The art of stylish and correct table setting.

Features of table setting

You should start by preparing the room for receiving guests:

• Ventilate. Open the windows and let in fresh air so that everyone feels comfortable.
• Arrange the chairs. Prepare a seat for each person so that there are no unpleasant incidents during the feast. Do not seat anyone in the corners – all guests should be comfortable.
• Lay down the tablecloth. In some cases, you can do without it, but textiles are an easy way to create the right mood.

The photo shows the setting of an elongated rectangular table

Before you start setting the table, consider the occasion: an everyday lunch or dinner does not require a lot of dishes and decorations on the table. It is enough to correctly assess the menu, put only the necessary bowls, glasses, cutlery.

When setting the table for a holiday, the number of elements increases: a snack plate, a pie plate are always served, dessert cutlery is added, several glasses for drinks are put out.

On holidays, it would not be superfluous to add decor: original napkins, bouquets, textile runners, candle compositions.

The rules for setting tables practically do not depend on the shape, with the only difference: on a long rectangular tabletop, dishes should be duplicated so that everyone can reach them. And on a compact round table it is enough to put one piece.

Decorative details on a round or square table are placed in the center, on a rectangular, oval table – along the central line parallel to the long side.

The photo shows an everyday morning table setting

How to lay out the plates?

After the tablecloth is laid and the room is completely ready, they begin to set the table. The first thing to do is to lay out the plates.

1. A serving plate is placed directly on the tablecloth or napkin – it is intended for decoration. In the correct table setting, this table detail serves as a stand for the rest of the cups. It should be placed opposite each seat, 2 cm from the edge of the table.
2. The next one is chosen according to the first course – a deep soup plate or a flat snack plate. It is placed on the table above the serving bowl.
3. To the left, diagonally, at a distance of about 10 cm from the main one, place a pie bowl – for bread or pastries, on top of which a butter knife should be placed.

Important nuances:

1. The dishes should be taken from one set or selected in such a way that the details match each other.
2. During lunch or dinner, bowls should be changed to clean and more suitable ones at the moment (for the first course, second course, appetizers, dessert).
3. The serving one always remains in place, the new one is placed on it.
4. For a family dinner, it is permissible to put two plates at once on the serving one: a flat one, then a soup one.

Features of laying out cutlery

Next, we lay out the forks, knives, spoons – if you follow all the classic rules of table setting, this stage causes the main difficulties. After all, when setting a large table in the courtyards, they use separate utensils for almost everything: cheese, fish, meat, desserts. All knives and forks look different and are placed in a strict order.

But when gathering friends or family at home, it is enough to just choose the right side and lay out the main elements.

Basic rules:

• knives should be placed on the right, with the blade inward (towards the plate);
• forks take place on the left side, with the tines up;
• spoons to the right of the knives, “face” up.

The exception is dessert utensils. They are served immediately, but are placed on the table not on the side, but behind the plate: first the spoon with the spout up and to the left, then the fork with the tines up, to the right.

Important! The order is determined by the sequence of serving dishes. The utensils for the treat that is served first are placed furthest away. The closest ones are the utensils for the last course.

According to traditional customs, some dishes are eaten with hands: utensils are not provided for them. This includes game (quail, hazel grouse), spare ribs, wings, frog legs, crabs, crayfish, shrimp, langoustes.

The photo shows a minimum of cutlery

How to set out glasses and goblets?

The third step in the table setting sequence is drinking utensils. There are several variations of how the final picture will look:

• Glasses and goblets are placed in one even line to the right of the person sitting from larger to smaller (from left to right).
• Vessels for liquids are placed on the right side in a semicircle. In this case, the farthest one is for water (if there is no pie shop, you can move it to the left side), the closer one is for wine, a shot glass for strong alcohol, next to the plate is a cup on a saucer for hot drinks.

The photo shows an option for arranging glasses and shot glasses

According to one tradition, glasses are placed in the order of consumption – if the menu provides for a change of drinks, the farthest glass is for the first, then as you get closer.

Important! Dirty dishes are put away together with plates and cutlery, with the only exception – a glass of water is always left.

The photo shows the correct arrangement of dishes, including a champagne glass and dessert utensils

Recommendations for the arrangement of napkins

There are no strict rules for the selection and arrangement of napkins, so table setting at home in this matter depends only on the imagination, taste, and style of the hostess.

The main question is the choice of color. For strict official receptions, it is better to limit yourself to neutral textiles that match the interior of the kitchen, dining room (white, beige, gray). The color scheme of a warm family evening or a festive banquet can be brighter: napkins are used in accent colors, either plain or with patterns.

The size of the napkins matters: 35*35 cm is usually used for breakfast, for dinner or lunch — 40*40, 50*50 cm.

The last nuance is the arrangement. There are three standard ways to set the table:

• On a plate. Placed or set on top of a flat snack bar.
• In a water glass. The fabric is folded vertically and placed in the glass.
• On the right side. Fold in half or into 4 parts, place cutlery on top.

Using napkins to decorate the table, choose one of 2 options:

1. Fold beautifully with your own hands. Experienced housewives know at least 10 interesting textile origami patterns for the table: lily, flower, boat, train, Christmas tree, artichoke, Everest, tulip, horn.
2. Assemble a composition with a ring, flowers, signs. A simpler, but no less striking option.

Original ideas

Modern table setting, especially for an informal evening, does not imply following strict rules. Therefore, you can switch your attention to the decor and decorate the table, as well as the room, so that it is pleasant for both you and your guests to be in it.

Lay out a beautiful tablecloth, put a bright runner, choose napkins to match, put flowers.

Tip! To get a more aesthetic result, try to combine the shades of the dishes and decor. Example: white table setting with blue glasses is complemented by blue napkins or a tablecloth with a blue print.

Beautiful table setting is a great way to set the mood for the evening before dinner even starts! They say that presentation can improve the taste of a dish: why not take advantage of this bonus, because as it turns out, table setting is not that difficult.