16 Dining Table Centerpieces You Can Use Year-Round
Your dining table centerpiece is far from an afterthought. It's the main focus for every special occasion (including the cleanup session after dinner's over). Even when your dining table isn't in use, it speaks volumes about your personal style and design sensibility. A centerpiece enhances your tablescape and makes a statement. While it's easy to clear the table and wait for another special occasion, your dining room table is more than a location for eating a formal meal.
If you're low on dining table centerpiece ideas, we've pulled stylish examples from designer projects that work any time of year and can fit in with a variety of design preferences. They're proof that a centerpiece can be so much more than flowers. These dining room tabletops include chic candle arrangements, sculptural vessels, dishes, and more. There's one general rule of thumb for centerpieces: Just be sure to choose one that won't block your guests from carrying on a conversation across the table. Once you find an eye-catching option that checks all your boxes, you won't have to worry about ordering fresh flowers, swapping out your centerpiece so often, or bringing one out only for the holidays.
Your dining room table is the backdrop for your favorite meals with family and friends. Make any night you get together even more special with a centerpiece that'll wow them. Whether it's your first time hosting or you're a seasoned pro, you can set your table with confidence by referencing the designer inspiration below.
Sculpture Centerpiece
Add interest to your dining table when hosting friends by grouping glossy white sculptures and small vases at the center, as seen in this dining room by designer Eneia White. The stark white stands out against the light wood of the tabletop and the black accents in the space, keeping all eyes on the table. Choose pieces of different heights for the most interesting and harmonious arrangement.
Woven Tray Centerpiece
A round rattan tray filled with a conch shell, an earthy ceramic vase, and a simple dried stalk complements the organic vibe of this bungalow dining room designed by Robert McKinley Studio. The simple dining table centerpiece looks perfectly balanced because it stays within the restrained color palette and continues the circle motif established by the table and paper pendant.
Colorful Candles
Peachy pink and lavender tapers in quirky candle holders of different heights set a colorful and eclectic scene for you and any guests who come by to enjoy all year—just swap in seasonal blooms. This punchy dining room designed by Liz Caan calls for nothing less with its bold color story. We love how the cushy vintage sofa encourages you to linger.
Rattan Basket Centerpiece
Coastal grandmother deserves a seat at the table too! She would definitely improvise and use a houseplant in a rattan basket as a simple dining table centerpiece, as designer Chauncey Boothby did in her own dining room. The Thibaut wallpaper and trim painted in Farrow & Ball Lulworth Blue give the traditional brown wooden dining set a calming update.
A Complementary Vase
A sculptural vase in seaglass green grabs your attention in the color-saturated dining room of actors Candice van Houten and Guy Pearce's Amsterdam home, which was designed by Nicole Dohmen of Atelier ND Interior. Use the color wheel and your room's palette to find the hue that will grab eyes on your dining table.
Green Branches
If your dining room looks out onto green trees, bring a little bit of the outdoors in with your centerpiece. In the dining room of this California home designed by Alexandra Loew, a leafy arrangement set on a side table enhances the overall atmosphere.
Table Runner and Pillar Candles
Marshall Watson designed a dining room for this Swedish country house that makes sitting down for dinner picture-perfect. The table runner picks up the blue motif that runs from the striped rug (designed by Watson to mimic a traditional Swedish sweater) to the plate wall and gingham pillows on the banquette. Pillar candles set atop tall holders create a simple focal point.
Modern Art
The moody dining room of McMillan Inc. president and designer Anne Pyne's Upper East Side apartment proves that formal doesn't necessarily mean fussy. The cobalt blue sculpture centerpiece is the pop that makes this modern-art-gallery-esque table can stand out; it also complements the edgy light fixture.
Abstract Candelabra Centerpiece
When all you have room for is a small dining nook, make sure each piece in it carries its weight. In this space designed by 2LG Studios, the geometric acrylic candleholder definitely meets the mark. It fits right in with the curved chrome dining chairs and chunky pedestal table—together, they're a gorgeous exploration of shape and design.
A Coffee Table Book and Flowers
This jeweled-toned dining nook designed by Ariene Bethea is tailored but approachable thanks to its styling. We love how the open book invites you to sit down and page through. Meanwhile, the colorful vase of flowers echoes the magenta walls and upholstery.
A Simple Glass Plate
Set at the center of an extra-large and dark round table, a glass plate centerpiece glistens and adds an element of surprise. It plays off the other circular shapes around it, from the pendant above it to the sculpture and lamps on the sideboard to the shape of the room itself.
On-Palette Florals
If your dining room has bold wallpaper, choose flowers for your centerpiece in its colors. In this dining room designed by Courtney McLeod, the deep reds and greens of the tall floral arrangements are pulled from the mural wallcovering (Menagerie Chinoiserie in a custom colorway by Voutsa).
Round Objects
The grouping of round vases, trays, bowls, and objects that serve as the dining table centerpiece in a home designed by NICOLEHOLLIS catches the eye and keeps things interesting without creating visual chaos. A few stems of black calla lilies enliven the scene without interrupting the monochrome look.
Artichokes (Yes, Artichokes)
We don't have any problems with a classic fruit centerpiece, but we love the toned-down twist that Leanne Ford Interiors gave the idea in this laid-back dining room: simple tray of artichokes plus two art books. The oversized paper pendant does the rest of the work.
An Interesting Artifact
A model ship is the streamlined centerpiece that this circa-1790 dining room in the Catskills region of New York was asking for. (Is that the captain in the gilt-framed portrait?) The ceiling is painted a high-gloss blush, which gives the room a candlelit glow and enhances the stunning Art Deco carpet.
Splatter Paint
It isn't a centerpiece per se, but the free-spirited splatter paint on this farm table in a brownstone designed by Elizabeth Roberts Architects speaks volumes. Opting for the artfully distressed piece and the sculptural lighting above it injects creativity and spontaneity into the crisply painted space.
You Might Also Like
