12 Expert Tips For A Simple Yet Elegant Table Setting

So, you're aiming to set an elegant table, eh? And no wonder — apart from the meal itself, the table upon which it sits the most important part of a dining experience. In other words, the way that you set up the linens, flatware, plates, glasses, decor, and more all determine the mood of the entire event. And there are plenty of occasions that call for a certain casual air of elegance that only practice can make easy. 

Or, in lieu of years of experience, you could always ask an expert and instead learn from all of her best suggestions for setting up an appealing table. And who better to ask to talk about the topic of beautiful table settings than the Chef and Owner of one of California Wine County's premier catering companies, Preferred Sonoma Caterers: Amber Balshaw.

"With setting up dining tables, to me, the devils in the details," said Balshaw. "Right now, I love mixing glassware especially since, to me, glassware is beautiful ... it sparkles, it glows, and you get a variety of heights that catch your eye. Also, as with home design, you want to think about colors and texture; this year, velvet has been really popular and a velvet napkin is just as elegant as it can be. And remember contrast — it's been a lot of beiges these past few years, but ... combining a lavender with gold or a black with gold is just elegant."

When you're still in the process of thinking about how you want your table to look, one important thing to consider is the table's theme. This concept of a themed table may come across more obviously in those that are occasion-oriented, such as birthdays, weddings, or holidays. But in the case of upscale events, remember that less is often more, and even if it's a Halloween party, try to incorporate only the most elegant elements and make sure they are consistent throughout the table.

"Though mix-and-match is good, you do need to keep a consistent theme," Balshaw said. To create a table's theme, simply choose an item or two that matches the feeling or vibe of the event in question. Take Thanksgiving, for example — when creating a Thanksgiving-themed table, consider the words or images that pop into your mind ... harvest, bounty, abundant and overflowing cornucopias, all with splashes of orange and red like the leaves changing on the trees outside, perhaps? So long as everything on the table follows one consistent theme, it should look elegant and clean.

Nothing ruins an elegant eating experience quite like a table so cluttered you can't even find a place to put down your cocktail. And any fine dining restaurant worth its salt will ensure its guests have enough space to actually enjoy their evening. In this same vein of thought, any and all elegantly set dining tables at home are not complete unless there's room to breathe when everyone is seated and ready to eat. 

"Less is more," agreed Balshaw. "I don't like a crowded table because there's nothing worse than sitting down to a table, and it's crowded, plus you don't know how to use half of what's there."

So, take away those extra bits of decor and get a table extender if you need to, because anything is better than bumping elbows with each other when you so much as cut into a steak or reach to pass the pepper. 

Flowers, wreaths, and other botanical arrangements are a timeless and traditional decorative element that can brighten and add a touch of elegance to any table setting. Whatever the season, there are a ton of gorgeous bouquets and arrangements that can take the table you're setting from average to absolutely splendid in no time at all. From jaunty sunflowers in the late summer and early fall to wreathes of holly around the holidays and even delicate live orchids of early spring, you simply cannot go wrong with flowers (barring allergies, that is).

"Flowers you can always count on –- I have never seen a live flower that didn't enhance an elegant look," said Balshaw. "Or any look. And even color schemes I would never put together, like honeydew green against a teal blue, they can be balanced when you bring flowers between to help soften everything." And if flowers are really speaking to you and you want to add them just about everywhere you can on that dining setup, consider this creative floral decor game-changer of making floral ice cubes for your drinks.

Though many of us have at least a few fond memories of dining tables piled high with generous platters of fabulously delicious food, this food-forward method of dining is not quite right if the aesthetic aim for the evening is one of elegance. Rather than letting the food get in the way of the evening, consider ways to balance full bellies and plates with not having to have the whole hog on the table to prove it.

"Having tons of platters of food means there's so much space between everyone as they eat and no room to put anything down, and you feel cramped," Balshaw explained, going on to speak about the ways to mitigate situations such as this. One would be to serve the protein and perhaps a carb while in the kitchen and then let the sides sit on the table for individual serving options. Otherwise, there's always the option of plating everyone's dishes for them, which can look very elegant if done well.

There's nothing worse than sitting down at a table and seeing a smudge on your fork or a fingerprint in your wineglass — it is, quite simply, unappetizing. "I should not be able to do an NCIS recovery from the fingerprint on your glass," said Balshaw.

For plates and utensils, just be sure to give them a thorough wash and dry, and try to carry them from the underside (to keep your hands from touching the top of the plate). Glassware is the most difficult to keep pristine since it retains a significant visual impression of any imperfection on its surface. So, make sure to double-check all those glasses on the table if you're going for an elegant impression. 

And if you're struggling to get those dishes looking squeaky clean because of annoying water marks, try out this coffee hack for preventing watermarks on dishes while they dry — it's amazing what a few grounds can do to keep dirty-looking dishes far away from the dinner table.

One mistake that almost everyone makes when setting up an elegant dining table is that they do not take the time to consider the change in lighting from when they are choosing items for the table versus when they are actually going to set it. If you're eating outside at noon, for example, be sure to look at the color of the tablecloth outside at noon rather than in the kitchen the night before since lighting and timing make a huge difference in decorative impact.

"Make sure to view your colors where you will be viewing them throughout the night," said Balshaw. "You don't want to sit down at a white tablecloth on a bright sunny day, for example."

If the colors are too dark, the dining table could appear drab. Too light, on the other hand, and the linens can reflect the sun up into your face and make enjoying a meal almost impossible against the glare of a good bleach-starched tablecloth glistening in the sunlight.