THE SPRING REFRESH: HOW TO SET YOUR DINING TABLE FOR THE SEASON AHEAD

By Katrina Lander

The sun is setting later, the days are getting warmer, the trees are blossoming, winter is disappearing and it’s finally time to refresh our dining tables for spring.  

Not sure where to start? See my inspiration and ideas below.

Start with your colour scheme:

You can have so much fun with spring colours, bright shades of pink, red and orange. Alternatively, you may prefer the warmer spring colours, warm greens, duck egg blue, yellows, and browns.

Look at what you can reuse in your home for colour scheme inspiration; do you already have table runners and tablecloths?

Once you have a colour scheme in mind, it’ll be easier to picture how you want to build on your table display.

Spring is a great time to be bold, so if you’re choosing the warmer and neutral colour palette like I have, ensure to add a pop of bright colour to really make your design stand out.  

Decorate with spring flowers:

In my opinion, all spring tablescapes should include some blooms and there are so many ways to include them. You can go as extravagant or minimalistic as you like, and there are plenty of ways to make your design affordable:

• What better way to create your tablescapes than picking your own fresh flowers from the garden. I’m lucky enough to have a yellow blossoming tree outside my home which I have used to decorate part of my table. Branches, greenery and moss are other great elements you can find to do this, too.
• Small potted plants. I know, it may sound odd decorating your table with potted plants, but for spring they really do work and they’re much longer- lasting than cut flowers.
• If you fancy a floral design, but don’t want actual flowers. why not opt for a floral garland table runner? Another option is incorporating floral designed plates and mugs.

Make use of what you have:

Spring is a great time to get out your floral prints, vintage china and colourful glasses, don’t be afraid to mix and match, it can make your design fun and quirky.

Leftover jars, candle holders, vases, mini vases and faux flowers – most of us already have some of these decorations in our homes, and they work great for all seasons, don’t forget to look at what you can reuse first.

What salt & pepper mills do you have?

Your mills should complement the rest of your table. As I’ve used some neutral colours and shades of brown, I knew my Cole & Mason London mills in stained wood would go perfect with my table design.

I would recommend using an alternative colour next to the mills: for example, I have placed my wooden mills next to the bright tulips.

Can you include this colour in other elements of your table design like I have with mine? 

Show your personality:

I always think dressing a table is a reflection of your personality, so make sure you have fun with it, I’m sure your guests will love it.