Art of Table: tips and know how to receive ...

Art of Table: advices and know how to receive …

The choice of a table, a tablecloth, the disposal of the place settings on the table, the arrangement of glasses, colors to be used, flowers or center of the table to choose, so many questions which seem basic but which are sometimes synonyms of puzzle.

What shape of table to choose to receive?

It depends on your lounge or dining room and on the place you have. The first rule is that is needed at least 1 meter in width so that the dinner guests are not bothered. Square and rectangular tables are easier to integrate into room. Round or oval tables are friendlier because there is no more the notion of who has to " preside". Do not forget to invert as possible a man and a woman.

What tablecloth to choose?

That your meal is family, friendly or professional, the first rule is a cotton or a linen tablecloth, impeccably ironed and without tasks. It is recommended to use a flannelette down to protect your table and especially to make it more comfortable.

Avoid tablecloths with too much loaded design if you have dishes with design. The result will be aggressive and will not be convenient to the relaxation. You can choose a tablecloth plain with a more steady table runner or with a design on it. Do not forget to coordinate table napkins with the one or the other one. You can decorate with coordinated napkin rings with the colors of the table, the runner or add accessories like petals of flowers, glitter, leaves …

What table centre-piece to choose?

Today, there are numerous possibilities to decorate the table. The table centre-piece can be floral but not  too impressive or too high in order not to bother your dinner guests in their conversation nor the circulation of dishes.

The table centre-piece can follow a theme but leave necessarily pebbles, glitter, leaves far from your guests. There is nothing more unpleasant that to have these ornaments stuck on arms or floats in your glass …

How to lay a table?

The main rules of the knowledge to receive are the following ones:

The bases of the knowledge to receive:
-      If you bring out your silverware (indeed it is not any more reserved for special occasions), it must be never made uncomplete.
-      If you plates have a design, they must be correctly placed and as for every plate. For plates with monogram, it is always at the top.
-      Do not mix the crystal glasses and the others
-      Plates and place settings are placed in 1 centimeter of the edge of the table

The disposal of place settings

-      Fork is to the left of the plate, knife and spoon to the right.
-      You can choose a "French-style" display; teeth of the fork and the part curved of the spoon side tablecloth
-      You can choose an "English-style" display; forks and spoons back in the tablecloth, thus it won’t scratch your tablecloth...
-      The sharp edge of the knife is always in front of the plate
-      No more than 3 place settings on each side of the plate. For the cheese, brought place settings at this moment or have in the top of the plate if your table is rather wide. The spoon and the knife have sleeve to the right (cutting of the knife towards the plate), sleeve of the fork is to the left between the knife and the spoon.

The disposal of glasses

-      Today, we place between 2 and 3 glasses by guest: the glass with water, the white wineglass and the red wineglass.
-      We place the biggest to the left and the smallest to the right, in the axis of the place setting more on the right. In summary, from the left, it gives glass for water then red wineglass and finally to the right white wineglass.

The disposal of the accessories of table

-      Place carries knife to the right, just above the knife.
-      If you want to add a plate for bread, it is to the left, up the fork.