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10 Playful Accents Sure to Enliven Any Summer Table

Summer meals become festive works of art thanks to these chic pieces by Diptyque, Saint-Louis, and Elizabeth Lake

By Jill Sieracki
Colorful outdoor dining table set with floral tablecloth, rustic chairs, and white vases filled with flowers by a lavender field.
A festive table set with Summerill & Bishop’s new Le Marché aux Fleurs collection of linens. Photo: Nicole Hains

Dinner parties have taken on an elevated joie de vivre as people exuberantly welcome friends and family back around their tables. While the weather is still warm and the days are long, hosting an alfresco meal can bring such joy to both hosts and guests. These whimsical plates, colorful glasses, and candy-colored linens help elevate any gathering into a full-fledge event, so fire up the grill, prepare the salad, and pop open the rosé—it’s time to celebrate!

Round pink plate with intricate white patterns and gold floral decorations.
Photo: Courtesy of Ginori 1735; Courtesy of Bonadea

1. Arcadia plate by fashion and textile designer Orazio Stasi for Ginori 1735; ginori1735.com

Three intricately decorated glass tumblers with floral patterns in blue, yellow, red, and green hues displayed against a white background.
Photo: Courtesy of Bonadea

2. Hand-painted Chinese tumblers by Lobmeyr; bonadea.com

Blue tinted wine glass with a wide bowl and slender stem on a white background
Photo: Courtesy of Artemest

3. Mille e Una Notte wineglass by Nason Moretti; artemest.com

Circular ceramic plate with intricate blue and teal geometric patterns viewed from above against a plain background.
Photo: Courtesy of Diptyque

4. Diptyque’s new Mediterranean Treasures collection includes this Laboratorio Paravicini dinner plate; diptyqueparis.com

Round blue placemat with scalloped edges and a folded napkin featuring a white embroidered palm tree design.

5. Sicily scallop placemats and palm tree dinner napkins by Elizabeth Lake; elizabethlake.com

Four colorful crystal cut glasses in blue, pink, green, and light blue, aligned in a row on a white background.
Photo: Courtesy of Saint-Louis

6. St. Regis Bloody Mary highball set by Saint-Louis; saint-louis.com

Decorative napkin set with intricate yellow and green embroidery on a white background, bordered by a rich terracotta trim.
Photo: Courtesy of Julia B

7. Firenze placemat and dinner napkin in cinnamon and citron by Julia B.; juliab.com

Ceramic plate with modern abstract face design in vibrant colors on white background.
Photo: Courtesy of Ottolenghi

8. Feast Face 1 serving plate by Yotam Ottolenghi in collaboration with artist Ivo Bisignano for Serax; ottolenghi.co.uk

Red and white ceramic vase with intricate floral patterns and green accents on the rim.
Photo: Courtesy of Matchesfashion

9. Big Pineapple 18-karat gilded porcelain vase by La DoubleJ; matchesfashion.com

Floral-patterned tablecloth with a mix of purple, yellow, and white flowers covering a rectangular table.

10. Le Marché aux Fleurs linen tablecloth by Summerill & Bishop; summerillandbishop.com

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2021 Summer Issue under the headline “Table of Elements.” Subscribe to the magazine.