Plates

Five years ago, UNESCO’s Intangi-ble Cultural Heritage of Humanity list described the French gastronomic meal as “a festive meal bringing people together for an occasion to enjoy the art of good eating and drinking.” One of its major constituents also includes “the setting of a beautiful table.

In short, a great meal is a combination of good eating and drinking coupled with a nice table setting. One would argue that there are so many other factors contributing to a successful dinner (good conversation, guests’ interaction, etc.) – I certainly agree -, however setting the scene for what you have cooked is undoubtedly an integral part of the meal and that defines the mood of a party.

When it comes to table setting, there are many different options, but most importantly, it depends on the situation or the occasion. You wouldn’t set your table the same way for an elegant dinner with his/ her Excellency or the Ambassador as you would for a romantic dinner with your +1, right? Whether you are setting the table for a casual dinner with friends or a formal meal with your boss, your table setting has to be faultless. Crucial components of an outstanding table setting are space, style and simplicity.

SPACE – Make sure your guests have ample space to manipulate their cutlery. There should be about 50 to 60cm between each plate.

STYLE & SIMPLICITY – Pick a theme and try to keep it simple. You might want to repeat certain shapes or introduce one main colour that ties all the other elements together. For Christmas, red and white are two good colours to start with.

Hélène Denaiffe, founder of Stylodeco

http://www.stylodeco.com/ is an online boutique offering casual elegant home accessories and furniture. Based in Singapore, the brand ships to 11 countries in South-East Asia. You may visit its new showroom in Singapore (by appointment only).


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