We're excited to have been featured in the May 2022 Issue of House and Garden UK! Take a look below.
Saturday, April 02, 2022
Wednesday, March 23, 2022
How to Set a Table for a Dinner Party | Absolutely Everything You Need to Know [With Illustrated Place Setting Ideas]
If you're throwing a dinner party for friends and family and want it to really "wow," we've got you covered. Follow along for our advice on how to set everything from a basic table for a casual get together to a formal table fit for royalty.
Should You Use a Tablecloth, a Runner, or Placemats?
This depends on the formality of your dinner and your overall style. If you have a beautiful farmhouse table, you can show it off and skip a tablecloth for most dinners (unless you want to throw a Bridgerton style gala dinner).
For casual events you can do placements, or placemats and a charger. A charger is a piece of decor that goes under your plate to add another element of style. It's usually round and is slightly larger than your plate. You leave it there as people eat, but it can be removed at dessert.
For more formal events, you can do a tablecloth - or if you love tablecloths, you can do them at casual events, too! The rules aren't hard and fast and can be adjusted to your style and taste.
A runner can be used on its own down the center of a table, or layered on top of a tablecloth to add visual interest. You can also use a runner in creative ways, running it across the table from different place settings, like here in our Provence Linen Runner.
What Utensils Do You Need for a Dinner Party?
This depends on what you're serving. A fork and knife are usually the basics. For most dinner parties, you'll want a dinner fork and a salad fork.
Do you need a spoon? Well, only if you're serving food that requires eating with a spoon.
Do you need a spoon? Well, only if you're serving food that requires eating with a spoon.
Check out our illustrated guides below for an in-depth look at what utensils to use.
How to Set a Basic Table for a Dinner Party - What Do You Need?
Having a simple dinner for just the family? If you just need the basics, this should suffice. You can dress it up with flowers from the garden and a great bottle of wine.
For the simplest, most basic table setting, you'll need:
- A dinner plate
- A bowl if you're serving soup
- A napkin
- A water glass
- Utensils, depending on your menu (fork and knife, usually; soup spoon if you're serving soup)
- And decor, of course: place cards, flowers, candles, etc.
How to Set a Casual Table for a Dinner Party - What Do You Need?
If you're having a more casual affair but still want an elevated look (no paper plates, please), here's what you'll need:
- Tablecloth if you're using one. A runner can go on top of a tablecloth if you choose.
- If you're not using a tablecloth, a runner and placements will dress up a bare table.
- Chargers with a tablecloth are always recommended (at least by us - we love a good charger!) - chargers with placemats are optional but add another layer of decor.
- A dinner plate and salad plate. Soup bowl if you're serving soup.
- A napkin
- A water glass and additional glass, depending on your menu. Usually a wine glass (red or white, depending on what you're serving). This could also be a champagne flute, if it's a brunch and you're serving mimosas, or a cocktail glass if you're serving a fun signature drink with dinner.
- Our Arte Italica Verona glass set is exactly what you need for dinner parties - it has a water and a wine glass, with handmade Italian Pewter stems.
- Utensils: fork, salad fork, knife. Add a soup spoon if you're serving soup, and a steak knife if you're serving steak.
- And then of course, your decor.
How to Set a Proper Formal Table for a Dinner Party - What Do You Need?
If you're going all out and setting a formal table for a fancy dinner party or a holiday, here's what you'll need.
- A tablecloth is de rigueur for formal dinners. It doesn't have to be crisp white; you can always do something more interesting and colorful, while maintaining the formality of the dinner.
- A beautiful charger underneath each plate will elevate your table - we definitely recommend it for a formal dinner.
- A dinner plate and salad plate. Soup bowl if you're serving soup.
- A napkin
- A water glass, white wine glass, and red wine glass if you're serving all three. If you're not (or you don't have that many glasses), you can get away with just a water and a wine glass... we won't call the etiquette police!
- Utensils: fork, salad fork, knife. Add a soup spoon if you're serving soup, and a steak knife if you're serving steak. A dessert spoon goes above the place setting.
- A bread plate and bread knife opposite the glasses. Your bread plates don't have to match the rest of your dishes! You can mix and match.
- And of course, your decor. Candlesticks and flowers galore for a more formal setting!
Shop Dinner Party Decor and Essentials
Shop all of our dinner party decor and essentials at Lavender and Company here. Don't forget to register for dishes, stemware, and tabletop for your wedding, too!
Thursday, March 17, 2022
Four Ways to Add Spring Style to Your Home This Easter
Spring is here, and we're sharing four unique ways to add a touch of spring style to your home this season. You don't need to do a total overhaul of your decor - you can just add a few fresh touches to bring in the seasonal color!
Throw pillows for spring - add to your bed, sofa, or chair
Throw pillows are a great way to kick out the winter doldrums. You can also add a fresh, pretty throw blanket to your sofa or bed to jazz up the space, too. Our Laura Park collection is full of bright, happy colors. For a more garden chic look, try Designer's Guild.
Shop Easter Table Finds - Add Something Springy to Your Tabletop
We like tabletop finds that can do double duty: look great for Easter, but also work all spring and summer long. Our Vietri collection is perfect for an Easter brunch, but can also be used throughout the season for farm-to-table meals and al fresco dinners.
You can even opt for just the salad plates or just the pasta bowls to mix and match for different dinners and menus!
Get Your Garden in Gear with Seeds and Garden Supplies
We've stocked our garden section with pretty seeds this year - plant them now and keep them in containers all summer, or move to your garden when it warms up a little more. They also make a great gift!
Get your garden into shape with a fresh twine dispenser and forged steel pruning shears.
Freshen Up Your Outdoor Space with an Indoor/Outdoor Rugs
Nothing freshens up a porch or a patio like a new indoor/outdoor rug. These fade-proof, easily-cleanable rugs make your outdoor space into a warm, inviting oasis. They come in every style, from jute to coastal to fun and beachy.
Shop New Spring Arrivals at Lavender and Company
Shop all of our new spring arrivals online at Lavender and Company! Get free shipping on orders of $75 or more and don't forget to register for your wedding and join our rewards program, too.
Saturday, March 05, 2022
Featured in House & Garden UK April 2022 Issue
We're excited to have been featured in the April 2022 Issue of House and Garden UK! Take a look below.
Monday, February 28, 2022
Now Offering Stark Custom Rugs
We're thrilled to now be offering STARK Custom Rugs!
STARK classic designs have a timeless elegance that’s always in-style. Shop the styles that earned STARK its luxury reputation, available now and ready to ship from Lavender Fields.
Get one of STARK's classic patterns cut to a custom size for your home in just 3-5 weeks, or customize the color, pattern, or size of an existing STARK product starting at an 8 week lead time. You can also get a completely custom product starting at a 16 week lead time.
Get in touch with us today to begin your STARK journey!
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