Cool. Airy. Relaxed. There’s something about a summer tablescape that sets the tone for the entire season. Even if you don’t have plans to entertain, you can guarantee that dressing up your table in honor of the warm weather will do something to lift your spirits.

At a bare minimum, you can bet that breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be more festive with something decorative on the table. And if you’re hosting friends for lunch or dinner or having an outdoor celebration and want to show off your decorating prowess, setting up a vibrant tablescape is a no-brainer.

How to Create a Summer Tablescape

• The Elements of a Beautiful Tablescape
• The Impact of Summer Botanicals
• The Power of a Little Glamour
• The Importance of Summer Maintenance

What makes a tablescape spectacular? Think color, character, texture, and depth. They can be as simple or as complex as you would like. You can make them bold, lavish, and abundant to complement a large table, or small yet impactful to create a focal point on a smaller surface. If you’re uncertain about how or where to begin, gather a few tablescape essentials to start. A few common additions include:

• Vases
• Flowers
• Candlesticks
• Accessories
• Glassware
• Plants

Keep in mind that you don’t need to incorporate all of these elements. In some cases, one or two of them are more than enough to create an attractive summer tablescape. Keep scale in mind, too; smaller tables and even some medium-size spaces generally look best with fewer items. Otherwise, you risk your tablescape appearing cluttered instead of classy.

Consider the elements in the room, too. If you have a lot going on, from the artwork on the walls to the pattern on the rug below the table, you might not want to create anything too involved on the table. They’ll cancel each other out, pulling focus in a variety of directions instead of drawing the eye inward.

The beauty of creating a tablescape in a busy room is that you can easily draw influence from those other elements. For example, you can create a cohesive look by selecting a few colors from the artwork or the area rug and applying those to your tablescape. The effect is thoughtful and carefully curated.

What’s bright and sunny and instantly day-changing? Plants and flowers, of course. Summer is that time of year when a whole host of seasonal favorites make their grand appearance, including dahlias, marigolds, sunflowers, ranunculus, and lavender. They’re all breathtaking in their own right, yet during summer they bring something truly special to the table — literally.

The beauty of adding a plant or a flower arrangement to your tablescape is that it creates an instant focal point. The Helios invites instant radiance to any space, its vibrant yellow color livening up the room with no effort at all. This sunflower bouquet is downright captivating!

Just as magical are other traditional summer colors, like orange, pink, violet, and green. Variations of these shades lend them a quintessentially warm-weather appropriate appearance, from soft blushes and apricots to pale violets and light mosses. Other summer-friendly colors include white, apricot, and blue. The James, for example, brims with multicolored bliss, and it’s a true feast incorporating juicy oranges, drops of ruby, hints of purple, and dashes of yellow into its mix.

Another fresh way to honor mother nature during summer? Bring some earthy dried arrangements into your world! The Val is a fabulous example of dry done right. Featuring fluffy bunny tails, including some that seem to glow in purple against their neutral beige backdrop, this arrangement is elaborate in the most understated way. For those who lack a green thumb or don’t have time to commit to sunflower plant care or other stems, a dried plant makes a smart alternative. It’s designed to last and last, so you never have to worry about tending to it.

Tablescapes always look a little fancier when there’s something elegant in the mix. Even if your plan is to create a casual summer design, you can incorporate one or two glossy accents to elevate the end effect. For example, gold is a quintessentially summer-friendly metallic that exudes a sense of warmth and grace. It not only freshens up your tablescape, but also complements everything from sunflowers to carnations to daisies beautifully.

Another way to give your summer tablescape an A-list touch is to add dazzling effect to unexpected elements. If you don’t want to be too extravagant but wouldn’t mind a little bit of flash, for example, add cloth napkins with a touch of your preferred metallic woven into a neutral backdrop.

Fancy charger plates also add a decorative element to your tablescape, especially when they provide contrast to your otherwise neutral elements. Because this type of plate serves as a base for your main dinnerware, it doesn’t stand out as much. A little peek of its edges is all that you need to transform the general look of your summer tablescape. Choose from elaborate styles that bring a little drama to the table, whether it’s a bold metallic or a vibrant color that contrasts with your flowers.

Once you’ve laid out your summer tablescape, you don’t need to worry about it much. It’s generally a set it and forget it type of deal, with the exception of any plants or flowers that you choose to add to the table. If they’re dried, maintenance isn’t really necessary unless you just want to move them around to refashion your tablescape a touch.

Generally, make sure that you have an idea of how to maintain any greenery on the table. Otherwise, you run the risk of dealing with wilting stems that take away from the overall summery vibe of the tablescape and ambiance of the room. A few sunflower care tips, for example, will make all the difference in keeping those vibrant yellow flowers happy for as long as possible. The same goes for anything else you might add to the design, be it roses or snapdragons.

Color plays a significant role in bringing some summery energy to your table throughout the season. When you have so many beautiful flowers and plants available, it’s easy to make those visions a reality. It’s also fun to play around with accent pieces to create a one-of-a-kind tablescape that honors the season perfectly.