When decorating an elegant table, many of us immediately think of fine china, crystal glasses and beautiful serving platters. Yet decorative flatware is dominating kitchenware, proving that this dining essential is no longer an afterthought when setting the table.

For years, most households had one everyday cutlery collection, a set of wooden-handled steak knives and “the good silverware” that was typically reserved for special occasions. Today, decorative flatware steals the spotlight, enhancing family dinners and taking elegant dinner parties to glamorous new heights.

Whether bold and vibrant or chic and sophisticated, there are endless options when selecting flatware. Here are a few tips on how to decorate your dining table with some of the best flatware sets to bring beauty and style to every meal.

1. Set the table in pretty pastels

Porcelain handled flatware in stunning pastels, paired with a solid dinnerware set in the same shades, creates a pretty table ready for a brunch with the girls or breakfast with the in-laws.

2. Play with patterns

Add a punch of pattern to the table. Pair solid colored dinnerware with patterned flatware. Pick up the colors in your flatware for your tablecloth, centerpiece or cloth napkins. Patterned decorative flatware is playful enough to brighten every day and captivating enough when you have dinner guests.

3. Choose chic silhouettes

Be the hostess who brings sophistication to the table with captivating cutlery. A simple silverware set can be stunning when it has a chic silhouette. Choose a stainless steel flatware set that has a modern profile, or a luxury flatware set with intricately sculpted handles. Whether the finish is shiny or matte, when your decorative flatware features a unique shape, its beauty is in the details.

4. Make dining a colorful experience

When it comes to flatware, there are so many beautiful options to choose from that even budget-conscious entertainers can use cutlery to bring casual elegance, vibrant color or subtle sophistication to the table. Pair patterned dinnerware with solid flatware. Your choice of silverware will help dictate the ambiance you create.

5. Go monochromatic

While vibrant color can bring a table alive, there’s something soft and sophisticated about a monochromatic table that will have your guests taking notice. An all-white color scheme can be extra glamorous when you start with white ceramic flatware, textured dishes, a modern candle holder and a simple sprig of greenery at every place setting.

6. Make every meal a celebration

Even though the entrée should be the evening’s main event, dessert is always the “after party” everyone anticipates. Festive flatware lets you serve up dessert with flair. Dessert flatware sets typically consist of spoons and forks in special sizes designed to be used when serving fruit, cake, pie, ice cream and puddings. Opt for colorful patterns that make dessert the celebration everyone expects it to be. What a great way to dress up nana’s rice pudding!

7. Take quality flatware on the go

Whether you’re a frequent traveller, go camping occasionally or need some extra cutlery at work, why settle for flimsy utensils when you can take quality stainless steel flatware with you wherever you go. Look for portable flatware sets that include a case and purchase a few so you can keep one set in your desk drawer and one in your travel bag. Ditch the plastic and dine in style. The set above even includes chopsticks for late night takeout at the office.

8. Give your table a golden touch

Flatware just got fabulous! Impress your guests with gold flatware, gold rimmed dinner plates and touches of gold on your water glasses. Imagine how elegant your table will look with shimmering luxury flatware elevating your dining table and tying an entire tablescape together.

9. Go natural

Set a stunning table using natural, eco-friendly elements like flatware with wood handles, vegan leather or bamboo placemats, wooden candle holders and a plant or other greenery as a centerpiece. Choose eco-friendly cotton linen table napkins to add an additional organic touch to the table, creating a warm and inviting setting that puts nature on display.

10. Get creative with flatware placement

Unless Martha Stewart is among your dinner guests, no one will care if you ignore the rules of flatware placement. Use a mason jar or decorative planter to hold cutlery for a casual brunch or buffet. Set each place with a marbleized ceramic tray to hold utensils for a posh dinner party or use colorful placemats as a striking backdrop for decorative flatware to really make your table pop.

Whether you’re looking for trendy flatware sets to brighten your breakfast table or eye-catching dinnerware to elevate your next celebration, there are many decorative accessories available to help you set an enchanting table.

If you’d like to know more about flatware in general and wish to read flatware reviews, discover here the top 9 best flatware reviews of 2020.