I love the beautifully styled, fully set tables you see on Instagram. My favorites are saved and referenced when I set the table for a holiday meal or special occasion.
Our dining table is right inside the door that we use every day, so the rest of the time it’s not practical to have it covered with layers of decor, linens and plates!
If you have a dining table that is used every day for meals, school, working from home – or even if it doubles as extra counter space – here are a few tips for keeping it simply and beautifully decorated year round.
Keep the table free of clutter
It is always tempting to let things pile up on the dining table – mail, coats, purses, paperwork and anything else that comes in the door with you! Setting up a “drop zone” or command center and challenging yourself with “don’t put it down, put it away,” will really help with this!
Create a simple and portable centerpiece
My centerpieces are always placed on trays or large pieces that can be picked up and moved with one motion. When we sit down to eat at the table right now, all I have to do is push the tray back a little bit. We have plenty of room for our plates and something pretty to look at while we eat!
If I’m setting the table for more than just the two of us, I can pick up the tray and set it on the counter in one motion.
Make it easy to set the table
The runner in this table setting is actually two placemats lined up together. Before we sit down at the table, I just pull those placemats to each of our places and add plates & silverware. I don’t like having things on the table that can’t actually be used!
Don’t be afraid to copy others’ ideas!
My current table setting was inspired by the centerpiece in this Instagram post. I pulled similar items from my decorating stash (including my 10 year old faux lemons!) and made it my own. There will probably be a few times this summer that I’ll have fresh flowers in my vase, but my dollar tree arrangement looks just fine for the rest of the time!
Come Home For Comfort 
I like the idea of having a centerpiece that is easy to move! I currently keep an art caddy in the middle of our kitchen table. It has a handle and is easy to move at meal time. It’s not beautiful, but my kids love sitting at the table and doing art.
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That’s so sweet! I bet it’s helpful for you too, when you have a fun activity to keep them occupied while being a part of supper prep!
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