From bountiful breakfasts to decadent dinners, the rise of the tablescaping trend has turned everyday meals into an elaborate art form

If staying in is the new going out, it makes sense that tablescaping – dressing up your dining table in an artfully considered and accessorised way – has become the latest trend to take social media, and our homes, by storm. Pre-Covid, tablescaping was the preserve of weddings and professionally catered events, but the pandemic and ensuing periods of lockdown have brought home the idea that there’s no time like the present to elevate the everyday.

Thanks to the popularity of apps like Instagram, tablescaping is on the rise

A perfect meal is about more than the quality, taste and smell of the food in front of you. As the adage goes, we eat with our eyes first. Arguably, the success of a dish lies in the tiniest of details found in the background – the juxtaposition of the plate against the table runner for that ultimate flat-lay photo. Or the backdrop of baubles that proves it is, indeed, a festive meal.

Tablescaping: the interiors phenomenon taking Instagram by storm

In the current anxiety-ridden climate where our social lives are fast disappearing, we long for positivity, comfort, and beauty in our daily lives. Enter tablescaping as the phenomenon du jour. No longer the wearisome chore imposed upon you as a child, setting the table has become a lavish act, on par with choosing your outfit for a night out.