Create the perfect tablescape with Flossie Saunders
We spent an afternoon with stylist, fashion editor, business owner and all-round taste-maker Flossie Saunders to find out her tips for tablescaping. From choosing a colour scheme to picking the crockery, we got an insight into how the most stylish women lay their tables.
"I am a big fan of cooking and a huge fan of ceramics (so much so I actually own my own ceramic business: Hot Pottery) I am also a fashion stylist and editor, so inevitably I fell into tablescaping. It brings me a lot of joy and I love seeing people's faces when they see the table before dinner. I have two kids under three so I don’t have time for starching napkins but I do think a little effort can go a long way."
"You don’t have to have matching plates and glasses and certainly don’t have to spend lots of money it’s just about adding little touches to your table (the daffodils I bought for the table cost £1, and there is nothing wrong with a jazzy paper napkin)."
SIZE MATTERS
"When starting to think about a tablescape the first thing you need to ask yourself is, what are you eating? How many, and what plates or bowls do you need, how much space on the table for the food. Do you need little plates for tacos or big shallow bowls for your pasta. This helps you be able to understand what you need on the table."
COLOUR ME HAPPY
"Choosing a colour theme is key, for this tablescape I took inspiration from my dress and went with yellow, blue and hints of amber. This is a very simple way of making a table look cohesive and impressive. If you only have white crockery and clear glasses, colour can be added with table linen, candles and flowers."
HOW HIGH
"Think about different heights, this is what sets a tablescape apart from a simple table setting. This can be created with candles and flowers. Here I have candles at different heights, using different candle holders. I also have two types of flowers for this, a larger higher bouquet and smaller, lower bud vases with single blooms."
LAYER CAKE
"Think about building your tablescape like you would layering clothing. Lots of thin layers. Table cloth, Plates, Cutlery, glasses, flowers, candles, serving dishes."
THE SMALL THINGS
"Lastly don’t forget the small touches, these can sometimes make the biggest impact. Ribbons around napkins, small little flowers in bud vases, place cards, a single flower on each person's place setting."