We still have a month of summer (officially) left, which means there is plenty of time to up your table setting game. Lucky for us, Martha Stewart has brought forward some table setting tips that are apropriate for this season and beyond, as seen on the Martha Moments Instagram page.
'One of the creative aspects of summertime entertaining is trying to come up with new ways to set the table, make a welcoming table,' Martha states in the clip. 'It seems so complicated, but really it's very simple, if you can mix old with new, fancy with plain.'
Her essential summer table decor ideas? Mixing bright colors with table staples, in this case, bright green table settings and dishes with classic white dinnerware and silver cutlery.
Shop Martha's summer tablescape essentials
From cereal for breakfast to ice cream for dessert, these jadeite glass bowls add a fun pop to any meal. This beautiful glassware is loved by Martha for a reason, and investing is the only way to find out.
Add subtle impact to your table with this tonal yet eye-catching placemat set. Featuring the Painterly Stripe design from Lulu and Georgia's Sarah Sherman Samuel collaboration, it blends modern style with organic warmth.
It doesn't get much more classic than a white dinnerware set, and this microwave- and dishwasher-safe one meets the mark. Trust Martha to turn an everyday essential into something beautiful.
As a base, Martha uses a cheap and cheerful tablecloth to lay the color foundation of the table.
'Today we are actually covering our table with an oilcloth,' she states in the clip. 'This oilcloth used to be a very heavy canvas or cotton fabric, rendered waterproof with a coating of linseed oil. Nowadays, it's a very lightweight, very malleable fabric. It's made of plastic or vinyl, woven with cotton. It's waterproof, it's colorful. It's so inexpensive, too.'
She opts for a slightly monochromatic look with some green dinner plates, topped off by white fiestaware to neutralize.
'Fiestaware used to be very inexpensive clay pottery, it was popular in the '30s, '40s, and '50s,' she explains. 'It's Art Deco design, just this very nice simplicity of form and smooth lines.'
She then goes on to explain that she mixes and matches different glasses – a decision made out of necessity, but one that works well to diversify the table with heavy, pressed glasses alongside thinner glasses.
Finally, the linen napkins are a true essential, and Martha says they are multipurpose.
'These very simple, green striped dish towels – I call these lapkins because they are large enough to fit across your lap – I find these all the time at garage sales, and I just buy them every time I see something with a different color stripe.'
Simple yet impactful, we will definitely be taking these ideas into your fall decor and far beyond.
