Decor Ideas For Your Kitchen Table

The kitchen table is a gathering spot for both food and people. We share meals that we have prepared for our loved ones around this sturdy piece of furniture. On early mornings or late nights, you might whip up a little snack to enjoy on your own. The kitchen table has seen it all: from the time you made your triumphant hollandaise to the fish curry fiasco. Whether you have a big table or a tiny one, these decor tips will make this important and sturdy surface feel loved.

Moss

Moss is easy to care for and adds a fresh pop of green to indoor spaces. Adding it to various jars, pots, baskets, or any centrepiece will liven up the look of the centrepiece. If you have a wide and shallow container, spread the moss around to maximize its impact. With a bit of light and water mist, your moss should be happy living on your kitchen table.

If it suits your style, you can decorate the moss with miniature figures to create a scene. Alternatively, keep it simple and let your new plant pet shine. By shopping around, you may be able to find an extra special home for your moss to live in. Moss forests can look especially great against white marble — this is a beautiful one from Restoration Hardware.

Fruit

For decor you can eat, consider a fruit bowl. It may not be very modern but is a tradition that has lasted so long for a reason. Fruits are visually interesting with their varying textures, colours, and sizes. People will even buy fake fruits for decoration but if you eat fruits anyway, why not leave them out both for looks and convenience?

Furthermore, a fruit bowl does not need to be boring. Explore fruit bowls made by designers or shop in second-hand shops. This one from Crate and Barrel is particularly elaborate if you want something that resembles a wedding cake. You can even get creative and make your own fruit bowl. Who’s to say you can’t use a bejewelled car tire as a fruit bowl if your kitchen table is big enough to handle it?

Flowers

If you don’t eat fruit, there is no use buying fake plastic fruits for decoration. Use fresh cut flowers to liven up your kitchen table instead. Don’t buy anything too fragrant to avoid messing up your senses when you are trying to enjoy your food. Try to cut them short and arrange them in a short vase so that you can make eye contact during conversations around the kitchen table.

In addition to having the freedom to change the look of your table by buying different flowers every week, you can get creative with the vase. This may be your chance to finally showcase a vase that was passed down to you from your family or for you to take a pottery class to make a custom vase for your kitchen table. You can also find interesting ones from stores; West Elm sells one that is supposed to look like coral. If you don’t have anything for your flowers in the meantime, simply use a mason jar — they will add a chilled-out vibe to your space.

Textiles

Tablecloths, runners, placemats, and napkins can add such wonderful texture to your kitchen table and the coziness factor of the room will shoot right up. Just like matching clothes, you can be as minimalistic or adventurous as you like with the prints and materials.

For something simple, try layering linen fabrics in different shades of your favourite colour. Start with a taupe tablecloth and complement it with oatmeal-coloured napkins. If you would like to try a more energetic vibe, layer a table cloth with a William Morris print with Marimekko napkins (you can even get matching tea towels here)! It’ll be up to you to find the perfect match.

Candles

My partner and I definitely favour a simple pillar candle with no added colours or scents above everything else for our kitchen table. The soft lighting makes us feel like we are in a restaurant while we share our home-cooked meals. Candlelight helps to wind us down in the evenings as we slow down to enjoy each other’s company. Most importantly, the annual treat of blowing out candles becomes a daily treat which we enjoy very much.

There is absolutely no need to spend more than a few dollars on a candle. You will not want anything with a scent no matter how good it smells because it will mess up the way you taste your food. It is also unnecessary to get coloured candles because the natural colour of wax gives off the perfect glow. All you need is a little dish to catch the wax as it melts. For this you can simply find an old pickle jar lid or make your own in a pottery class! Or, if you prefer, buy an inexpensive one from Ikea that can accommodate multiple candles you that you can get creative with the placement of them.