There’s a (mercifully dying) notion that dinner parties are synonymous with stiff collars and the kind of contrived perfection that makes you wonder if anyone’s actually having fun. And while there’s still room for polish, Roshan Adam-Holslag — founder of NYC-based tableware brand Ro’Table — says that the most compelling table setting trends for 2025 are a little (or a lot) undone.
“What’s surprised me most is the shift away from perfection,” says Roshan. “For years, tables were hyper-styled — symmetrical, themed, almost too polished.” But this year, “There’s a clear appetite for looseness, texture, and personal storytelling. Tables are more collected than coordinated — mismatched dinner plates, sentimental objects, wild florals that don’t sit neatly in the center.” In 2025, an imperfect tablescape essentially reads less like laziness and more like great taste.
This intentional unraveling, of course, goes beyond dinnerware. We’re collectively exhausted by the idea that everything needs to be content-ready. Dinner parties weren't meant to feel “more like brand campaigns than spaces for connection,” says Roshan. “When it’s overly themed or styled to perfection, it loses warmth.”
And ironically, in a hyper-documented era, presence feels more radical than even the best plated performance. Roshan puts it plainly: “The best tables feel a little undone — organic, joyful, a bit unexpected. That’s where the real magic lives.”
Table setting trends for 2025, more than ever, feel distinctly of the moment because they’re rooted in real life. “Less performative, more present,” Roshan says. “There’s beauty in the undone.”
Ahead, a closer look at how to set a table for the changing tides. These are the perfectly imperfect table-setting trends defining 2025.
1. Neo-Baroque Minimalism
'Neo-Baroque Minimalism' sounds like an oxymoron because it is. “Clean lines meet historical ornamentation,” Roshan says, describing the clash of sculptural minimalism with high-brow, old-world flourishes.
Think matte dinnerware paired with damask linens, or dramatic candlesticks that look like they came from your super discerning grandmother’s china cabinet.
"2025 was the year of orchestrated grandeur,” Roshan says — a mood that isn’t going anywhere, but is mutating into something more intentional, somewhat ceremonial, even. Enter cutlery like this set from Alighieri, which feels less like silverware and more like jewelry for your table.
This pick is sort of grandmother, sort of modern, and totally on the money. It’s giving well-chosen vintage, though it’s definitely not. (Your secret’s safe, though.)
If one object could sum up this entire aesthetic shift, it might be this: a clean-lined wine glass offset by a swirling Murano glass — and oh yes: an iridescent whale. Its sightly ridiculous, definitely baroque, somehow still chic. It looks like an heirloom, but you’ve never seen it before.
2. Botanical Styling
Flowers are nice. But in 2025, the table isn’t about nice per se. Botanical styling has moved past manicured arrangements and into something looser, more instinctual.
"Herbs, moss, and wild blooms scattered organically — not centerpieces, but living texture,” says Roshan. It’s not about the perfect Martha Stewart-adjacent bouquet. It’s about bringing the outside in in a way that resists symmetry and invites movement.
A table set with fifteen tiny jars of whatever you clipped on your morning walk feels more alive than a single curated showpiece ever could.
If overly precious florals aren't your thing, try something greener. This sculptural bloom splits the difference between leaf and flower, which feels unfussy, graphic, and oddly elegant. Run a few down the center of the table in slim vases and call it a day.
Yes, the vase is included. This artificial flower arrangement isn’t trying too hard — but it still reads like you casually stopped by the farmers market on your way home. It brings a hit of optimism to any setup, whether it’s 5pm Sauv Blanc and bites on a Tuesday or something more formal.
Anthuriums are the cool-girl flower of 2025. You should have at least a few faux stems on hand — they’re strangely versatile, just sculptural enough, and look great solo or mixed with real greens. This Amazon bundle comes in a bunch of colorways, but the black hits especially hard.
3. Textile-Driven Tablescapes
In 2025, texture is doing the talking. When we asked which trend she’s most excited about this year, Roshan replied: “I’m all in on the return of fabric — linen, embroidery, theatrical layers. It softens the room and signals that something meaningful is about to happen.”
This is a low-key, laissez-faire sort of drama, so expect pleated overlays, droopy skirts, layered cloths that puddle at the edges just so. A plot line, if you will. And like any good protagonist, the right textile sets the tone.
Sure, you can drape it over your table and call it done — but if you want dimension, try layering this vintage-inspired table cloth with risers or a stack of coffee table books underneath to build height and drama. Or, take Roshan’s route and double down on fabric: pair it with placemats and napkins for a richer, more immersive spread.
Even if your base linens are basic, napkins like these can shift the whole tone of the table with their soft cotton construction and eye-catching scallop-edges (which, by the way, are available in nearly every color of the rainbow). An easy serve.
“Begin with one anchoring object — a sculptural candleholder, a vintage cloth, a seasonal fruit with its leaves still on — and build around it,” says Roshan. A linen placemat like this one by Borgo delle Tovaglie, finished with perfectly executed embroidery, is the kind of grounding detail that makes every plate stack sing.
4. Opposites Attract
Matchy-matchy is being banished to the metaphorical kids’ table. In 2025, the most compelling table settings hinge on contrast: oxblood with cream, lacquer with matte, contemporary plates beside heirloom flatware. “It’s less about harmony, more about tension,” says Roshan.
Even fruit, for instance, is fair game. Yes, it’s food — but do the opposite and make it a table ornament. That subversion — styling instead of serving — is exactly the point. “The table becomes a memory board — emotional, personal, and enduring," muses the founder.
It’s these unexpected pairings, the offbeat gestures, the slightly strange choices that set the current mood.
In 2025, no table setting is complete without something weird. A shell-shaped bowl (an unusual pick for salads or pastas), fits the bill. The goal isn’t for it to match with whatever you have going on. In fact, it shouldn’t: pair this glossy, sculptural piece with something matte and boldly-colored.
Speaking of a mismatch: these Portuguese-made stoneware plates are guaranteed not to blend in. The reactive glaze gives them an aristinal unpredictability that works best against stripes, solids, or even a jute charger. As Roshan said, it’s about tension, and these add a healthy dose.
If your serveware is already sleek and serious (cream, suspiciously curated; easy to clock as 2024), it might be time to throw it a curveball, like this set of deliberately irregular tumblers made from recycled plastic in candy-coded hues. They don’t match, nor do they don’t try to.
An honorable mention: hopefully we can all agree that chrome tableware deserves a spot among the top table setting trends of the year. The best of it is weirdly elegant, borderline sci-fi, and hiding in plain sight on Wayfair.
