No Dining Table? No Problem! This Easy Hack Means You Can Still Create the Perfect Holiday Dinner Party Set-Up
You'll be shocked at how easy it is to pull off this viral dining hack — and your guests are going to love it, guaranteed
One of the hardest parts of apartment dwelling is that you (usually) don't have access to a dining room table. You have a couch and maybe a coffee table, sure, but lack a piece large enough to host multiple people and lack the room for one to begin with.
This holiday season, however, blogger Sara Toufali has shared the easiest space-saving, renter-friendly, and budget-friendly dining and hosting set-up for those that identified with that first statement, and all it involves is a cheap folding table and two pillows, poufs, or supports of your choosing. And while that might not sound luxurious, I promise you're going to be blown away by the final product. Combined with the tablescape pieces I've sourced from some of the best home decor stores, this alternative dining solution easily transforms from a simple budget hack into a vibe-y, high-end meal.
The perfect dining alternative for table-less homes
A post shared by Sara Toufali (@saratoufali)
A photo posted by on
Using two storage containers or pillow poufs that she seemingly already owned, Sara then rested a cheap, plastic folding table on top to elevate what will become the dining surface a bit off the ground. Next, to hide her handiwork, she simply draped a large colored flat sheet on top of the structure, so that each piece of the rig was cleverly concealed underneath.
The results are instantaneous — what was once a bootleg option becomes an elevated solution, even more so after she adds a gorgeous selection of floral accents, decor pieces, and tableware. If you're a dining table-less host this holiday season, or just flat-out looking for a new set-up to try, your guests will absolutely love this playful arrangement.
Shop the same look
Price: $56.99
Was: $66.68
If you're without a pouf or pillow structure on which to rest your folding table, start here with this perfect piece from Walmart (that's also on sale!).
Price: $102
Was: $120
The "tablecloth" in the Instagram reel is a Bed Threads fitted sheet in the shade turmeric, but you could also use any solid-colored sheet already in your linen closet.
Price: $47
Linen napkins add a warm, rustic touch to your table, which is perfect for a meal you're about to have on the floor.
Price: $50
The form on these hand-crafted tumblers is so fluid and relaxed, which is exactly the vibe we're trying to curate here. It's not the traditional vessel, but wine would look great in these.
Price: $105
Much like the linen napkins, these linen coasters are relaxed and refreshing. From Moda Operandi's in-house homeware label, they might be a bit pricier than you were expecting ... but I promise they seem worth it.
Price: $3.99
Candles are a dinner party must-have; add some height to your table with these pitch-perfect white taper candles from H&M.
Price: $240
These cane chargers would add the perfectly textural contrast and unexpected touch to each place setting. I'm shocked by how much I love them.
Price: $28
Of course, those candlesticks need a place to live! Available in three sizes (though sadly just two are currently in stock), these candles offer a height differential you can play with.
Price: $38
The soft milky green of this stunning ceramic plate fits the color scheme we've been curating this entire edit. It's calming, entrancing, and worthy of center-stage on your table.
Be The First To Know
The Livingetc newsletter is your shortcut to the now and the next in home design. Subscribe today to receive a stunning free 200-page book of the best homes from around the world.
Brigid Kennedy is a Style Editor at Livingetc.com, where she scours the internet for the best and most stylish deals on home decor and more. After earning a degree from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, she spent the first 2.5 years of her journalism career covering U.S. politics and culture at TheWeek.com. She describes her design style as colorful and clean, and in her free time enjoys reading, watching movies, and curating impossibly niche playlists on Spotify. She recently relocated from Manhattan to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she's decorating and DIYing a new home downtown.
-
5 Kitchen Lighting Design Rules Interior Designers Warn You Should Never Ignore for a Well-Lit Space
These pitfalls of kitchen lighting can cause practical and aesthetic problems for your cooking space
By Sarah Lyon Published
-
5 Interior Design Trends Experts Are Predicting Will be Out of Style in 2025
Is your house starting to look tired and dated? Designers share the elements that may be causing this, and what to replace them with
By Raluca Racasan Published