Brosa is an Australian furniture company, who pride themselves on stylish and thoughtful design.

I hope my readers will enjoy a guest post from my friends at BROSA, who are changing the designer furniture industry, not just in Australia but around the world. Brosa is an online furniture store that can create beauty in every room in the house – including and especially your kitchens and dining rooms! 

I asked Brosa for tips on how to set a table, so that you’re next dinner party is a knock-out!

Table Setting 101

Your Basic table setting will require a few essentials. For each place setting you will need a dinner plate, a knife and fork, and a glass.

Whether you are having a dinner on any given week night, or a Christmas dinner for the whole family, these items are what you will need to have on hand.

Place forks to left of the plates and knives to the right. The knife blade should be facing the plate. Glasses should be provided in the upper right hand corner.

Bread and butter plates should be on the left upper side. If you are serving more than one course, the cutlery for the later courses should be furthest from the plate.

An Informal Dinner Party

To prepare your table for an informal dinner, you will need a few more items…which calls for a bigger table! Generally this kind of dinner will have two or three courses.

First course might be a salad or a soup, then you’ll have a main course, and lastly a dessert. Dress the table using placemats, or a nice tablecloth with cloth napkins.

You will need the basics, plus a salad plate and fork, or a soup spoon. Be sure to provide a bread and butter plate and knife, and a teaspoon for dessert.

A wine glass should sit to the right of your water glass. If your table is looking a little full, you can set the table for dessert later in the night.

Dinner may include soup entrée, a second course usually involving fish, and main course, a salad, and to conclude, a dessert!

You will need a charger or a service plate, a dinner plate, and a bread plate. For glassware, provide your guests with a water glass, a red wine glass, a white wine glass, and a champagne flute.

Cutlery will depend on the meal. But it will usually include a fork, a salad fork, a butter knife, a dinner knife, a dessert spoon, a dessert fork, a soup spoon and an oyster fork.

A teaspoon and an oyster fork are placed on the right side of the dinner knife. The butter knife is placed horizontally across the bread plate. The dessert cutlery is placed above the charger plate.

After each course the used dishes are cleared, and the next course is brought out on fresh dishes.

A Wedding Setting

For a wedding setting, a dining table should be dressed beautifully. Follow the formal table setting, and then it’s time for a little extra pizzazz.

A table cloth or table runner that ties into your wedding colour palette is essential. Decorate the table with a beautiful floral arrangement and gorgeous candles.

Provide your guests with a place card, so everyone knows where to sit. Place the place card above the charger and a menu card on the charger.

The Christmas or Thanksgiving Table

You’ll probably be enjoying Christmas or Thanksgiving with your family — that can often mean sitting shoulder to shoulder at the dining table in your home. An extendable table is great for these occasions.

But a more economical table setting will likely help you fit everyone in. Aim for somewhere between the informal and formal table setting.

But don’t forget those little seasonal flourishes. A Christmas cracker atop the dinner plate, or a cornucopia centrepiece will add much needed flare to your special dinner.

Not to be outdone, Brosa sells more than quality designer furniture. They also provide great interior styling tips to ensure people make the most out of their chic furniture.