Setting a Table People Want to Linger At

The best tables are not the most elaborate ones. They are the ones where nobody is afraid to reach across for the bread.

Start with the linens

A runner down the centre gives you a line to build on and leaves the ends of the table clear for elbows and serving dishes. If you prefer a full cloth, pick one that can go in the wash without ceremony.

Keep the centre low

Anything taller than eye level becomes a wall. Low bowls, short candles and small arrangements let people see each other, which is the entire point.

Mix rather than match

A set of plates in one pattern and side plates in another looks collected instead of bought all at once. The same goes for glassware.

Set out the serving pieces first

Decide where the platters and boards will land before anyone sits down. It saves the shuffle later and stops the table filling up with things that have nowhere to go.

Light it at the last minute

Candles lit just before people sit down change the room completely, and they are the easiest part of the whole setting.