Every dining table benefits from a little dressing up. From your kitchen table to your dining room table to a room full of tables at a wedding reception, you have an opportunity to enhance the beauty of the room and the mood of your gathering by choosing the perfect dining table décor.

The must-haves for every dining table set for a meal include a tablecloth or placemat to protect or cover the tabletop, plates, silverware, and drinking glasses. But why stop with the basics when decorating your table? Let’s look at some great ideas that you can use at home or even when planning your wedding reception.

Keeping It Simple: Clean and Modern Dining Room Table Decorations

Modern designs usually include minimal decoration and a lot of symmetry. Let’s explore how this style looks at home and in a larger setting.

For home design, it is best to start with a beautiful table, which can be a modern-style or even a traditional-style table. In this example from bloggers at The Wow Décor, they pair a traditional-style wood table and chairs with a 3 color décor, featuring greenery in the centerpiece and white dinnerware. You’ll notice each place setting is highlighted by a splash of bright color with purple cloth napkins.

Classic Dining Table with Simple, Modern Table Setting from thewowdecor.com.

In another example from The Wow Décor blog, an ultra-modern dining table is enhanced by simple candles with greenery in an offset vase and a white tray bearing green pears, making the table attractive even when not in use.

To get the modern look for your larger event, like a wedding reception, you can consider a simple look by layering a single color with monochromatic table linens, china and other pieces, highlighted by greenery and metallic accents. In “A Guide to All-White Wedding” from Brides.com, you can see how this look can be applied to a whole wedding event with photos of a white on white table with interesting chairs and low centerpieces. This gives the reception a clean and modern look. Also, the centerpieces chosen by the bride are perfect, not only because of their simplicity, but their low profile makes conversation between guests a breeze!

Farmhouse Chic: Rustic and Vintage Dining Table Décor

The best rustic dining table decorations start with a chunky wood table and mismatched seating, whether that be chairs that aren’t exactly like the table or other seating options, such as benches, stools, or banquette seating. No matter how you set these tables, the table setting will look rustic and inviting. Choosing great lighting for your dining area also contributes to the ambiance, including natural lighting, the perfect overhead fixture, or candlelight.

Rustic Table Décor with Great Natural Lighting from decorholic.org

Any table can be given a vintage style using great table linens with classic tableware from your family or an estate sale. Or you can pair a vintage tablecloth with color new table settings and napkins.

The colors of a vintage tablecloth can be highlighted with brightly-colored tableware and matching cloth bistro napkins, like this table from the Kitschy Collector Home of C. Dianne Zweig. Notice the wonderful ‘50s-style iced tea glasses with the red stripe. Those were a great find.

Vintage Table Decor from Kitschy Collector Home of C. Dianne Zweig

Table Décor for a Rustic Wedding Reception

A rustic design can be applied to most any dining event, but the rustic look is particularly popular for wedding décor. This is no surprise with the number of barn-like and outdoor wedding venues available around the country. Luckily, for the bride-to-be who wants to host their wedding in one of these locations, the overall farmhouse or rustic vibe is already in place. All the bride needs to do is choose table décor to accent it!

Using tablecloths that convey a rustic vibe, like red and white checks or blue gingham can provide a good base for your table. Top these with centerpieces featuring white hydrangeas in low, glass containers to complete the look.

In some locations, you have beautiful wood tables that you can decorate with simple blooms in apothecary bottles, atop a burlap table runner with table settings featuring simple white plates, white napkins, and mason-jar glassware.

Rustic Wedding Reception from Country Living. Photo by Lauren Fair.

Bohemian or Romantic Table Settings

For those in love with color, decorating your dining table with bright flowers and patterns might be more your style. The boho style can be applied to any occasion or décor with a little imagination. Otherwise known as eclectic decorating style, a boho table usually features a lot of patterns, color, and textures.

This beautiful outdoor table is bursting with all the elements. From simple striped table runners draped over a hand-stitched quilt to the red lanterns and colorful flower arrangements, one can imagine any occasion taking place from a romantic dinner to a family barbecue.

Outdoor boho dining from Evy724 SJJ on Pinterest.

Another option is to pick a solid color tablecloth as a base on which to build a dreamy boho scene. Choose smaller vintage cloth with fun and colorful patterns or unusual placemats to layer on top. With these layers in place use mismatched plates, silverware, and/or glassware to give each dinner guest a unique table setting. Finish the bohemian vibe for your evening with colorful floral displays, either small or large, presented in simple white containers or any vintage containers you find at your local antique mall.

Whether one of these dinner table design styles suits you or you prefer something else entirely, remember you can never go wrong with a white tablecloth or other solid colors as your base. IQ Linens provides table linens for personal home use or to buy in bulk that you can use as the palette for your own personal creation.