TABLE TALK

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⚙️ Table Talk #103: Hosting Sorcery 🐇

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TABLE TALK #103
Tablescaping is a very fancy word for the very simple idea that it’s fun to dress up your kitchen table, especially when hosting.

Of course, taste and smell shape our enjoyment of food and drink, but so too does sight, and in our eyes a well curated tabletop can be just the ticket for 10/10 hosting.

Today’s Table Talk delves into the art of dressing a table. We’ll be sharing tips to take away whether you’re up for spending squillions or nothing at all.


🍝 MAIN COURSE 🍝
When it's a beans on toast Sunday night our kitchen Feng Shui efforts are unlikely to go further than a crumb sweep. When it's a Wednesday night and we've got friends descending, we like to up our game.

The art of tablescaping really isn’t about which-way-round-should-the-knife go, we forget that too. What it's about is actively curating your table so that it matches the mood or theme of the occasion, making your guests feel that little bit more treated and the occasion that little bit more memorable.

We may be at risk of sounding loco (not the first time) but do think that if you’re hopping in the shower and pulling on fresh clothes, surely your table should get a look in too? For us a beautiful tablescape, more than anything, is the perfect excuse to dwell there even longer, soaking up the company of friends and family, sipping gently on that last glass of wine.

So how does one go about curating and who should one turn to for inspiration? 
Photo Credit: Lucy Mee
Founder of On The Table

 

Scroll social media or leaf through a glossy magazine and there are many a frighteningly immaculate tablescape to be found. Don’t let them fool or intimidate you. In reality all you’re doing is letting your table play dress-up. So follow these tips and have fun.

Immerse Yourself

Start following a bunch of people whose style you love. Whether that’s minimalists like Lucy Mee who dresses her tables with crumpled linen tablecloths with tomatoes as a centrepiece, or maximalists like J J Martin who goes as far as matching her dress to the table.  

Dream Up A Theme

It’s by no means necessary to have a theme, but if having a direction helps you then let the coming of a new season or a special day in the calendar inspire you. Be that person in the park scooping up autumn leaves, then heading to this page on Pinterest for styling tips.

Don’t Forget The Food

Personally, we’re pretty prone to getting over excited with laying up, then forgetting we’re making tapas or something with a lot of dishes and having no room left on the table for them. Do make a mental note of how many you’re hosting and what kind of feast it is. Laura Jackson who run Hoste is queen of striking this balance.

Photo Credit: J J Martin
Founder of La Double J

 

🍮 SWEET ENDINGS 🍮

One final tip.

Treat It Like A Wedding Cake

That suggests intricacy, but all we’re saying is work from a centrepiece outwards and your table will have flow. Put whatever has status at the centre, be that flowers, candlesticks, bottles, balloons etc, then work out. We love Luke Edward Hall's unapologetic approach of bringing half the hedgerow inside for bold floral displays. 

🍷 WHAT'S NEW
FROM
WEDNESDAY'S DOMAINE? 🍷

This last month has seen a burst of independent stockists welcome Wednesday's Domaine to their shelves, much helped by the brilliant work of our newest hire, Bella.

Bella, when not modelling our wine, has been winning exciting new stockists all over the country. Recent recruits include Palate - Shoreham-By-Sea,  Essen General Store - Beeston and Superette - London. 

Please to pap us if you spot us there, or drop us a note with the name of your local wine shop if we're not there already. We'll make it our mission to change that.

Until next Wednesday,

Luke x

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