I want a house with a crowded table: where our walls hold the sacred space for created memories and laughter from family and friends. I’ve grown up with a family who loves to entertain. I’ve watched my mom, aunts and grandma put on miraculous feats to feed our excitable family with grace and a glass of wine in hand. Chaotic at times? Yes. But, I love the whole process of entertaining, from planning menus, to cleaning the house to setting the table. Andy and I both enjoy opening our home and sharing a meal. Pre-pandemic we would host the medical students for dinner and I just loved seeing them enjoy relax and enjoy a good home cooked meal. Entertaining does not have to be extravagant for it to be special. Even if you have a small space, you can host a small group of friends over and create a perfect afternoon get together. You also don’t need lots of fancy things to entertain some of my go-tos for entertaining are:
Flatware
I don’t have a fancy set of silver and keep things simple when setting our table for entertaining. Our everyday mirrored flatware we got for our wedding is what we typically use. I also love our Sabre horned flatware for special occasions. Vintage flatware that is mismatched, patinaed and well loved is also a favorite look of mine. Something about old flatware adds a touch of comfort and ease to a table
Linens
I keep it simple. First, table cloths will get dirty and a wine stain or two is inevitable. I have a couple table cloths I like but otherwise I keep my table bare. The tabletop is not perfect but I want our guests to feel relaxed and not like they have to calculate every move when eating. Neutral colored linens are super easy and cheap to dress a table with. Let them get patinaed with each time you use them. I personally like the look too. For napkins, I just use white linen ones. I don’t always iron them because again, I don’t want anything to be too stiff. And yes, they get dirty but that is what laundry is for!
White Platters and Serving Bowls
I collected a bevy of white platters and serving bowls for our wedding. They are not expensive by any means but just clean and simple. This allows the food to be the focus and not the delicacy or design of the serving dish itself.
Glasses
We have glasses in every shape and size! Stemmed wine glasses, stemless wine glasses, tall drinking glasses, European wine glasses, low-ball glasses and the list goes on. Here is the thing, glasses break and it is fun to have different shapes and sizes for different occasions. I also love having glassware on display in our kitchen which gives it a market type feel.
Fresh Flowers
Organic, seasons, fresh flowers can be a great center piece. They don’t have to be fancy and can be unstyled! We don’t want them to interfere with conversation or become an obstruction. A simple scattering of glass or ceramic jars, greenery and small bouquets or single stems do just the trick. Trader Joes is my go to for picking out flowers.
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