Style: At my table - decor tips for entertaining

By Leanne Moore

Canvas·

21 Oct, 2022 07:00 PM6 mins to read

Share this article

Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Create a sense of occasion with friends to share food prepared with love. Photo / A&C Homestore

Hosting a casual but considered dinner party brings maximum fun with minimum stress, writes Leanne Moore.

There's no need to get stressed about entertaining at home. It doesn't have to be a big and elaborate event that's perfect. "More than anything else, we just want to create a sense of

"Remember, when a table is set with intention, even the smallest occasion becomes a memorable one."

Embracing the art of throwing a laid-back gathering puts the focus on your nearest and dearest. Here's how to host a successful gathering at your place that will have you glowing for days — and lining up the next one in no time at all.

Pick a (loose) theme

Advertise with NZME.

The first step is choosing a theme to give even the most low-key gathering a thoughtful, put-together feel. Engage your imagination and dream up a concept that will inspire the design direction for everything, from menu planning to the flower arrangements and the soundtrack. As the weather warms up, you might want to consider holding it outdoors.

You can always bring the party inside at the last minute if our fickle summer weather brings wind and rain — or both — on your big night. Choosing a theme is just as important for an outdoor soiree as it is for an indoor event. Seasonal themes are always easy because the flowers can kick start your look, like the zesty spring vibe featured here.

Consistent & cohesive

Food tastes even better when your table looks beautiful. Creating a stunning table setting is easy when you know how. Keep it simple by thinking of your tablecloth as a blank canvas. With a neutral zone to build from, you can go in two directions — muted and sophisticated with a tone-on-tone palette, or wildly creative with accent colours and patterns. Mixing colours, patterns and styles of plates, glasses, vases and serving dishes look great, so long as it's a curated edit. "You definitely don't need everything to be matching or to have eight or more napkins or plates or glasses that are the same," says Holland.

"Decide on your colour palette and let this be your guideline to thread your ideas together." Whether you go simple and serene, or creative and chaotic, the key is selecting a few colours — then sticking to them. The only other rule that's worth keeping is no chipped or cracked ceramics.

Advertise with NZME.

Decide on your colour palette, whether it's simple and serene, or creative and chaotic, the key is selecting a few colours. Photo / Small Acorns

Foliage is your friend

When it comes to adding beautiful blooms to your table, go low, not high. "I like to arrange my pickings in vintage bottles and randomly stagger them along the centre of the table. I use five or six bottles of the slightly different height along an 8-10 seat table," says Holland.

"I don't want too many so that it blocks the conversation from one side of the table to the other, but I want it to look pretty. Just one, or at most two flowers per bottle with a snippet or two of greenery — parsley or fennel or wild carrot or lovely wafty tall grasses — whatever is at hand. Nothing is safe from my snipping scissors. Around the neck of each bottle I often tie a long torn ribbon of fabric to match my table colours," she continues.

"Any flowers will work beautifully. Agapanthus, hydrangeas, roses, salvias, wildflowers — whatever is in your garden or on the roadside, at the dairy, or a few special blooms from your favourite florist, who will be more than happy to sell you one of this and one of that," she says. The simple gesture of some wildly random garden and roadside flowers can be as beautiful, if not more so, than the grandest floral arrangement.

Prep, then enjoy the party

Prepare as much as possible in advance so that you can be a guest at your own party. Light scented candles before everyone arrives.

"It's all about creating a warm and welcoming energy," says Alex Walls of A&C Homestore. "If people walk in when you're stressing out, it creates an anxious atmosphere." Cue up a Spotify playlist, matching the background music to your theme. Whether it's 50s jazz or 80s new wave, this will keep the soundtrack going all night long, enhancing the party mood. Serve a flavour-filled one-pot meal or simple dishes at room temperature if a high-concept feast is not your thing.

"I like serving things that can be easily put together, then let guests help themselves – like a grazing board or platter," says Walls. "I always add fresh fruits and herbs because they add a colourful touch to your arrangement, even if they aren't always eaten." Take the pressure off your hosting duties by setting up a self-serve cocktail bar. You could make guests their first cocktail when they arrive, then after that they're on their own. Otherwise, you're constantly running around playing bartender.

"Creating beautiful garnishes for cocktails makes drinks feel fancy, and guests will enjoy making them up. Dehydrate some citrus fruits and create yummy margarita salts with citrus or chilli – or just buy them," says Walls. Once you've got everything set up, you can kick back and enjoy the night with everyone else.

Make it special

If you are dining outdoors, go all out and hang lanterns in the trees and string up festoon lights – just don't forget to have citronella candles or bug spray at the ready. Creating hand-written name tags will add another decorative layer to your table setting and make your guests feel extra special. If they can see you've cared enough to prepare something unique in their honour, they can't fail to have a good time.

Advertise with NZME.

"I'm inspired by the details, big and small," says Walls. "If it's a festive time, you could send your guests away with a gift of homemade cocktail garnishes or margarita salts in a little glass jar, with a handwritten note," she says.

"It's not a necessity, but if it's a special occasion, it's always so thoughtful."