected Style
Our Pleated Taper Candle isn’t your typical taper candle. With a smooth, flat top and ribbed detail, this candle brings a beautiful linen hue to your space with an unexpectedly sophisticated yet casual way.
Available in 5″ and 10″ heights.
The Basket Fillers
Fill your woven baskets with something of simple substance. For example, we chose to fill the larger basket with a warm-hued floral arrangement to bring in more color. Then, we chose rolled cloth napkins to nestle into the smaller basket; this highlights that your table is always open to a gathering.
Related Read: Style a Flower Arrangement with No Experience
Everyday Look #2
Everyday Living Look #2: The Details
Charming yet sophisticated, creamy hues and casual styling choices make this everyday look effortlessly elegant. A vintage wood pedestal supports the makings of a meal yet to happen with stacked bowls and glassware, along with a draped napkin adding to the complete look and feel. Once again, even though this look embraces the casual essence of the season, it still sends the message of an open invitation to gather around the table – just the way we like it.
A Vintage Must-Have
See the must-have foundational piece that’s the perfect base to your casual dining room look.
Low Maintenance Greenery
When it comes to incorporating nature into your everyday living dining room table design, you might only consider fresh florals. However, fresh florals, while beautiful, pose their own set of demands on your time and energy.
So, what if we told you that you can bring nature in without the hassle? Introduce dried and faux florals in your decor collection and you’ll wonder why it’s taken you so long to jump on this option!
Option 1: Dried, Natural Greenery
Beautiful greenery without the commitment of fresh greenery. Our Dried Natural Lavender Bunch adds touches of accentual purple and green, effortlessly incorporating life to any space in your home.
Eyeing that gorgeous vase with the lavender? It’s our brand-new Decorative Walnut Wooden Bowl. Shop it here!
Option 2: Faux Greenery
Carefully crafted to resemble the organic angles and hues of nature, our Faux Botanical Spray adds a warm sense of live to your home. With minimal maintenance (just a light sweep of a feather duster), this accentual decor piece can be repurposed throughout your home no matter the season.
Our Faux Botanical Spray is styled in our Handwoven Foyer Basket. Ideal for a faux floral vessel as seen here, or as a charming umbrella basket, you can shop it here.
Good to Gather
When designing any everyday look, even if you don’t plan to use your table at all, we encourage you to still mix in items reminiscent of a meal enjoyed together. For this design, we chose our Aqua/Water Table Glasses, stacked asymmetrically to maintain the casual look. We also included a draped cotton tea towel, again another piece that might be used when actually dining. Though you might not use it, you simply never know when a moment of connection might happen – and this method of styling ensures your table meets you there in a moment’s notice.
Everyday Look #3
Everyday Living Look #3: The Details
Everyday life is messy. There’s simply no getting around this face. (And, honestly, sometimes a messy life is the best life there is, in our opinion!) So, when you want to maintain an organized aesthetic despite this unavoidable truth, let us introduce to you one of our favorite hacks: the basket.
#HostfulHack: Use a basket or serving tray (anything that sets clear boundaries) on a surface where you’d like to achieve a more organized look.
Naturally Stunning. Effortlessly Casual.
Love the essence of a rattan basket with the functionality of a serving tray? Handwoven from water hyacinth and rattan fibers, our new Handwoven Basket Tray, available in three sizes, offers organic texture, stunning style and a laidback aesthetic. Style on your dining room table or use on any other surface throughout your home to achieve a natural, relaxed aesthetic.
Baked Goods Set a Welcoming Mood.
Display baked goods in a domed dish, such as our Marble and Glass Domed Dish, to entice people – from your own family to guests and more – to hang around for a little bit. A choice as simple as croissants from your local grocery store’s bakery keeps an inviting look and feel, keeping with the true essence of your dining room table.
More Casual, Welcoming Touches
Just like with Looks #1 and #2, we encourage you to incorporate items that allow for impromptu dining to take place. For this week, we styled out Matte Gold Flatware and Mustard Fringe Linen Dinner Napkins for a touch of accentual hue and a note of functionality.
Related Read: How to Fold & Style Dinner Napkins
Everyday Living Dining Room Table Looks: The Buzzworthy Takeaway
While each look we’ve shared today all have a unique look and style, there’s one common thread through all three. In each look, we encourage you to include pieces that keep the essence of the dining room table linked into the design.
What’s the essence of a dining room table, you ask? A message of gathering and connection.
So, keep those pieces that make sitting down around the table in an unplanned and casual possible: a few stacked plates or bowls; small glassware, placed asymmetrically to envelop a laidback style; or a few cloth or linen dinner napkins or tea towels that give a nod to enjoying a meal together.
Because, no matter if it’s a formal dinner party tablescape design or a casual Tuesday with no plans at all, the table is where we gather.
Get to gathering this summer, friend.♡
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