28 Essentials to Set Your Thanksgiving Table, Modern Farmhouse-Style

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When it comes to setting up your Thanksgiving dining table, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Not only do you need to decide the place settings and which dishes will go where, but you also want to land on an overarching theme to tie everything together. Luckily, the modern farmhouse look is an easy, flexible style to achieve.

Simple, clean, chic, cozy, and warm are all words often used to describe farmhouse design aesthetics. Under the umbrella of this design style—which is inspired by traditional European farmhouses from as far back as the 16th and 17th centuries—fall two categories: traditional and modern.

Traditional farmhouses typically feature rustic accents like darker reclaimed wood, deep greens, blues, and browns, brass accents, and antique pieces. Modern farmhouse aesthetics, on the other hand, often showcase more subtle and neutral color palettes, softer accents, and clean lines. It’s a style you'll find in spades throughout our dinnerware and tabletop collections, but there’s enough flexibility for everyone to blend the bits they love to match their own personal aesthetic.

If you want to try incorporating the modern farmhouse aesthetic into your space but don't know where to begin, start small. First up: Your Thanksgiving dinner table. From the latest additions to our Shop, we’ve hand-picked classic, neutral dinnerware, warm linens, and handmade accents to give your Thanksgiving table a modern farmhouse makeover.

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1. Pacific Belgian Linen Placemats, Set of 4, $200

Let's work from the base up. These placemats come in a range of warm and neutral colors from flax to curry, with a smidge of fringe for texture. Made from heavy-duty, Belgian linen, their soft wrinkles bring a relaxed, cozy vibe to your fall table. Not quite autumnal enough? Libeco's Jasper placemats come in even richer colors and are blended with wool for deeper texture.

2. French Ceramic Melon Pitcher, $135

Add a little touch of whimsy to your farmhouse setup with this colorful melon pitcher. It's classic enough to not stray too far from the antique and rustic influences of traditional and modern farmhouse looks while being bright enough to stand out as an eye-catching pop of color.

3. Mojave Stripe Belgian Linen Napkins, Set of 6, $210

Simple, chic, and with a perfectly worn-in look, these linen napkins scream farmhouse to us. They're feather-soft with an open-weave construction, have offset stripes (that's right, this means you can fold the napkins in different configurations without it looking off), and are made of 100 percent Belgian linen. The full Libeco collection in our Shop includes a table throw in the same pattern.

4. Margarida Everyday Recycled Glasses, Set of 6, $90+

Costa Nova’s commitment to the environment shines through in these 100 percent recycled glass goblets and tumblers. Don’t be fooled by the “everyday” in their name—their substantial, organic style fits right in on special occasions, too.

5. Friso Ceramic Dinnerware, $98+

Mix and match neutrals with this ceramic dinnerware set. Available in a crisp white, earthy sage, and soft grey, you're able to customize each table setting as you please to nail the color scheme you're dreaming up. The set is available as a full 16-piece bundle or can be bought in groups of four.

6. Beat Porcelain Dinnerware, $72+

Made in Germany from twice-fired porcelain, Seltmann Weiden's new Beat collection adds a bit of funk to your table. Its lined details are reminiscent of a vinyl album, but unlike your favorite LP, this dinnerware is highly chip- and scratch-resistant, and is safe for the oven, microwave, and dishwasher.

7. American-Made Woodstock Flatware, $48+

Brushed metal is an accent found in many farmhouse-inspired homes, so this cutlery set was an easy choice. The playful curves and matte, not-too-shiny finish dress up your dinner table without making it feel stuffy or too delicate.

8. Handcrafted Wooden Bowls, $325

Available in three different wood shades, you'll be able to find the right fit for your specific farmhouse-inspired look. The White, Ash Wood goes well with a coastal or modern farmhouse look, the Grey, Ash Wood is perfect for an industrial or traditional farmhouse look, and the exclusive-to-Food52 Ashwood shade has French farmhouse written all over it. Alternatively, if you want a salad bowl and mezzaluna combo, try this Handcrafted Mezzaluna Chopper & Salad Bowl.

9. Flower Salad Servers, $55

Designed by Selena Liu, carved from sapel wood, and then oiled. Need we say more?

10. Uashmama Essential Placemats, Set of 4, $56+

These placemats come in a large range of soft colors that will easily complement any neutral color palette, plus three shapes (Oval, Rectangle, and Square). They're crafted in Italy from waxed paper, which gives them a one-of-a-kind texture and they're easy to clean.

11. Hand-Blown Recycled Glass Cake Stand, $44

If you're serving dessert, this glass cake stand is worth a look. The low-to-the-table design keeps things streamlined, soft, and simple, while the hand-blown design and earthy, green tint is captivating enough to draw eyes (and compliments!).

12. Bee Wine Glasses, Set of 6, $71+

Now that your table linens are set, it's time to sort out the place settings. These adorable wineglasses pair modern design with French country flair, and give a nod towards nature, with Provençal bees embossed on each glass. Whether you're drinking red, white, or rosé, these are vessels to consider for any farmhouse table.

13. Handturned Wood Candle Holder, $65+

Add one last piece of flair to the table with a couple of these hand-turned wood candle holders. The clean curves, sleek profile, and balanced design have all the elements of a modernist sculpture, and the visible wood graining and light natural finishes create a warm, cozy feel—it's modern farmhouse in a nutshell, if you ask us.

14. Five Two Everyday Soft Cotton Table Runner, $45 $25+

Give a nod to traditional table settings with a cotton runner. They're made from 100 percent cotton, are available in five farmhouse-style colors, and feature a vintage-inspired hemstitched detail that adds a subtle texture to the table. (See all of our favorite Five Two products on sale now.)

15. French Ceramic Oil Cruet, $50+

Keep your go-to oil safe, sound, and displayed chicly on your table with this French oil cruet. The mix of glossy glaze and natural, textured ceramic makes it an effortless add to any farmhouse-inspired setup.

16. Aaron Probyn Rye Tumblers, Set of 2, $43+

Aaron Probyn’s Rye glassware pairs a colored-glass foot—either amber or smoke—with a clear glass vessel in four different sizes, so you can appreciate the shade of any drink.

17. Emile Henry French Butter Pot, $65

Keep your butter at room temp (perfect for spreading) with this French butter pot from Emile Henry. Available in both white and red, this small piece can make a big impact on your table design—it's a seamless blend of design and function.

18. Cabbage Sauceboat, $45

Some people might think that pieces like this belong more in a maximalist or eclectic home, but we think quirky, produce-adjacent dinnerware like a cabbageware sauceboat is a natural addition to any modern farmhouse table.

19. Blomus Nona Mini Porcelain Vases (Set of 3), $29

Add some flowers or dried blooms to your table with the help of this mini vase trio. They’re all built from matte, unglazed porcelain and were tailor-made to complement each other.

20. Food52 x Dansk Købenstyle 5-Piece Cookware Bundle in Arugula, $445 $303

If you want cookware that's pretty enough to go from the stove right to your table, you probably know about this five-piece bundle from Dansk. The lids double as trivets and the collection comes in a variety of colors, with the deep-green Arugula being the one we'd want to snag for a farmhouse-inspired table.

21. Quail Ceramics Daisy and Lucky Cat Salt & Pepper Shaker Set, $49

You might think animal-themed decor might be a little on-the-nose for a farmhouse aesthetic, but we don't necessarily agree. This salt and pepper shaker set from Quail Ceramics subtly adds a natural touch of whimsy to your table while blending in with the warm and cozy feel of farmhouse-inspired decor.

22. Terra Porcelain Dinnerware, $112+

Leaning into earth-toned decor is easy with this porcelain dinnerware set from Seltmann Weiden. Choose from individual sets of four or the full 16-piece set and five neutral and neutral-adjacent colors to build the dining set of your dreams.

23. Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron Pumpkin Casserole, $368

Want a slightly updated take on classic pumpkin cookware? Rather than the usual orange, this casserole dish from Le Creuset comes in pale blue, white, or dark green, which gives the piece a more modern feel.

24. Farmhouse Pottery Essential Wooden Kitchen Utensils, Set of 6, $85+

Serve (and prepare) your meals in style with these wooden utensils perfect for scooping, stirring, flipping, and more. The set includes a spoon, slotted spoon, ladle, turner, slotted turner, and pasta spoon, and it's available in a Beech or Walnut finish.

25. Handmade French Ceramic ’50s Pitcher, $85

This vintage-inspired pitcher is a re-issue of a 1950s design from the Manufacture de Digoin archives, making it a one-of-a-kind addition to any dining table. And thanks to the ample use of earthy tones and subtly striking designs in farmhouse-inspired aesthetics, this beauty fits right in on any farmhouse table, too.

26. Soho Tablecloth, $268

The easiest way to add some dimension to your dining table is by layering textures. Start at the base of your setup with this plaid tablecloth that's subtle enough to still serve as a grounding, neutral addition while still being eye-catching. It comes in three colors—Hunter, Goldenrod, and Red—and is made of 100 percent cotton (meaning you can toss it in the washer for a quick clean).

27. Juliska Macramé Placemats, $34

Speaking of texture, consider adding these macramé placemats to your farmhouse-inspired dining setup. They come in three earthy colors, are hand-woven from twine, and feature a scalloped rim that's dainty and elegant while still fitting in on any casual table—no special occasions required.

28. Felt Pumpkins, Set of 3, $52

Lean into the holiday season by adding this felt pumpkin trio to your table. It'll give your dining setup a festive touch without going overboard on the autumnal holiday-themed decor.

This article was updated in October 2023 with more modern farmhouse selections from our Shop.

More entertaining inspiration from Food52

• Hosting Thanksgiving? This Timeline Will Help
• 10 Dansk Pieces Made for Fall Entertaining (and Curling up at Home)
• Your Best Turkey Starts With These 10 Tools
• 28 Essentials for Setting a Modern Farmhouse Table

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How do you set your Thanksgiving table? Let us know your favorite styling tricks below!