There are many facets of interior design to think about. They mainly exist in the theme of a room, what table will work best for the dining room or which lampshades will fit with the furnishings of the lounge. These are big questions which might make or break a space, but in the pursuit to reach the goals of your project, there are often little things which are easy to overlook.
Looking at the dining room, specifically, there are so many avenues to go down that you might easily miss the most important part of the whole design: the tabletop. This is what you, your family and your guests are going to be sitting around for dinner, which means it should be beautifully choreographed to hold that attention. Remember, the dining table is typically located in the centre of the room. In this way, it is the centrepiece. A piece of art which represents your personality and is designed to impress anyone sitting around it.
So How Do You Create An Interesting Tabletop?
Firstly, if you have designed your home to represent your personality, then this shouldn’t stop at the dining room. You don’t want an intricately designed home space only for the main centre of attention to simply hold a few candles and cutlery. Continue that design onto your tabletop. There are many ways to do this.
If you are religious, then you can incorporate that easily. Members of the Jewish community, for instance, might plan their home around their faith, which could include Passover ornaments for their kitchen or Havdalah sets for their dining room. In this way, you could incorporate your own faith onto the tabletop, ensuring that your own values and personality is present even in the tiniest of details.
How Far Can You Go With A Tabletop?
The tabletop should have a spine running through its centre, filled with plenty of useful and interesting accompaniments. Instead of simply laying out condiments, purchase some sets which will house them. These can be beautiful sterling silver pots or quirky, fun spice boxes. This relates back to your own personality. If you have inserted a bit of fun and quirkiness to your home décor, then this can continue in small and interesting ways on the tabletop. There are plenty of spice boxes, salt shakers or pepper grinders which can take the form of phone boxes, aeroplanes, or just about anything you can think of. Get creative and fill out that spine with a little bit of fun.
Can A Tabletop Have Too Much?
Of course, as with just about anything, there are ways to get a little over-excited. Remember, you are using the tabletop for a purpose: to eat and engage in conversation with your family or guests. You want to have space to actually put down your plate, and, likewise, you don’t want to be stretching over the mass of ornaments on the table to see the person opposite you. As with any art piece, a tabletop needs a bit of control. Keep your excitement in check, but don’t be afraid to think outside of the box and try new things. Most importantly, have a bit of fun and make sure your dining table is as thought through as every other detail of the house.
