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From relaxed family lunches in the garden to elegant outdoor dinners with friends, discover how to set a summer table that’s full of color, style and seasonal charm the Meri Meri way.
Good food is only part of a memorable gathering. A beautifully set table helps create the perfect backdrop for conversation, laughter and shared moments, making every guest feel welcome from the moment they arrive. Here’s how to bring your summer table to life...
Choose Your Colors and Patterns
‘A color scheme is a helpful and good starting point,’ says Sania Pell, Interior Stylist and Creative Director, who is behind many of the eye-catching tablescapes featured in our Meri Meri shoots. For summer, go for bright and clashing, or calming and tonal, for looks that will impress. Opt for plain designs or patterns, or a mix of both for a striking look. Our Meri Meri x Molly Mahon collection features melamine plates, paper plates, cups and napkin, in statement block prints and sunshine shades – perfect for a summer party.
Style Paper, Crockery and Glassware Together
Not only does it make clearing up easier but combining elegant glassware and crockery with stylish paper tableware can add a really characterful twist. ‘Placing fun pattern paper plates on top of plain ceramics is a really easy way to change the feel and theme of a table for a party,’ says Sania. She also suggests layering paper plates and cups with glassware. ‘Real glasses can sit next to paper cups – and you can even pop a few flowers inside a cup and use it as a vase. Have plenty of water carafes and water jugs on the table, an easy way to make them more exciting visually and taste wise is to add slices of lemon.’
Make Flowers a Key Focus
Arrange blooms in a mix of bud vases and larger vessels to create height and interest across the table. For a relaxed summer feel, choose seasonal flowers in colors that complement your tableware and place settings. ‘Flowers are such an important part of a table, don’t just limit them to vases, but add edible flowers to cakes and drinks. They also look beautiful, displayed floating in little bowls of water,’ says Sania.
Use Napkins in Creative Ways
Layering napkins is another way of elevating your table, using playful paper napkins on top of simpler everyday ones. Open out fabric napkins and use them as place mats, or rolled up with the cutlery sitting on top and both cutlery and napkins tied together with a bow.
Lay Flatware and Glassware with Flair
If you're hosting a more formal gathering, there are a few classic place-setting rules you may wish to follow. Knives go on the right side of the plate with blades facing in. Start with the dinner knife closest to the plate, then the fish knife (if you're using one), and finally the soup spoon on the outside. Forks sit on the left, with the dinner fork nearest the plate and the salad fork on the outside. Traditionally, fork tines face upwards.
Dessert cutlery is placed above the plate, laid horizontally. If you're serving bread, position a bread plate in the top left corner with a small butter knife resting across it.
Glasses are arranged in the top right corner. The water glass sits slightly above the knives, with wine glasses just below and to the right. Place the red wine glass closer to the plate, with the white wine glass slightly above or beside it.
However, summer entertaining is often at its best when it feels relaxed and personal. ‘Rules are made to be broken! I rarely follow a formal place setting,’ says Sania. ‘To make a table feel more modern, you could keep the cutlery together to the right side of the plate. You can also add a flower stem or herb, such as a twig of rosemary, to this grouping.’
Create Joy with Table Decorations
‘For me, summer decorating is about creating a warm, festive atmosphere that feels welcoming the second guests arrive. Simple touches like paper lanterns or oversized hanging decorations can completely transform a space and make it feel special without a lot of effort,’ says Meredithe Stuart-Smith, founder and president of Meri Meri. As well as decorating the space around your mealtime setting, also look to what you can add to the table. ‘I love decorations that instantly bring a sense of fun to the table and can be used year after year. In the summer especially, going a little bigger - whether with lanterns, giant pinwheels or garlands - helps create that fun, joyful feeling everyone wants from a great party,’ says Meredithe.
Finishing Touches
‘Fruit and vegetables can be used for centerpieces running along the table and work very well alongside vases of flowers,’ says Sania. Bowls of peaches, lemons or apricots can give a fresh summery look. Table candles can create instant wow-factor too. ‘I love ordering fresh flowers and greenery from a local florist and mixing them with candles,’ says Meredithe. Cake stands are another great addition to the party table – not just for serving a celebratory cake, but for displaying fruit, sweet treats or even cheese. Finally, place cards are the perfect way to add a personal touch to guide your guests to their seats. Choose them in colors to coordinate with the rest of your party table.
Keep the Kids’ Table Playful
‘Little hidden messages, charades, jokes or fun tasks could be written and placed under plates and hidden within the table to keep children occupied,’ suggests Pell. A failsafe way to keep little hands occupied is with our color in activity tablecloth, a wonderful way to keep children entertained. Adding surprise balls and crackers will also add color and delight to the table, and they work brilliantly as party favors too.
