IF YOU’VE EVER stared at an array of cutlery and wondered whether you just used the dessert fork for your salad, you’re not alone.

When it comes to hosting your own dinner party, setting the table can be a tricky task – and that’s the last thing you need when you’ve invited friends or family for a meal. 

Every fortnight, Laura de Barra brings her lifestyle and home maintenance expertise to the Glenveagh Home Magazine on TheJournal.ie – and this week she’s sharing her handy cutlery suggestions for setting a simple table.

Not every dinner party table needs to be set to perfection. These days, the ‘rules’ of table setting can and should be broken to suit what you want at your dinner party. Don’t worry if you don’t have mountains of cutlery, crockery and table linen.

For me, the ideal setting is one which involves the host not having to leave the table too often, and where everything that is needed is within reach.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that people will remember atmosphere far more than what you did or didn’t have on the table. This advice is designed to help you have a smooth and easy set-up that enhances the meal and leaves you all to enjoy the food and ambiance, rather than rigid rules that will terrify you and overwhelm your guests. They don’t want a fussy set up either, trust me. 

While centre pieces, table mats, napkin style and linen are all up to you, here are some handy rules to help you set up each place setting.

Shutterstock / Pinkyone Shutterstock / Pinkyone / Pinkyone

First up, the cutlery:

• If you are changing cutlery between courses (there is zero pressure to do this – it’s not a hosting crime for guests to keep the same cutlery), place the forks to the left and knives to the right, one per course. Guests will start from the outside and work their way in, so place knives and forks accordingly, with the cutlery for the last course closest to the plate. 

• If you are intending for the same knife and fork to be used throughout, I like to place both to the right upon a folded napkin. It’s simple and chic. Some say you should keep the knife and fork on either side of the plate, with the napkin under the fork, but I feel this can look a little sparse and a stack to the right appears more considered. 

• Serving spoons should be on your spares table (see below) to keep them within easy reach once their matched dish arrives to the table. 

• You can be as casual as you wish when it comes to cutlery; dessert spoons can be placed after the main meal, for example. Don’t feel under too much pressure, as long as everyone has what they need to put food in their mouths, it’s all good. 

Now, set out your glassware:

• Glassware should sit just above the cutlery to the right of the plate or where the plate will be. Water glasses should come first and sit closest to your guest while the wine glass should sit to the right of that, further from the guest. It encourages more water to be consumed than wine and, most importantly, it is less likely to be the wine knocked over. Another tablecloth saved. 

• You don’t have to go crazy when it comes to glasses. A water glass and a wine glass (if wine is being served) per guest will be perfect. 

• If you have red and white glasses to match the wine being served, great. If not don’t overthink it. Most hipster restaurants serve wine in tumblers right now, so if you’re out of stemmed glasses, don’t worry, you’re probably on trend! Try to make sure these tumblers for wine all match, as it will be easier when filling.

Shutterstock / Pressmaster Shutterstock / Pressmaster / Pressmaster

• Your water glasses can be mixed but shouldn’t be a large glass like a pint glass, because it’ll be a pain to keep topping up.

• Always make sure your water jug can fill a full round at once. Water should appear in easy flow; running back and forth to complete a refill round could cause guests to sip more gingerly than they wish. Hydrate with ease, my friends. 

Time to choose crockery:

• If you’re serving bread, pop a smaller plate with a bread knife above the dinner plate to the left, in line with the glassware. 

• Not all your plates need to match. If you want to hide the fact you have a mismatch going on, place a folded napkin on the centre of each plate with cutlery on top to bring the focus there.  

Make sure you have spares:

• Have a surface nearby where you can easily grab the spares you need throughout the meal. A nearby sideboard or table is perfect. It can house cutlery, plates, decanters, water jugs and anything else that either clutters the table or you might need throughout the meal.

Follow @lauradebarra on Instagram for more pro cleaning and lifestyle tips (and plenty of other fabulousness too).

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