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First, the basics -

The first thing you'll want to do is decide on a theme or aesthetic. If you're lacking inspiration, the easiest way is to base your theme on the location where you're hosting the meal. If it's in your wide open backyard, a rustic country theme might work. If you're at the beach, a boho aesthetic could be perfect.

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Pick a theme -

Your theme can also be based on what food you're serving. If it's East Asian food, you can opt for darker colors and a sleeker design, for example. Or if it's Italian food, you could play with a classic red and white restaurant aesthetic.

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Get creative with your essentials -

Plates, bowls, and glasses don't have to be plain, nor do they have to conform to a conventional shape! You are certainly allowed to make your dishware the star of the show.

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Get nature involved -

Sometimes the best decorative items aren't even in our cupboards or in glass cabinets, but, rather, they're outside! Putting leaves and flowers along the center of the table and tucking them into the cutlery or napkins adds instant elegance and romance.

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Uniformity does not equal style -

Most people shy away from mixing and matching tableware because they assume order and consistency is equivalent to style, but, if done correctly, mix-and-match maximalism can offer a wonderfully eclectic table setting.

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Play with tablecloths -

Not only can you use more than one, but you can also use different textures, colors, and shapes. You can also drape them in interesting ways as if you were making a still-life kind of table setting. It's sure to be photogenic.

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Consider the space around the table -

Table setting isn't just about what's on the table but also what's around it. Simple tall plants, real or fake, at the head of the table where no one is sitting, for example, can bump you up from good to great!

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Lean into unexpected textures -

Cloth and flowers are reliable and beautiful, but what about adding a hefty dose of glitter and sequins? Just make sure it's all glued down so nothing gets into the food, but otherwise it's a safe bet.

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If nothing else, make sure the lighting is right -

You can get away with even the simplest of table settings if your lighting is charming enough. You don't want it to be too bright, but definitely bright enough to see the food, and using sources like string lights or candles provides that optimal warm, dreamy look that brings out the best post-dinner conversation.

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Don't forget about the seating -

Seating isn't something most of us have the opportunity to change on a whim, but even if the base stays the same, you can color-coordinate seat cushions to the table setting to ensure it all looks cohesive and thoughtful.

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Use interesting place mats -

Place mats are a surprisingly wonderful thing to look for when you're traveling, as they can add so much to a table as well as to the conversation that will happen around it. Unusual textures, materials, and colors can be so impressive that you'll hardly need much else!

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Leave no detail unturned -

There are so many tiny ways to elevate a table setting, including something as small as a napkin ring. It's the tiny details that leave the biggest impressions!

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Put extra produce to use -

If we're being honest, not everyone has the money nor the space to keep several table decorations on hand, but the great news is that all you need for a luxurious element is plain old produce! Think of old luxurious medieval spreads and royal table settings—by temporarily relocating pears, squashes, apples, oranges, grapes, and whatever else you have sitting in your kitchen to the center of your table, you'll find you have a cheap, edible, and beautiful arrangement at your disposal.

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Unlock napkin potential -

Napkins are often folded in a boring way and placed to the side, but if folded into a surprisingly beautiful sculptural piece and placed on each plate, you can get away with doing very little else and still impress your guests. Just make sure your hands are freshly washed before touching everyone's napkin!

Now that you've got your table setting bases covered, let's see what the stars have to say.

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Katie Holmes -

"I like mismatched antique silver cutlery and a mix of cloth napkins," actress Katie Holmes told Architectural Digest (AD) at the Tiffany & Co. Blue Book Ball. "But I like my plates the same for a little continuity."

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Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake -

Jessica Biel told AD how she and husband Justin Timberlake entertain at home. "I like sort of a rustic-elegant combination," said Biel. "My kitchen table looks beaten up, it's gray metal and stained. And then I dress it up with nice linen placemats and a couple of crystal glasses with fresh flowers."

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Iman -

At Variety's Power of Women Awards, the supermodel told AD that she has a thing for fine china, "But I also like mixing patterns." She's also keen on smells: "I go all out on the flowers. They're like the accessories, the flowers, the candles, how the room smells. I use Diptyque's Gardenia if I want it to be sexy and their Baies candle if I want it to be chic."

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Seth Meyers and Alexi Ashe -

Seth Meyers' wife, Alexi Ashe, told AD, "Our favorite thing is this matte black tableware that we have," meanwhile Meyers explained how far his own knowledge of table setting went by saying, "I know I'm not supposed to put your shoes on the table—no matter how recently you took them off."

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Zac Posen -

"I go into my garden, and I start clipping," said designer Zac Posen, per AD. "I place whatever branches are in season in the chandelier. And then I mimic that on the table. I create vignettes, sometimes whimsical, with flowers. The china is all antique."

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Sarah Jessica Parker -

During Variety's Power of Women Awards luncheon, Sarah Jessica Parker revealed that she and Matthew Broderick are suckers for the staples. "We've had the same napkins forever," said Parker. "We put out linen napkins every day, even for the kids. And we use the same china that we registered for when we got married."

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Helena Christensen -

The former Victoria's Secret Angel and co-founder of Nylon magazine likes an eclectic setting and serves "a lot of food," she revealed at a Cinema Society screening. "And I usually take branches from the outside with leaves on them and weave them between the plates and the glasses. I collect old antique plates, so everyone gets a different setting."

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Elle Macpherson -

"I'm old-school European," said the Australian model at a launch of her lingerie line for JCPenney. "I love a table with beautiful cutlery, tableware, and linens. I like an opulent table and big dinners. And I like a lot of small pots of flowers down the center of the table."

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Elizabeth Hurley -

"I love hand-embroidered linens," the English actress and model told AD. "I've always had beautiful sets made in India, and I have a new fabulous embroiderer in Lebanon. And I've just taken possession of these beautiful linen napkins with the most fabulous orchids hand-embroidered on them. I also have hot-pink sets from India and a new set that somebody just made me in Venice with hot-pink lips on them."

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Thom Filicia -

The famed interior designer, known for his role on 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,' described how he decorates for a dinner in the country: "I have a mix of china. I have really formal Limoges, a few different patterns that were my mother's, and Scandinavian china with colorful owls. We mix it all with a fun, inexpensive basket-weave pattern ... I like to mix it up and make a balance of formal and informal."

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Nate Berkus -

The famed TV personality and interior designer shared that when he hosts, "The table is a mix. Years ago, I bought a great set of Georg Jensen acorn-pattern silver at auction. Otherwise, it's brass flatware from West Elm," Berkus said. "I have lots of plates, lots of placemats, from Mexico, Thailand, all over. Usually we use plates from Mexico—they're ivory, with black hand-painted details—and place mats from Thailand that I bought at the bead store on 17th Street, Beads of Paradise."

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Jamie Drake -

The famed interior designer revealed his extravagant everyday at-home look: "I have very high ceilings, so I need something bold. On my giant island, I have a tall vase, and the branches rise up about 10 feet. I also usually have smaller branches on a cocktail table with a couple of orchids, with the lights dimmed, and candles." That said, he doesn't just reserve the best for guests. "But even when I have my cereal and breakfast toast, it is with 19th-century English Fiddle Thread silver," he said.

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Greta Gerwig -

"I just try to remember bread, drink," said the actress-turned-director at the Tribeca Film Festival Dinner as she formed lowercase letters 'b' and 'd' with her hands. "Bread on the left, drink on the right." AD asked if she used fancy plates, and she replied, "No, I'm just trying to get the bread and drink thing straight." The basics will get you where you need to go!

Sources: (Architectural Digest) 

See also: Top mistakes you're making when decorating your space

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