Do you keep your table set at all times.

[Paranoidmarvin]

Many years ago my sil showed me around their new house. In their dining room she had the table set up. Looked gorgeous. With mats and flowers and plates etc even though they didn’t use it. She said she liked to just see it set up and looking pretty.

I never had a room to do this with before. But over the summer we did up the conservatory and now as it’s colder we don’t use it as much. But seeing it through the French doors looking all empty seems a bit sad.
So I was thinking of setting it up as a Christmas table setting. Then when Christmas is over just keep it set up so it can look nice when I look through.

Does anyone do this? Do you change it around or am I being ridiculous. Just wondered how many of you did this.

I couldn't stand it as I like things put away and no clutter. Our table is used for lots of things and only set at meal times

I also find it weird, and you’d need to use an extra set of everything ro do it, then take it all and wash it all and clean it regularly.

Big vase of flowers or candlesticks, coasters, place mats etc and keep it clear and tidy.

Mrs hinch does it, ans sure it looks lovely but it’s just a bit silly when they eat dinner on their laps most of the time.

@ShrikeAttack possibly an odd question but how do you decide when to eat in the dining room rather than elsewhere?

We eat at the kitchen table daily but I have another table (not laid I hasten to add!) in the dining room which basically only gets used over Christmas - I feel this is a bit of a waste but can't decide how best to reclaim it.

I think this Christmas we may cultivate the habit of setting it after each meal, ready for the next. It could help with our clutter problem, too.

@Grenlei good question! Possibly when there's a big meal prepared so the kitchen is still messy, or when everyone is eating at the same time?

No. I have either random crap on the table. Like online shopping at this time of year or keep some kind of centre piece on it. At the moment it's some candles sticks on tray with my fave crystals and fossils. I normally do seasonal ones or add bits to this. Sometimes I put the tary on the sideboard and put something else on the table. But never set it. We have a table cloth because it's a 60s g plan table which need refinishing. So don't use place mats.

I think for house selling photos it can look good set as you're going to eat. But day to day it's impractical. I understand empty is boring but I'd put something nice on it rather than set it for eating.

Some of these answers are hilarious. It’s a table we don’t use as we have the messy one in the kitchen. Not sur so would be worried about the dust

@Grenlei we use the dining room more in the Winter as we'd eat outside more in Summer, but we use it every Sunday, we've been using it every Saturday recently as DH and I have been taking it in turns to cook a 3/4 course dinner every week, we use it for weekend brunches occasionally, and we use it whenever we have guests (in normal times a couple of times a month at least).

Essentially any time we want to make more of an occasion of eating. I've got fully-stocked cocktail area and a decent music system in there so DH and I will sometimes hang out there of an evening having drinks.

It's good for games nights too so I keep all the board games in there.

I always use proper linen and decent glassware and cutlery in there too and I like using nice things as often as possible!

We use it a lot!

[quote Grenlei]@ShrikeAttack possibly an odd question but how do you decide when to eat in the dining room rather than elsewhere?

We eat at the kitchen table daily but I have another table (not laid I hasten to add!) in the dining room which basically only gets used over Christmas - I feel this is a bit of a waste but can't decide how best to reclaim it.[/quote]
The dining room for us is for formal meals. By formal I mean with more than six people, invitations of some sort (can be an at home card or even an email, but not verbal), three courses or more, an occasion when you'd light tall candles rather than tealights; less formal family and friends tends to be a kitchen supper.

I used to when I lived in a house with a dining room.
Runner on the table and place mats flowers. And those charger plates. We used to eat at the kitchen table.

Mine is currently festooned with a bowl of fruit, my laptop and a small scattering of random junk.

No, I don't leave it set. I think your SIL is making work for herself there. Even my fanatically house-proud MIL (who loved to invent work for herself and then complain about it) never did this.

If you must have something to decorate a clear table then have a nice potted plant or three for when it isn't being used. No need for anything else.

I've only ever seen tables fully set for dinner in show homes, and not even all that often then.

@draughtycatflap

Do it. You could add mannequins around the table too. Two pulling crackers across the table with their Christmas hats on. A tipsy nan with her chin on her bosom having a snooze. The kids slipping the dog a bit of turkey, the possibilities are endless!

Finally a good use of a conservatory!!

@Paranoidmarvin

Personally
I'd look at making the room useful all year around or demolishing it. I hate conservatories!! 🤣

But for 'right now' id do what @draughtycatflap said or just put a couple of nice Christmas Decorations on it & Christmas lights around the windows etc.

But if the set table makes you happy, then go forward it!!!

I find it a bit contrived when they do it in show homes tbh, I think I’d find it downright odd if someone did it in their actual house.

If I set up a nice cloth etc the kids would get crap all over it in about half a day. We have a wipe clean table and I keep it clear so it’s easy to wipe- maybe if it was just me and DH I’d set it with a nice cloth and flowers though (but not all the glassware and whatever)

@EggBobbin They often do this in show homes to show the exact space you have. Seeing a room set up means you know how much space is there in a room if there is already a table set for 4 people in it.

I grew up with a dining room and a table in the kitchen. We mostly ate in the kitchen apart from when we had guests or it was Christmas. The dining room table was set with a table cloth, some flowers and candles.

Only when in winter my mum got the jigsaws out - then it was covered in a 1000 piece jigsaw she worked on over several days.

Not at all.