Set the Outdoor Table with Nuria Val

Set against the backdrop of the Spanish countryside, this conversation with Nuria Val explores how a meal becomes more than food. Discover her instinctive approach to table setting, where each table becomes a self-portrait shaped by mood, place, and a quiet longing for a slower pace of life.

Nuria Val
@ frecklesnur

What does a beautifully set table say before a single word is spoken?
A beautifully set table speaks of care and intention. It shows that someone took the time to create a meaningful moment. For me, a set table expresses generosity; it’s an invitation to slow down, to share, and to be present. It makes you feel at home without a word being said.

Can you recall a moment when the table setting changed the energy of the meal?
I once set a very simple, rustic table outdoors just after a light summer rain, using fresh branches, linen, and mismatched ceramics. It was so understated, yet so beautiful and something about the freshness and simplicity of the table transformed the whole atmosphere.

If your table could share a story with your guests, what would it be?
I’d want it to tell a story of connection: between the people gathered, between us and the earth that grew the food, between human hands and crafted objects. A story where beauty feels effortless, imperfect, and alive.

Do you follow any specific rules or simply go by instinct when arranging a tablescape?
Intuition leads everything. I rarely plan a table in advance. I move things around, add something spontaneous, and follow a rhythm I can feel more than see. I also love weaving in seasonal vegetables and plants as part of the setting.

How does the landscape around you shape the way you set a table?
Living in Spain, especially near the sea, I’m surrounded by warm earth tones, rough textures, and incredible natural light. These elements always find their way onto my table: raw linen, terracotta, sun-bleached wood, and simple wildflowers. There’s a relaxed elegance in the Spanish landscape that I try to echo.

Have you ever designed a table around a single detail or object? What was it, and why did it speak to you?
I once built a whole table around fresh lemons and sprigs of rosemary. I loved their simplicity and vitality. The colours, the scent, the texture. It felt so alive and grounding.

Is there a detail so subtle that only you notice but you always include it anyway?
Always. I often tuck a sprig of something aromatic—rosemary, thyme, or a single olive branch—near each plate. It’s a tiny detail, almost invisible, but it creates an atmosphere through scent, grounding the experience in something sensory and real.

How do you use contrast when styling a table?
Contrast is everything. I love placing structured, clean ceramics on messy linen or placing a wildflower arrangement in a minimal, modern vase. That tension between order and spontaneity brings a table to life, just like it does in nature.

Can a table be a kind of self-portrait? If so, what is yours revealing right now?
Definitely. Right now, my table reveals a longing for authenticity and a slower pace of living. It’s a little wild, a little imperfect, but full of warmth. Like me, it’s seeking real connection, not performance — an ode to the Mediterranean way of life.

What pieces have become essentials in your outdoor tablescapes, and how do you make them feel at home in nature?
The Dapple Dining Table has a soft, natural presence, and its light ‘Cashmere’ tone feels calming and inviting, offering a neutral backdrop for any setting. Its gentle curves and tactile surface add warmth and organic elegance. I also love the idea of mixing the Dapple Bench with Dapple Dining Chairs for a relaxed feel.

I chose the Muro Vase in Amber for its warm, earthy tone and organic shape, which perfectly complements the natural textures of my table.

Meanwhile, the Erena Bowl, Erena Cloche, Erena Serving Platter and Erena Serving Bowl, with their elegant conical shapes and soft glazes, also bring a touch of Mediterranean warmth and timeless sophistication.

 

Shop Nuria’s Set the Table Story here.