Summer is all about savoring every bit of downtime, soaking up the sun, getting outdoors and enjoying trips and holidays with family and friends. And when that isn't possible, you still want it to feel like the season is happening indoors, right? Here are my favorite summer tablescape ideas, plus tips for making them your own.
Ready to celebrate everything summer around the table with family and friends? Hosting meals outdoors or in is one of the season's best pleasures. Here are some great ideas to get you started on celebrating the beauty of summer.
The Best Summer Table Decor Ideas
Adding summery touches to a table is so easy. These 9 ideas for the perfect summer table will inspire you to create your own!
Snip blooms from your backyard, or bring treasures from your last beach trip to the table. Use wine bottles as candle holders or bowls of fruit as centerpieces. Decorating with lots of bright colors and sweet nods to the seashore is such fun!
1. Bright Summer Florals
Let's start with the star of easy summer tablescape ideas: add seasonal flowers for instant elegance. Summer blooms are the most vibrant of the year and will brighten your table with no effort.
Pop colorful flowers like sunflowers, hydrangeas, dahlias, calla lilies and zinnias into one large vase, or group several small ones. Even that alone will bring the season alive on your table. Summer really is that simple!
Add some pretty floral napkins to a simple place setting for extra color and summery fun!
2. A Tropical Citrus Splash
Even the most traditional setting gets a boost from a little citrus, a reminder of summer's arrival. Use fresh fruit as decorative accents, such as a bowl of lemons, limes or oranges, to bring a burst of sunshine to the table.
Or take your cue from their colors and patterns, adding a splash of bright orange, lemon yellow or chartreuse green through napkins, vases, napkin rings, plate chargers or colored glassware. I usually stick to one or two pops, since a little goes a long way.
3. Coastal Charm
Seashells, starfish and perfect sand dollars are some of my favorite beachy treasures, and I'm sure I'm not alone. Weave them into place settings, scatter them across the table or around the centerpiece, or use them to mark place cards.
And yes, it's fine to mix them with other summery elements like fruit and flowers. They all share the same space in nature at this time of year, so why shouldn't your table reflect that? I love the color contrast and the memories they bring of the season. Your guests will love it too.
4. Sea Glass Accents
Still on the beach theme: is there a more beautiful treasure to find on sandy shores than sea glass? If you know my home, you'll know I already have a soft spot for gentle blues and greens.
I love bringing them into my summer tablescape this way. Frosted or tinted glassware, glass bottles, votive holders and tinted blue canning jars all help create the look.
A while back, I built a long DIY box from some scrap wood and filled it with mason jars of seasonal flowers in spring. The look slid easily into summer. A long box or tray also works for fall and winter pieces. That simple idea has really earned its keep as a centerpiece.
5. Beachy, Breezy and Nautical Textiles
We wear light, breezy linens in summer, especially here in the South. Shouldn't your table?
Pick summery textiles in white, blue and beige to feel like you're at the beach even when you're not. Nautical themes and traditional European touches, like gingham tablecloths, also say summer, especially for big celebrations like the Fourth of July and Labor Day.
Nail the look with navy stripes in canvas or terrycloth, and red-and-white checked heavy cotton gingham for napkins, placemats or table runners, depending on the setting or occasion. Napkins or a table runner in these fabrics over neutrals may be all you need.
6. Raw, Natural Textures and Materials
Nature comes alive in spring and reaches its peak in summer, so you can't go wrong with lovely woods and other raw materials on your tablescape. Think beachy accents like sea oats and driftwood, plus materials from tropical and exotic climates, such as bamboo, rattan and jute.
I always start with a rattan charger because it says beachy summer. A bamboo or beautiful local wood board for charcuterie or hors d'oeuvres, paired with rattan chargers, instantly adds natural warmth to the table.
7. Summer Farm-Fresh Fruit
I covered tropical citrus, but don't forget the produce at our local farmers' markets this time of year. Fresh strawberries, peaches, blueberries and blackberries say summer to me, don't they to you? Add big or small baskets or pretty dishes of them to your tablescape, or take your cue from their colors and motifs for pops of color in linens, dishes and glassware.
These are rich, jewel-toned colors, so they look best in moderation against whites and other neutrals, plus muted "neutral" blues and greens.
8. Light, Breezy Colors and Whites
I mentioned the fabrics we favor in warm weather, and we all know the colors too. Dress your table the way you dress yourself, keeping it cool and airy on these sweltering summer days. Think of yourself on a sunny day in light linen or fine cotton, picking the brightest, juiciest peach. Simplicity and luxury at once! Do the same with your table.
When we finally get time to slow down in summer, that's exactly what this season is for. Keep things neutral with white dishes and neutral placemats and tablecloths, then choose the cutest, sweetest little accents to switch things up through the season.
9. Alfresco Ideas
Most of these ideas work perfectly for outdoor dining al fresco. Still, you can take things up a notch with items you may already own! Instead of bowls of unpeeled fruit, mix whole fruit with greenery, and serve cut fruit on platters.
For place settings, tie bundles of fresh herbs with a bow. They look pretty and smell amazing. String up outdoor lights for a cozy glow overhead, and twinkle lights on the table. Gather your potted plants to set the scene for that special brunch, lunch or dinner.
Begin with these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, and you can't go wrong!
Final Thoughts
The best part? If you've had fun with these simple ideas all summer, you'll be the hostess with the mostest by the time Labor Day arrives. You'll have all the elements for a classic backyard barbecue that brings family and friends together before the season turns to fall.
Bring in wooden serving boards and chargers, checkered gingham, nautical stripes and blue glass. Add rustic touches like ice-filled metal beverage tubs and a little burlap to hint at fall. I promise it all works together to mark the change of seasons, so everyone remembers the best of summer while looking ahead to the beauty and fun of autumn.
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