Have you found your perfect farmhouse table for your dining room? Great, now I bet you’re wondering how to decorate it. If so you’ve come to the right place. I know just how hard it can be to decide how you want to decorate your beautiful table, but I promise it’s much easier than you think.
Dining room table decor is actually quite simple and it’s a ton of fun. To make things easier for you, I’ve written out five easy tips to help elevate your dining room table decorations. With these easy tricks, you’ll be able to make your dining room look like it’s fresh out of a designer magazine.
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Start With A Table Centerpiece
Finding a centerpiece for your table is both challenging and fun. The fitting centerpiece will turn your table into a work of art, while the wrong one will feel disproportionate in the space making the room feel just a bit off. The key is to find a piece that mimics the table shape.
Let’s say for instance you have a round table. An elongated dough bowl on that will look very awkward cutting the circle in half. On the other hand, that same dough bowl would be the perfect addition to a rectangular table.
Still confused? Check out this quick guide to centerpieces by table shape:
- Round or Square Tables: Stems in a vase, floral arrangement, round tray with decorative items, large bowl with fruits
- Rectangular or Oval Tables: Candlestick arrangement, dough bowl, a montage of decorative items on a table runner, greenery box
- Abstract Tables: Multiple vases, small candle arrangement, sculpture(s)
Lay Down A Table Runner
A good runner can really make or break your dining table and good runners can be hard to come by. If you’re like me and my family, we seem to have very large tables and oftentimes have trouble finding runners that fit. This can be quite the challenge so we often have to throw two runners together or custom makes our own.
Speaking of fit, do you know what size you need your table runner to be? If you don’t you’re not alone. I often see table runners that are too narrow or hang down too far (or not far enough) on many tables. Your ideal table runner width should be one-third of the actual width of your tabletop. The length is dependent on your table, but you should allow for roughly 6 inches of fabric to rest on either side.
Add Personality With Dishes
If you wanted to stop with a centerpiece and table runner, or even just a centerpiece, that would be totally fine! However, if your goal is a fuller look, you may want to find some beautiful dishes to add to your table decorations. These can be the same as the dishes in your cabinets or you can splurge on a few of your favorite pieces just to accent your table.
Regardless, you will want your dishes to add some personality and perhaps a little color to your table. Find plates, bowls, and cups with varying colors, textures, and sizes to piece together. The variation of each will help to add some intrigue to your table. For reference, here are a few simple combinations I like to use:
- Dinner plate and patterned salad plate
- Dinner plate, salad plate, and bowl
- Charger dinner plate, salad plate, and bowl
- Riser, dinner plate, and salad plate
- Dinner plate
Top It Off With A Decorative Napkin
Your dishes may look a little lonely piled on top of each other and a cute fabric napkin is a perfect addition to spruce things up. Your napkin allows you to create playful shapes and presents the perfect opportunity to bring in a new texture or color. They are also super versatile in how they can be used in the space.
You can neatly tuck your napkin in a unique napkin ring or fold them under your second plate or bowl. Each season you can swap your napkin out to align with your new decor and they also work great to add a pop of holiday spirit to your dining room. If you haven’t invested in fabric napkins, here is your sign to do it now!
If It’s Still Missing Something… Add A Placemat!
Have you completed the first four steps? Do you still feel like your table is missing something? If the answer to both of those questions is yes, then try adding a placemat! Placemats not only provide the opportunity to introduce a fun, new texture, but they also help take up space and ground your dishes. The added layer helps create a more curated look and gives that extra special finishing touch.
I do recommend using round placemats on round or oval tables, but as far as square and rectangular tables go, the options are endless. Placemats are also very practical and the thicker ones like the wicker or rope material have really helped protect the finish on my table while making my home feel much more designer.