Entertaining Onboard with Style: Creating the Perfect Table

If soft goods and furniture define the essence of a room, accessories are like the jewelry that adorns it.  You can make the dining space on your yacht a great place to gather with friends and family around a table that expresses your own special style and energy. Every gathering, planned or unexpected, will be a meal to remember when you embellish the table with an artful selection of colors, textures and patterns.

How do you begin the process of creating the perfect table?  Here’s what the experts at Pioneer Linens Yacht & Estates Division have to say.

Alan Murphy, Jr.

Layering different textures and prints using a consistent color palette to tie it all together is the secret to setting a spectacular table, whether the occasion is formal or strictly casual. Begin with a beautiful tablecloth topped with a complementary table runner. Be adventurous and choose a mix of patterns, textures and seasonal colors. Consider using chargers under the plates, which are both decorative and practical. Then select creative napkin rings for a little table bling.  You’ll find a super selection at Pioneer Linens Yacht & Estates Division. In my opinion, it’s the napkin rings that really make the table. Top off your table motif with a centerpiece that complements it all.

Jay Crockenberg

Harmonic flow between the china, flatware, placemats, napkins and napkin rings says it all. Many manufacturers now work with table linen suppliers to focus the new design trends. At Pioneer Linens Yacht & Estates Division, we have fun working with clients on “blinging out” tables with fun items we call “table candy” or “napkin jewels.” Isabella Adams is the best example of fantastic table bling.  Her line features all types of themes – animals, shells and more – all made in the USA and adorned with Swarovkski crystals.  For an elegant evening, I prefer all white Italian linen. It’s crisp and clean and we have a myriad of colorful accents to really set the tone. Kim Seybert has a new set of spectacular placemats called “GLAM ROCK” that come in silver and gold. It’s one of our stand-out collections.  We’ll help you put it all together in unique and playful ways.

Nicole Ashley

Table decoration is my favorite! You can never be too over the top! I adore our Kim Seybert collection with its countless options, anywhere from simple to simply amazing. Here are some of my favorites, meal by meal. For breakfast, I love simple white linen napkins with rattan placemats and coordinated napkin rings, but nothing fancy.  For lunch I like to take it up a step with a simple napkin adorned with a bolder napkin ring, such as a flower burst, and a capiz shell placemat to add some shimmer and shine to the table. When it’s time to decorate the table for dinner, the sky is the limit!  You can couple an extravagant rhinestone napkin ring by Isabella Adams with a multicolored or stitched napkin and dazzling beaded placemat by Kim Seybert. With a setting like that, you’ve created the perfect table to serve the perfect meal!

Samantha Weiler

The table is the place for great conversation, and what could be a better conversation starter than an interesting table setting? Versatility is the key to creating memorable tables time after time. Remember that you can use the same plates, silverware and stemware and vary the look with different placemats, napkins, napkin rings and tablecloths. There’s so much you can do to make your tabletop pop, infusing a familiar setting with renewed energy by adding an eclectic mix of patterns and colors, old and new. If you like beautiful napkins, as I do, here’s a video on how to create a “leaf napkin”. Entertaining friends and family is so much more fun when you do it in style!

Remember, for a lively meal, mixing your patterns, textures and colors is as important as mixing your guests!