A Summery Brunch Tablescape, Perfect for Entertaining in a Small Space

For a curated, yet casual aesthetic...
Small Space Entertaining, A Summer-Inspired Brunch Tablescape with layered white plates, wooden chargers, raw rough linen, vintage flatware utensils, and gold rimmed glasses. #tablescape #tabletop #entertaining #smallspaces #hostess

Wow, it’s been a hot minute since I shared a tablescape with you! In the heat of summer, I usually keep things pretty casual on the entertaining front… simple white plates with a buffet-style food serving situation — then tons of outdoor seating! Recently, I hosted a brunch for my girlfriends where I wanted the vibe to be a bit more curated, but still very casual. I pulled the inspiration for the tabletop pieces from Sarah’s all-white floral centerpiece, so there is plenty of clean white, natural wood tones, raw linen, and a touch of gold metallic (cuz every tablescape needs a touch of gold!).

A Summer-Inspired Brunch Tablescape

Small Space Entertaining, A Summer-Inspired Brunch Tablescape with layered white plates, wooden chargers, raw rough linen, vintage flatware utensils, and gold rimmed glasses. #tablescape #tabletop #entertaining #smallspaces #hostess

We’ll get to talking about the actual tablescape in a bit, but first I want to draw your attention to my gorgeous vintage flatware I picked up while in Italy. I am definitely one of those people (and stylists) who is enamored with old utensils. If it’s weathered, stained, tarnished, and generally gross looking, I love it. Yes, these have been washed! But look at that patina!! You can’t possibly beat that tonality and texture. Ugh, I’m in love.

Anyways…

Small Space Entertaining, A Summer-Inspired Brunch Tablescape with layered white plates, wooden chargers, raw rough linen, vintage flatware utensils, and gold rimmed glasses. #tablescape #tabletop #entertaining #smallspaces #hostess
Summer-Inspired Brunch Tablescape with layered white plates, wooden chargers, raw rough linen, vintage flatware utensils, and gold rimmed glasses. #tablescape #tabletop #entertaining #smallspaces #hostess

Plates & Tablelinens

Just because I wanted a more casual aesthetic for my tabletop does not mean I can’t layer my plates! To keep it laidback, I mixed my materials — even the salad plate is different from the dinner plate! The dinner plate has a slight tonal grey quality to it and slight textural wheel marks on the surface. On top, I layered a smooth, crisp white salad plate for a subtle juxtaposition. The woodgrain charger adds a really nice, natural touch to the table and mimics the natural textured table runner, too.

In terms of textiles, I went for a layered approach here as well. I started with a rumpled white linen tablecloth, then layered a loosely woven table runner on top. I love how the wrinkles of the tablecloth mingle with the wobbly natural fibers of the runner! To found out the tablelinens, I selected a set of navy, white, and natural striped linens that were made of vintage fabrics (similar). I love how the blue mimics my custom handmade Jill Rosenwald vase.

Small Space Entertaining, A Summer-Inspired Brunch Tablescape with layered white plates, wooden chargers, raw rough linen, vintage flatware utensils, and gold rimmed glasses. #tablescape #tabletop #entertaining #smallspaces #hostess

A Unique Touch

In my opinion, the key to a stylish tablescape is incorporating a special little wink of something. In this case, my little ‘wink’ is using white raffia ribbon to gather the linen napkins, then tying it off with a knot. A bow felt too sweetsie, but a simple knot felt right. I love how using a raw material like raffia instantly makes the table feel more casual than if I had used a traditional napkin ring.

Small Space Entertaining, A Summer-Inspired Brunch Tablescape with layered white plates, wooden chargers, raw rough linen, vintage flatware utensils, and gold rimmed glasses. #tablescape #tabletop #entertaining #smallspaces #hostess
Small Space Entertaining, A Summer-Inspired Brunch Tablescape with layered white plates, wooden chargers, raw rough linen, vintage flatware utensils, and gold rimmed glasses. #tablescape #smallspaces #hostess

Vintage Flatware

The finishing touch is to place my mismatched vintage utensils to the right of the charger. When combining different patterns of vintage utensils, I suggest keeping them all within the same color/finish family. For example if your fork is silver, use a silver knife in a similar or complimentary tone of silver so that they look cohesive. Shopping for antique silverware is one of my favorite hobbies, so it helps that I enjoy the process of searching for more!

Here are a few options from Etsy if you’re looking to add to your own vintage flatware collection:

Small Space Entertaining, A Summer-Inspired Brunch Tablescape with layered white plates, wooden chargers, raw rough linen, vintage flatware utensils, and gold rimmed glasses. #tablescape #tabletop #entertaining
A Summer-Inspired Brunch Tablescape with layered white plates, wooden chargers, raw rough linen, vintage flatware utensils, and gold rimmed glasses. #tablescape #tabletop #entertaining #smallspaces #hostess

Sources:

Photography by Meghan Klein. Styling by Jojotastic.

Get more entertaining posts here + learn how to make the all-white floral centerpiece!

Behind The Blog

Joanna Hawley-McBride is a Pacific Northwest-based social media strategist, content creator, and former textile designer. Joanna is the founder and editor-in-chief of Jojotastic, a lifestyle blog focused on Joanna’s work-in-progress cabin, finding the best pair of underwear through #UnderwearThesis, and empowering women to explore nature — all in her signature unfiltered style. Her work has been featured in Domino, CNBC, and Eating Well.

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