The Interiorista: The courteous table

There is charm and beauty in a well set table. The decoration details, the careful placement of shiny glasses and utensils and even the meticulous folding of the napkins, reveal an intricate plan behind the scenes.

As the holidays approach and the opportunities to practice hospitality arise, I thought it would be fun to learn about table etiquette. I don't know about you, but I get so confused about where to place my cutlery that I finally just do my own thing and wish for the best!

You certainly don't need to have a "proper" table setting in order to make your guest feel loved, but for special occasions, these proper details, might give to your event just the unique touch you were aiming for.

Ok, so this is how your well-mannered table should look like!

Plates (serving and dessert plates) should be in the center. Knives should be placed to the right of your plate with blades facing in, followed by the soup spoon. To the left of the plate, you should lay your forks. Glassware belongs to the top right corner, and the butter knife and small plate to the top left corner. Lastly, right above your plate, the dessert spoon and fork should be placed opposite of each other. Now, your table is ready to party!

As you can see there are quite a few things to remember! And not only to remember but also to know how to use! Not to panic, though! Just follow these simple rules:

1. Unfold your napkin as soon as you sit down and lay it down on your lap. Place it nicely back on the table when dinner is over.

When decorating the table, have fun with your napkins! Check these ideas out!

2. When faced with rows of cutlery, work from the outside in. Also, learn what your utensils can communicate.

3. The glassware will be placed on the top right corner. Usually your water glass will be on the left, followed by the red wine glass, the white wine glass and the champagne glass. Red wine glasses can be held by the bowl or the stem while white wine glasses should be held only by the stem.

Now that you know how to set your table fancy, the rest is just creativity! Have a blast decorating it making it feel seasonal, inviting and fun! Here are some ideas for Thanksgiving and Christmas:

It's really not important how elaborate your table is or how many utensils you use to eat the food. What matters is to open your home and serve others. However, if in doing so, you want to also let your creativity loose, you can keep some of these tips in mind!

XOXO,

                       Angelica