This Bistro-Style Detail Is the Most Charming Way to Elevate Your Dining Table, and Hosting Game, This Season

Get your dinner party plans ready, embroidered tablecloths are bringing personality back to your tablescape, and here's where to shop the look

Image of a beige and white dining room with a table that is set with a burnt orange tablecloth, and embroidered napkins. There are four wooden chairs around the table, bowls of fruits on table, and a green plant as the centerpiece.
(Image credit: Bed Threads)

I'd like to say I'm pretty proficient at throwing dinner parties. I love to host them, decorate them, and generally plan them to the nth degree. So naturally, my curiosity piques when I spot a new table trend entering the conversation, like delicate embroidered details.

With personality and hand-picked designs making a comeback in interiors, it makes sense that spring table decor ideas should follow suit. This season, I'm expecting embroidered tablecloths to be the thing on everyone's table. And Genevieve Rosen-Biller, founder of bedding and linen brand, Bed Threads, agrees.

"People are craving a slower pace, and designs with embroidered detailing signify a time where you could quietly sit there and craft your own textile designs, simply for the sake of doing so," she says. "I think the rise of embroidery can even be identified further as a reaction to the excessive screen time and technology that dominates our lives, and it brings people something that feels hand-crafted."

Indeed, embroidery adds a nostalgic touch, and is sure to spark conversation. Whether you're curating a table reminiscent of Mediterranean evenings by the coast or want to add a personal touch to your dinner party, embroidered tablecloths are a subtle, yet stylish, way to tap into the theme.

Image of a white table set with a white tablecloth, a white table runner with navy blue embroidery, and blue and white striped napkins. There are two white bamboo seats in view.

The Fruits de Mer embroidered table runner is a subtle yet sophisticated addition to this otherwise minimalistic table setting.

(Image credit: The White Company)

"Embroidery brings depth and texture to design and instantly adds visual interest to a piece, even with the simplest, most subtly stitched element," explains Genevieve Rosen-Biller.

And the best part? An embroidered tablecloth can come in many different forms. "You can have a solid-colored item with a small embroidered detail somewhere, and it will totally transform the piece," says Genevieve.

It signifies luxury and craftsmanship; even if a piece is not actually a one-off, "it still feels hand-crafted if there's an element of embroidery somewhere," she adds.

For me, a good table setting is about creating a backdrop for a beautiful shared meal; it's about an abundance of food and gorgeous things, only heightened when personal tablecloth tablescaping is at play. Having an extra detail of embroidery as a small conversation starter on the table linens is the easiest way to elevate the setting.

When it comes to ways to style a tablecloth with delicate embroidered details, Genevieve says, "Keep it practical with a small range of thoughtful decorative elements, use the food as decor, and don't over-style the setting — give your tableware space to shine."

Image of a woman in a navy suit sitting on a bed
Genevieve Rosen-Biller

Genevieve Rosen-Biller founded Bed Threads in 2017 with her husband, Alan. Their goal was to make 100% linen bedding that was high-quality, affordable, and easy on the environment. The company offers both bedding and tableware. Genevieve is an expert on all things linen, and Bed Threads is now a globally recognized company.

Perfecting your garden party ideas is all about getting the details right. Embroidered tablecloths are entertaining and elegant, and if you are handy with a needle and thread, they can even be an easy DIY.

Olivia Wolfe
Design Writer

Olivia Wolfe is a Design Writer at Livingetc. She recently graduated from University of the Arts London, London College of Communication with a Masters Degree in Arts and Lifestyle Journalism. In her previous experience, she has worked with multiple multimedia publications in both London and the United States covering a range of culture-related topics, with an expertise in art and design. At the weekends she can be found working on her oil paintings, reading, or antique shopping at one of London's many vintage markets.