Imagine walking into a room your eye is immediately drawn to a dessert table against the wall. It is a narrow sideboard with a floral tapestry table runner across the top of it. Your eye catches a glimpse of brilliant metallic shine, but only a little, the softness of natural linen and soft, smooth matte ceramic. Layered napkins flow over the edge of stacked matte pastel plates and flat wood trays with gold flatware with white ceramic roses on the ends. The desserts tower above the surface on stands at different heights guiding the eye to dance from one to the other.
Here are some tips to make your dessert table casually chic - effortlessly graceful, but nevertheless stunning. That sweet spot that is warm, comfortable and inviting with an abundance or effortless grace and charm lies between stuffy formality and carelessly casual.
The Elements of Casual Sophistication and Comfort
The secret is to mix and match, but curated pieces that compliment each other and balance the overall sensory impression.
Injecting Unexpected Shapes
Shapes play a role in keeping the eye engaged. If everything is round, we lose interest. Throw in a square or rectangular serving plate in a different color to keep the eye moving. Try some of the newer artisanal bowls and plates that have irregular, wavy or undulating edges.
Textures Cultivate that Cozy Feeling of Comfort
Soft textures give us that cozy, comforting vibe. It says, “Pull up a chair. Take a rest. You are welcome here.” Of course, the glam of high gloss and shiny finishes is what tells us this is special because it draws our attention. You want both, that special glam and the welcoming, leisurely softness.
Soften the coldness of glossy, hard finishes by combining them with muted, matte woods, stoneware, and natural reeds. A good way to do this is to set one beside the other or on top of the other. Layer a base tray of wood under a glossy plate. Set a gilded glass bowl on a matte black stainless steel serving tray. This gives us layering and dimension in addition to texture.
While you are on textures, don’t forget linens. Soft, matte natural linen table cloths and napkins in natural, earth, and muted jewel tones give us that warm, cozy, inviting feel. Add more texture with a tapestry table runner.
Depth Draws People In
Speaking of dimension, by setting your desserts on stands of different heights you expand the area of the dessert table, making it look bigger, deeper, and drawing people in.
Layering colors or monochromatic shades adds depth. Again this gives the impression of depth and expands the whole visual. It also feels softer, warmer, and more inviting.
The casual chic palette uses neutral, earthy, or jewel tones. That base of solid casual chic neutral, earthy or jewel tone provides the easy, comfortable feel. Throwing in a little botanical themed pattern or stripes wakes up the eye.
Artisanal ceramics and glassware with graduated colors contribute to the feel of dimension with color. This keeps your whole presentation from feeling flat and lifeless.
Artisanal Handcrafted Wares Provide Refreshing Aliveness
We are tired of factory, cookie cutter looks. Curate hand crafted serveware, plating, and glasses that reflect individual design and style; unique craftsmanship. Instead of the usual plates that look like they could belong to any home, cafe, or catering hall, opt for something different.
This doesn’t mean you can’t use classics. Bone china dessert plates are still a good choice. Pairing the bone china with Japanese stoneware or a Nordic matte ceramic in black, earth tones, or soft colors wakes up the senses and adds visual interest.
By adding unexpected accent pieces—dessert plates that are square or wavy-shaped, we surprise the eye. Artisanal dessert dishes shaped like leaves, sea shells, conch shells, flower or ceramic dessert plates that look like cabbage leaves are a charming surprise sure to delight family and guests.
Making the Mundane Special
A stunning dessert table makes even the mundane special. Pretty gold dessert forks and spoons with sculpted enamel roses on the ends sends a message that this is something special. It tells your family and guests that they are special.
Putting the flatware on layered napkins of different colors on a tray frames and highlights them so they are not overlooked. You won’t hear, “Where are the forks?”
Even providing napkins for guests can be made charming and special. Layering different colored folded linen napkins on a pretty tray makes them a decor item.
Making Everything Special
Every item on your dessert table is special - each dessert, the forks, spoons, servers. When everything begs attention, nothing draws attention. We want our dessert table to draw people in and then guide their eye effortlessly from one item to the next. The person will feel like it flows. It’s easy. It’s not overwhelming. It helps them navigate the table, choose a dessert, plate it, and get their utensils and napkins with no fuss.
To make it easy for guests to navigate our dessert table we want to leave plenty of white space. An overcrowded dessert table is not more appealing. It’s overwhelming and confusing.
Desserts and serveware that are grouped in sets of three and framed on a tray or placement visually reduce the number of items the brain is trying to take in. It helps the eye discover items one group at a time. This ensures that your whole table can be appreciated.
Unexpected visuals such as a square plate among round plates, an irregular shape, or a different texture, tricks the eye to wake up and take notice. It breaks monotony which is our brain’s way of conserving energy when things look alike.
Curate a Casual Chic Dessert Table
All it takes is selecting a few linens, decor, and serveware to create that leisurely, inviting feel that draws people in. It doesn’t take much, because “less is more” applies here. It just takes putting together your casual chic dessert table look with unique curated pieces.
Explore Our Dessert Serveware
Explore Our Dessert Plating
Explore Our Table Linens
Explore Our Table Decor