It’s about this time of year when I start to get excited for Spring, and a new time of year. I can’t wait to refresh areas of our home and I start to daydream about entertaining with friends and family. While I was shopping around, I came across so many beautiful and useful pieces. It inspired me so much that I wanted to digitally style them to share it here with you. Here is my Spring Entertaining Essentials list. I hope it inspires you as much as it did me.

Selective Shopping

I recently read a quote shared by one of my favorite designers and it deeply resonated with me. William Morris said, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” After moving, purging and trying to simplify our home, I’ve tried to live by these words. Shopping is a now new experience for me. It’s thoughtful, and I try to think of the long-term. If I’m looking for useful items, I look for quality so my investment lasts. If I am shopping for beauty, I stick to neutral and natural so I can carry those pieces with me as my style begins to change.

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”

William Morris

When it comes to the kitchen, I have become incredibly picky. This is an area where beauty and function can come together in the best ways – and I always want both. Scroll past the mood board to see how I use them as multi-purpose pieces for my house and table.

Spring Inspired Entertaining Essentials

One. Mango wood cruets are sleek, simple and amazing for both utility and kitchen decor. Use them to hold creamer or vinaigrette when you host. Or, keep them on the counter as decor by themselves, or to hold a couple stems of flowers.

Two. Steak knives with wood handles are an easy way to add a natural touch to a table. Easily pair them with the modern or vintage flatware you already have in your collection.

Three. I have both antique and modern taper holders and I always have a place for them on the table. These can be used anywhere around the house so I often pick them up. Black is neutral, but it also makes a statement when you’re looking to make one.

ENTERTAINING ESSENTIALS LIST

Four. I like to add color in subtle ways and these light pink plates are the perfect pieces to do so. I would pair them with my current neutral colored dinnerware to easily incorporate color into a design with items I already own.

Five. The green napkins are what initially inspired me to create this table. Linen napkins are a great piece that can be used over and over for entertaining. Napkins can also be the beautiful finishing touch to a table setting.

Six. A tall cocktail flute brings an immediate elegant feel to a table. I love to bring in texture wherever I can and these glasses have a bit of a ripple that would add interest to any setting. Also, like most glassware, this flute would make a beautiful vase for some stems.

Seven. When I recommend flatware, it usually always has simple lines. That way it can be mixed and matched, like with the knives I listed above, or with what you already have in the drawer. Simple flatware will also go with most any style of table settings – gorgeous and such a good investment piece.

Eight. This cutting board is stunning and is a staple piece in my kitchen. It makes stunning cheese boards. I would also lean this piece against a wall on the counter of my kitchen to show off it’s beauty.

MORE IDEAS FOR YOUR TABLE

Nine. You can never go wrong with white plates. I fell in love with this set because of the gorgeous little detail around the entire edge. It’s sometimes the little details that can make a table stand out.

Ten. Bonnie Kaye Studios is one of my favorite places to pick up handmade pieces for the kitchen. The cocktail napkins in this mood board is one of the many unique pieces from her shop. These add the perfect amount of texture and bold color. See how I used her hand printed papers here and here.

Eleven. These glasses are like the little black dress of my kitchen cupboards. Use them for cocktails, as water glasses, for condiments or little bud vases down a table.

Twelve. Terracotta is one of my favorite colors in the world of decoration. It’s got a natural vibe and it’s neutral so it goes with a lot. I use bowls like this around the dining/kitchen area to serve parts of a meal or to store fruits and sides.