Take a fluid approach to setting the table and build on the natural theme – place wooden chopping boards along the centre of the dining table to create a base for your decoration. Next, pile on a mix of plants displayed in a variety of pots to create different heights and shapes – with succulents, there are no big leaves to block people’s view across the table! Use one main colour to bring the whole look together.

‘We don’t believe in keeping tableware for “best”. If you have something nice, you should enjoy it yourself, and not save it just for guests,’ says Ilaria, who helped us create this table idea. Think creatively about your place settings and recycle everyday things that you already have into something nice – a picture in a frame makes a great a personalised place card.

Fresh blooms are beautiful for a one-off, but potted plants are the type of table decor you can bring out time and again. Succulents like Echeveria and Haworthia are small and easy to keep: ‘I mostly choose low-maintenance indoor plants,’ says Ilaria. ‘And now, most artificial succulents are so well-made that they look real. I used some inside a jar for the table setting and all around my home as decoration – they require no maintenance at all!’

‘Having a meal around the table every Sunday morning is a special occasion for us, and being together as a family is reason enough to celebrate,’ says Ilaria. ‘I moved away from Italy some years ago, but I like to keep the Italian tradition of eating at a big dining table.’

We love to see our customers get creative with our products. Go for it! But please note that altering or modifying IKEA products so they can no longer be re-sold or used for their original purpose, means the IKEA commercial guarantees and your right to return the products will be lost.

Made by
Interior stylist: Sam Grigg
Photographer: Benjamin Edwards
Follow Ilaria on Instagram: @idainteriorlifestyle