Neutral Tablescape Idea for a Large Group

When you have to host a large group but don’t want to spend too much time on the table setting, go with a simple and elegant neutral tablescape. This will make everyone feel comfortable and let the focus be on the celebration! By using neutral colours you’ll keep the look timeless.

The Base

Usually I would use white tablecloths when I combine two tables as thats all I have two of. During my cleaning of the linen cupboard recently I found an unopened pair of Ikea curtains. They were a dark beige colour and made of a linen look fabric. Thankfully they fit my largest table and looked great after a quick steam.

The Decorations

We would be having a lot of people sitting around the table and chatting so I didn’t want to have anything high in the centre of the table. I also wanted to stick to the neutral tablescape idea. I decided to use fairylights down the centre of both tables but I didn’t want them to be so obvious. The solution was a light muslin to cover the lights. You can get it precut in a 5m length from Spotlight, which was exactly what I needed for both tables.

This was also the perfect opportunity to use my vintage crystal vases. I thought it would look great with a long line of them running down the centre. It also gives me an excuse to use all of the crystal vases I’ve collected over the years!!

Tableware

When we have a large gathering like this I will always use white plates because I have a good collection of them. This will be the first table I use my brand new tableware from Chyka Home. I purchased 3 sets so I had settings for 12 people. For this gathering I will need to use two additional plates from my collection.

Flatware will be two mixed sets. One my Figs & Feta Crown Cutlery and my Villeroy & Boch set, which I couldn’t find to link but this is something similar.

I will also use clear glassware from Ikea as I have enough for everyone and I didn’t want to add any colour.

The two colours I want to add to the table are my favourites – green and pink. I chose to use disposable place mats to add colour. These are a great option when entertaining for a lot of people. They add interest but don’t cost as much as charger plates or fabric placemats and its one less thing to wash afterwards!!! I got mine from Provincial Home Living, they come in a pack of 50.

I don’t have enough fabric napkins to use the same colour so I chose pink and green ones. The pink ones have a beautiful white scalloped edge from Blue Maisonette and the green ones are from KMart and are very cost effective.

The Finishing Touches

White flowers with a touch of green were used to fill the vases down the centre. I also dragged the Cricut out to make little gift boxes to hold some chocolates for all our guests. These were placed on the bottom of the upturned glasses. All in all I think my neutral tablescape turned out cute. Apart from the muslin and the flowers everything used were items that I already owned. What do you think?

I’m keeping things easy this time and opting to serve a roast lunch. With roast lamb and pork. Duck fat potatoes, sweet potato mash, honeyed carrots, peas and gravy.

I have some other tablescapes here if you would like some more inspiration.