Make Your Summer Table Anything But Ordinary

 

TEXT AND PHOTO BY CHRISTINE CONRAD SHULTZ

 

It’s summer, and that means more outdoor picnics and get-togethers with less fuss and more fun. That goes for your table settings, too!

 

With the help of The Perfect Setting on Bridge Street in New Cumberland, we highlight some of the most influential trends for tabletops in 2010. Whether your personal style du jour leans toward pieces that are retro, eco or funky, the trend is to add flare without the fuss, and to find your own unique style.

 

Muted Neutrals or “Meu-trals”

Think that “neutral” means only whites, beiges and creams? Think again. Most any color can be considered a neutral. The key lies in setting the table with pieces designed in solid, muted tones; think the deep purple of eggplant paired with a faded seafoam green or turquoise – that’s actually a great combination!

 

Avoid mixing vibrant or too bright colors when setting a table with neutrals. Take a cue from Mother Nature and work with the color palette of the ocean and sand, or the soft hues of a morning sunset when the world still holds a foggy mist.

 

Neutral shades can help bring the focus to the food, or they can play off a natural theme. Some contemporary pieces offer tableware styles that mimic nature, like leaf patterns in deep browns and greens, mustard yellows and shades of plum and lilac.

 

Color Me Happy

While exotics and bold prints are quite popular, those bold designs can overwhelm a table-scape, especially a small one, and they’re often not practical or can look too ornate.

This trend makes the most of eye-popping color in bright hues that are perfect for summer’s festive feeling when you get together with friends. Coordinate a great-looking table by layering “hits” of color that step outside the parameters of nature, like neon greens, citrus yellows, fiery reds or blazing fuchsias – the bolder, the better.

 

Stripes, swirls, vivid florals and modern designs make for great combos with artfully paired colors. High-contrast graphics are also making their way onto dinnerware pieces, taking their cue from today’s popular graphic tees. Sarah Cihat’s Rehablilitated Dishware takes unwanted ceramics and resurfaces them with new, up-tempo graphic designs (www.sarahcihat.com) that will please anyone looking for an eco-sustainable option. The offbeat shapes of Wilma stoneware from cb2 offer a quirky departure from standard dinner plates and bowls, and look great when stacked together.

Vintage patterns also work well here. If you’re not looking to spend a lot of money, a trek through an antique or second-hand store could yield a “new to you” pattern that won’t cost a lot.

 

Cross-pollinate

This type of table setting is a great way to give extra bang to your buck, by mixing together items you already have for greater diversity. Pieces don’t have to be from the same pattern, but they do need to have continuity, either in terms of color or design elements.

 

Keep the foundation colors simple – a neutral tablecloth or simple charger plates – to allow for a greater mixing of pieces and accessories. Layer smaller plates upon larger, and then add a soup or salad bowl for depth and height. Placing glassware or a casually folded napkin on top of plates brings greater dimension to the table. Yeah, we know it may not seem practical, as you’ll need to remove it before eating, but it looks great!

 

This look is all about your personal style and having fun – choose the colors of your alma mater or your favorite sports team for you next party or special occasion. Gold is one of the go-to colors of the season, and it looks great with almost any other color. Look through your cupboards and sideboards, cultivate a few favorite pieces from your china collection and mix them together in various sizes and shapes. Keep it playful, keep it simple and have fun creating your own style. HBG