OK, I admit it. I’m a sucker for a trend – especially one I’ve seen plastered all over social media. In addition to this, I’m also an interiors addict and use image-sharing platforms like Instagram and Pinterest to look for new ideas to decorate my own flat and to give me a heads up on decor trends for any articles I’m writing.

I was hooked by the millennial pink phase, the velvet sofas (mine arrived last weekend – woop), the DIY painted floorboards and statement fireplaces. Like everyone, I have a growing obsession with towering house plants (I’m only human). But there’s one trend that recently captured my attention and it feels more niche than the rest.

The first rumblings of tablescaping (the art of setting your table) started for me about six months ago. In features meetings at Stylist HQ we discussed the idea that for women in their mid-to-late 20s, dinner parties were now the entertainment style du jour. 

Therefore, people seemed to be taking pleasure in setting their tables for dinner in increasingly elaborate fashions, thinking about colour schemes, styling details and investing in accessories such as napkins, candles and vases.

It wasn’t long before friends of mine who had previously favoured well-known and failsafe stores like Zara Home and MADE were asking me about small, independent brands who specialised in tablewear. 

Designers such as Matilda Goad (famous for her brightly coloured napkins) and Anna + Nina (whose candy-hued candle sticks are an obsession of mine) began cropping up in conversation, as my pals became keen to up their table setting game

I too fantasised about inviting my friends around for dinner and wowing them with a beautifully laid table. Of course, it makes sense to want to lay your table with the appropriate utensils and to create atmosphere if you’re hosting, but this was more than that, it felt like an opportunity to be creative. Dare I say it, it felt like art.

In the same way you might imagine choosing an outfit from head to toe, hair accessories to handbag, I started picking out tablecloths, napkins, candles and candle holders. I thought about centrepiece decorations and pastel-coloured cutlery, water pitches and jug vases stuffed with coordinating flowers. I contemplated which colours would work best to complement the food, season and trends of the moment.

So, I went looking for inspiration and boy, did I find it. Plenty of artsy Instagram royalty have been smashing stylish table settings out of the park for a while already. 

For example, artist and designer Luke Edward Hall’s al fresco dining scenes are full of clashing stripes – from his turquoise and yellow tablecloth to the just-picked tulips in a paint-splattered vase. These sit joyously alongside sunshine-coloured glasses and patterned plates. 

While influencer and broadcaster Laura Jackson flicks between minimalist white tablecloths and matching, neutral-coloured dishes and rich, jewel tones with an abundance of candles at varying heights. Jackson has even collaborated with Habitat in the past to film her tablescaping talents and has invited her followers to get creative at dinner time with her hashtag #makeamealofit.

“A good rule of thumb is to keep things tonal when tablescaping; if you choose a colour, try to tie it into the napkins, crockery, candles and flowers,” Whitney Hawkings, founder and CEO of Flowerbx says. “Pink is a failsafe choice for any summer table and always makes alfresco dining feel celebratory, natural and fresh. Mix scented summer flowers like peonies and garden roses, and add rosé for an unforgettable summer soiree.”

Are you convinced, yet? If so, and you’re keen to try tablescaping for yourself, I’ve put together some of my favourite tablescaping examples for inspiration and some must-buy table accessories to get you started. 

Tablescaping inspiration 

Here are some of my favourite accounts and examples of dreamy tabletop set-ups. 

Hero image: Liberty London
Other images: Instagram / brand’s own