Picture this: you spend weeks wrangling some of your favourite people together to host a stylish alfresco dinner party that takes full advantage of a predicted heatwave. But on the day, the changeable British summer weather throws a spanner in the works. Disaster strikes: intermittent rain and blustery winds are on the way, so everything has to be moved inside. But don't fear. No sunset, no problem, as our creative event producer and stylist Kate Thompson showcased when we faced a similar fate at our recent Summer House 2026 countryside stay. Putting guests' comfort first while honouring the beautiful countryside setting, Thompson built the gorgeous tablescape from scratch using The White Company’s newest homeware and outdoor-dining arrivals.
Summer is undoubtedly the season when The White Company truly comes into its own. Pushing the boundaries of timeless minimalism, the brand's clean lines, understated details and excellent craftspersonship that characterise its effortlessly luxe clothing are easily transferred to elevated home and outdoor buys. Turning to the top-notch linen bedding, for example, to ride out sweltering temperatures is a no-brainer, and the same airy lightness can be applied to your dinner table via tablecloths and napkins. From crockery and cutlery to glassware and candles, everything is refreshingly uncomplicated, making a statement in its own right and expertly foiling more flamboyant choices.
That’s exactly why The White Company was a great Summer House 2026 dinner partner. What started as a celebration of the brand’s white and neutral signatures evolved into something altogether more layered and multi-sensory, accented with elegant calla lilies and vibrant alliums arranged by floral artist Holly Tomalin. "The table was quite versatile in terms of moving inside. We wanted to do a really unexpected tablescape, something modern and a bit of a contrast," Thompson explains. "It was about picking things that were a little bit cleaner, then we could add more texture without having to use anything too colourful."
The wind posed a bigger logistical issue than the rain. "We would have had to put something on top of the menus so they wouldn’t blow away," Thompson says. "We needed the glass hurricanes outdoors so the candles would stay alight, but used them inside because they are beautiful with the chunky glass candle holders, and look really amazing with the flowers."
If you, like me, have never encountered a tablescape quite like this one and would like a detailed breakdown to help you pull off something of this calibre all by yourself, keep scrolling. Below, Thompson kindly spills all the hosting hacks and tablescape tips you need, and there's much to both copy and be inspired by. Then shop the homeware and outdoor-dining picks from The White Company that she actually used for our table. Happy summer!
Style Notes: Pure white tablecloths and napkins like these won’t stay spotless for long, and there’s no point in stressing about it. "There's nothing better than a table at the end of the night with red wine stains and mess everywhere, because it means that people had a really good time," says Thompson. "You want at least a 30 cm drop on the side and limited joins." She usually folds and irons multiple tablecloths together seamlessly for her events, steaming the top and using a mini hoover to suck up any debris.
The colour and texture of the napkins need to match the tablecloths, and Thompson opted for The White Company’s famed high-quality linen. "It’s so soft and really versatile, so we did a knot, but every single one looks different and quite undone. You need clean, dry hands, and don’t put too much pressure on it," she advises, but it’s a different story altogether at her own home. "I use linen napkins quite often when I’m having a nice weekend dinner, but you don’t need a tablecloth. [I use] dark green, dark blue or natural brown in winter, and striped otherwise."
Style Notes: There’s no use setting a beautifully intimate tone with the glow of flickering candlelight if the flames can be snuffed out in an instant—or if they pose a fire risk—so hurricanes are an outdoor and indoor essential. "The candles and floral arrangements are intertwined, like a wish wrapped in a hug," says Thompson. "Outside, the wax would get a bit drippy in the wind, which looks really cool."
Fire safety is no joke, so it's worth noting how many candles can safely sit on your table in proximity to highly flammable materials like linen. "Make sure the candle isn’t coming out of the top [of the hurricane], and [note that] hurricanes can get smokey inside," says Thompson. For smaller-scale dinners, less is more, and one set of six candles should do the trick. "We went with ivory candles because bright white is too harsh," Thompson explains. She also lit The White Company's incredible-smelling Sea Salt Signature Candle to create a more immersive experience. "I always use scented candles away from the table, so it's the surrounding smell rather than anything too near food."
Style Notes: Thompson is well-versed in creating unusual place settings that double as thoughtful take-home gifts. Tables she has styled in the past have seen calligraphers tasked with writing guests' names on peapods and carving them into pears, but at our dinner, guests were gifted a single white calla lily wrapped in a label bearing their name, presented alongside the menu and in the same handwriting, to add a personal touch. From the plates to the serving platters and bowls, the crockery was a mix of slightly varying shades of white with assorted details. "The dinner plates are not perfectly circular, [they are] mismatched to contrast with the modern cutlery," she points out. "Everything food-wise is either green or has a green garnish."
The table was busy but uncluttered, as Thompson takes good service seriously, so she always wants to minimise potential interruptions. "There's nothing worse than people being uncomfortable at dinner tables and not feeling like they can just relax and enjoy the food," she says. Other showstopping details included the branded butter and the mint-garnished chocolate mousse dessert, served in glass bowls. "[We used a] lovely The White Company serving tray for the cheese tower, which [was] there from the beginning, because cheese needs to get to room temperature," adds Thompson.
Style Notes: Our evening was designed to flow from cocktail hour to champagne and oysters before guests sat to eat (with nightcaps possible afterwards). The lightweight glassware Thompson chose was intentional and integral to the mood. "We got The White Company champagne flutes that are just very chic: slim and quite tall," she explains. "We set the table with low, quite angular tumblers for still and sparkling water, and smaller wine glasses, as people are more likely to drink white and rosé wines in summer."
As far as the Thompson is concerned, it feels more elevated to set wine coolers (ours were marble from The White Company) and water carafes along the side of the table, so guests don’t have to pour their own drinks. She also deliberately chose plain, unmottled glassware. "It just works with the hurricanes, and I quite like it when you look down a table with glass, and you can see from one end to the other through everything," she says. "When it gets darker, the light that goes through all of the glassware and the candles is amazing."
Style Notes: "Calla lilies are having a real moment and work particularly well when arranged in clean and contemporary vases, like those from The White Company," Thompson shares. She and Tomalin had originally planned to hang some from the ceiling around the dining space outside, but the table arrangements, featuring sculptural florals and curly green alliums, were no less impressive, and very on-trend. "The design is modern, intentional and pared-back, and it's more about the shapes and the negative space you can create rather than overloading it," says Tomalin.
If you’re wondering what the flowers are artfully affixed to inside the vases, it's something called a floral frog: a metal base with steel pins. "There’s water in there, but calla lilies and alliums don’t need much," explains Tomalin. A number of White Company glass vases, too big for the dinner table, housed even bigger groups of the two flowers and were spaced out around the room to heighten the ambience and spread the colour.
