Julia Reed's 5 Tips for Setting a Summer Table
Make all of your guests feel extra-special, thanks to these expert entertaining tricks.
The witty writer and prolific Southern hostess celebrates summer with an alfresco Mediterranean soiree. Her fifth book, Julia Reed's South, is out now. ($33, amazon.com)
Rearrange your herb garden.
A mélange of herbs in simple clay pots functions as a relaxed centerpiece.
Switch up the plates.
Mix different mediums and time periods. This gold-rimmed antique-style plate makes the green one pop!
Hand-Pressed Jadeite Glass Plate ($19, kaufmann-mercantile.com)
Symphony Gold Dinner Plate by Haviland ($84, michaelcfina.com)
Set out the good silverware.
Stock up on old French wood-handled knives — they're elegant but unpretentious.
Laguiole Olivewood Steak Knives ($100 for six, crateandbarrel.com)
Fill up a planter.
Repurpose a terra-cotta French faience pot as an ice bucket. It's great for holding plenty of wine and ice. And unlike a glass one, it won't sweat all over the table.
Anduze Green Planter ($790, authenticprovence.com)
Don't skimp on the linens.
Little napkins are Reed's pet peeve! She's a fan of these linen ones — they're large and absorbent, and they come in every color of the rainbow.
Festival Dinner Napkins ($58 for four, sferra.com)
This story originally appeared in the June 2016 issue of House Beautiful.
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