Tablecloths

When it comes to setting the table for summer, there’s nothing I love more than styling my table with a colorful table cloth. A pretty table cloth can easily help set the mood of the entire party!  I recently picked up a gorgeous block print one when I was at the Sant Tropez Flea Market (this one is very similar) and now I’m on a serious mission to buy more!

I always tend to buy linen, block print or floral patterns. Another little trick I’ve learned is to use a cheap-y outdoor table cloths under the pretty one to help protect the wood table below. A few of my current favorites include this Aerin Fairfield Tablecloth from Aerin Lauder’s collection for Williams-Sonoma. Etsy has a great selection of linen table clothes at affordable prices. Don’t forget about Home Goods, TJ Maxx & Target for more affordable options. A great alternate to table clothes are table runners. I love this blue Malati table runner from One Kings Lane.

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Cloth Napkins

Mixing and matching prints is one of the ultimate styling tricks. One should always have a set of 6 (or 8) cotton & linen cloth napkins. I also love a good monogram or block print on my napkins. How pretty are these Jemina napkins? Or these block print ones from TJ Maxx — their only $7.99.

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Bamboo Flatware

Bamboo flatware is probably the number one item on my summer entertaining shopping list. What I love most about this traditional style of flatware is that you can constantly find a wide variety. Pottery Barn has a complete set of 20 Bamboo Silverwear in Silver for $150. Take a peek at Wayfair for more affordable versions! Pottery Barn also has a great set of natural bamboo flatwear I’ve found to-date for $50 dollars for a 5-piece set.

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Raffia & Woven Placemats

You can never go wrong with collecting Raffia, Woven or Rattan placemats for summer entertaining. You can easily style them with or without a tablecloth and use them both indoors & out! Raffia and woven placements are so versatile for summer entertaining they are a must-buy on my list. A few of my favorites at the moment include: these round water hyacinth placements from Pottery Barn ($56 dollars), these tava flat placemats in honey, and these round rattan placemats from Serena & Lily. Pier 1 also has a more affordable version of the Serena & Lily design — water hyacinth placemats. For a more elevated look, I’ve had my eye on these Juliska gold placemats for over a year now & would look gorgeous all year round. 

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Classic White Dishes & Everyday Water Glasses

Classic white dishes are a timeless investment. We currently have this great white traditional dinnerware set from Pottery Barn as our everyday dishes but Ralph Lauren also has a beautiful white dish set that I’ve had my eye on! Not only do you need white dishes for everyday, I also love collecting different sets of everyday water glasses. How great are these Williams-Sonoma set of 4 Edward Goblets? You can find another similar version by Ralph Lauren here.

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Hurricanes

Growing up my mom constantly styled her tables with hurricanes.  These days you can find so many different styles of hurricanes from hourglass to lead crystal hurricanes, the options are truly endless. I’m currently in the midst of collecting these Arlington Nickel hurricanes — I love them in both brass & nickel. They are listed a great price point but I recommend waiting to purchase during a PB sale!

I also would love to find a vintage pair of hour glass hurricanes. For now, Target has a great pair for only $7.99! On my ultimate entertaining wish list are these Ralph Lauren classic hurricanes — for a smooth $695 dollars. Ugh! I saw them styled by a  Ralph Lauren designer at a design event here in New York and can’t stop dreaming about them. They look gorgeous paired with candle sticks & smaller votives.

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Candles, Candle Sticks & Fresh Flowers 

Speaking of candle sticks, this leads me to my next piece of advice for putting together an ultimate summer table! You can never have too many candles and candle sticks on hand to style your summer table scape. I personally love purchasing “ivory” candles vs. pure white. Check out this 10″ taper set from Amazon for $12.99 as a starting point. As it pertains to candelabras, I have these antique silver candlesticks and style them all over my house. How pretty is this crystal set from One Kings Lane?  These blown glass candlesticks are next on my wish list. P.s. Williams-Sonoma has a similar classic glass version for 20% off at the moment. Last but not least fresh flowers are a must. Whenever I entertain I tend to buy flowers that don’t have a strong scent — hydrangeas are a great example.

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What are some of your must-have items when you entertain? Would love to hear! Xo. Lauren