Summertime: the perfect time for entertaining. Today I am sharing a simple summer tablescape. It’s a beautiful and fun way to celebrate summer. The soothing colors of sea glass combined with white dishes, glass hurricanes with candles anchored in sand, starfish, and beautiful flowers create the perfect table setting to embrace the splendor of summer with the ones you love.
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Summer Entertaining
Warm sunshine, cool breezes, and longer days make summer entertaining extra special. In the summertime, I love to have family and friends to the farm for a laidback afternoon or evening gathered around the table. Fresh fruits and vegetables, delicious grilled entrees, cold beverages, and sweet treats are what summer is all about.
For the first table setting of this summer season, I was inspired by two DIYs that I made last week.
Both of these projects were so fun, easy, and inexpensive to make. They also turned out even better than I had hoped. I was so excited to use both the sea glass bottles and the coastal napkin rings on the picnic table out by the pond for our first summer family gathering.
Designing a Simple Summer Tablescape
Although the goal is always to create a beautiful table, I love creating tablescapes that guests feel comfortable and welcome at when they gather around. Typically, my table settings are warm, inviting, and casual. This casual vibe is something I try to carry out throughout the farmhouse year-round. It’s important to me that anyone who visits the farm feels like they are home.
With that being said, here are five tips to use when designing a simple summer tablescape:
1. Pick a Theme/Color Palette
Now that the kids are out of school, I have sea spray, ocean air, and sunshine on my mind. It was time to celebrate the laid-back and lazy days of summer. Yahoo! Therefore, my theme for the first table setting of the summer was simplicity. This simple summer tablescape is the perfect way to welcome summertime to the farm.
In this simple summer tablescape theme, I wanted the overall feeling to be reminiscent of the beach. I wanted the table to feel light, bright, and airy, just like a day at the beach. To do this, I planned to incorporate the soothing colors you find at the beach including hues of white and beige for the sands. White is always a beautiful way to make things feel bright, fresh, light, and airy. I also wanted to include shades of blue and green for the beautiful ocean and the sea oats that adorn the east coast. Lastly, I wanted to include some special coastal touches to the table such as sand and sea life.
2. Hunt and Gather for Inspiration
Now that I had my theme and color palette picked out, it was time to hunt and gather. I mentioned earlier that my DIY sea glass bottles and coastal napkin rings were the initial inspiration for this simple summer tablescape, so I grabbed those first. Then, I went through the cabinets and pantry hunting for more simple summer inspiration. After finding some of my favorite summer table decor pieces, such as white dishes and silverware, clear glassware, and the perfect summer napkins, I gathered them all up and brought them out to the picnic table.
3. Start at the Base and Work Upward
With all the pieces picked out and ready to be used for my simple summer tablescape, it was time to start styling. I always start at the base of the table and work my way up.
First, lay out a runner or tablecloth. In this case, I used my tried and true canvas dropcloth. It’s perfect for outdoor entertaining because it’s durable, washable, and very inexpensive when it needs replacing. I laid it out in the center of the table. Then, I bunched it up a bit for texture and visual appeal. The look of the runner reminded me a lot of the whitewash when waves crash upon the sand at the beach.
Now that the runner was in place, I began to set out the dishes. I started with the dinner plates and then added the pasta bowls on top. I placed the napkins with my DIY coastal napkin rings around them in the center of the bowls to add a pop of coastal color and a beachy feel. Next, I added my favorite flatware to each place setting. Finally, I set out the glassware. The clear glass was perfect for adding shine to the table from the sun. I used water goblets and my favorite wine glasses.
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4. Simple Summer Tablescape Centerpiece
The place settings were complete and now it was time to move on to (what I think is the best part of) designing a tablescape, the centerpiece, and decorations. In the morning, I arranged some gorgeous summer blooms in my favorite vase (which is actually a glass hurricane– Shhh!). Don’t you just love home decor pieces that are multi-functional?! The arrangement included… I placed the arrangement in the center of the table on the runner that I styled earlier.
Next, I placed two DIY sea glass bottles with candles in them on the runner on either side of the floral arrangement. I also added glass globe vases with the bottles, one on either side of the table. Inside the glass globes, I poured sand and placed a small pillar candle inside them.
5. Sit, Relax, and Enjoy
The table is set, the candles are lit, and now it’s time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the beautiful and simple summer tablescape you created. This evening we are enjoying Easy Slow Cooker Carnitas and Grilled Corn Summer Salad with Pickled Blueberries and the best Shrimp Salad.
Thank you for joining me today outside by the pond. Creating this simple summer tablescape to share with you was so much fun! I hope you found the DIYs, sources, and tips helpful and that you have been inspired to design and create a simple summer tabelscape of your own to enjoy with your and your family this summer too.
For more home decor sources and styling tips, easy DIYs, delicious recipes, and more, join me on Pinterest and Instagram. I look forward to seeing you there!
