Ina Garten's Favorite Fall Tablescape Follows A Surprisingly Simple Formula

When it comes to a beautiful table, Ina Garten knows how to deliver. When she's not cooking up a delicious meal, she's considering how her presentation will make a statement. Whether you're hosting guests, planning for the holidays, or simply looking to bring the fall inside, enhancing your space with tabletop décor is surprisingly easy. If you want a cozy approach to fall, follow Garten's simple formula for creating a beautiful tablescape.

For Garten, tablescaping doesn't have to be over the top to be beautiful. Instead, she tries to keep things simple so that anyone can do this themselves. She suggests usable and fun tablescape ideas for every occasion. Often, she sticks to a single color, and every time she does a new tablescape, she tries to incorporate flowers into her display. One big thing: She does not overcrowd the space with décor to avoid blocking her guests' view.

But what exactly is tablescaping? Tablescaping is decorating a tabletop to showcase a theme, mood, or style that represents your aesthetic. You can create a table display for a holiday, season, or special event, incorporating things you might already have on hand. These could include candles, flowers, dishes, or linens. Artfully arranging these items is all part of creating an inviting tablescape. It's something that anyone can do, especially with inspiration from Garten.

Learn how Ina Garten decorates stellar kitchen shelves and tables, and apply that knowledge to your own fall arrangements. In a Williams Sonoma video about Thanksgiving entertaining, Garten shares that orange is her fall color, so she chose orange roses. If roses don't work for you, she also used orange tulips in past displays. Easily arrange your flowers with Ina Garten's simple vase trick — that is, using clear vases placed down the table. Keep the arrangements below head height, letting people see each other across the table. Linens are an essential part of tablescaping; Garten uses a tablecloth in the same vibrant hue.

The professional cook has also incorporated pumpkins into tables she's done for the fall. They add a cozy vibe. In a Food Network video, she uses a white tablecloth as the base for her tablescape. She goes with a less-is-more approach for plates, glasses, and cutlery so the pumpkins shine. Garten places small white votive candles down the center of the table; the pumpkins are mixed between them. She picks different-size pumpkins, though all of them are small, to add depth. Finally, she finishes the tablescape with a touch of fun: silver bowls full of candy corn. It's a simple but elegant design for people who want to lean subtly into fall.