The Friday Five: Table Settings

I don’t know about you but I love a beautifully set table. I think my appreciation of table settings may have started when I was a 16 year old exchange student in France. In the family that I lived with it was the responsibility of the youngest son to set the table each evening. I think he was 9 years old at the time and I remember being surprised at how he took such care in setting each place. The cutlery was where it was supposed to be and each family member had a designated cloth napkin which he would arrange thoughtfully at each place. (I’m pretty sure when I was 9, I didn’t care much about how the table was set – even though it was one of my chores too.)

While I can’t say that my own table is perfectly set for each meal, I can say that I love setting a pretty table to welcome guests. The four table settings featured today are beautiful because, while they do differ, they are all inviting, well-presented, and – best of all – they are simple enough to recreate in my own home! The last image of a table setting how-to (for anyone who still can’t figure out the salad fork from the meat fork) completes today’s Friday Five.