Courteney Cox's Ideal Table 'Looks Like it Took No Effort' – Inside Her Casually Perfectionist Take on Hosting
Homes & Gardens breaks down the actress's surprising approach to hosting and tablescaping, including her favorite (and least favorite) parts
For Courteney Cox, the look of the table is just as important as the mood of the dinner party. In a recent Instagram interview for Homecourt, she explained where aesthetics and comfort come together for her.
'I want everything to look perfect and everybody to feel comfortable,' says Courteney on her approach to hosting. 'I think people being comfortable is probably the most important. I wouldn't be comfortable unless it looked all put together.'
Her take is a reminder that tabletop design is more than just design; it's a way of welcoming guests into your home.
So, what does a perfect table look like to Courteney? She explains: 'My version of perfect is something that looks like it took no effort. [I] make sure that everyone has enough to eat, enough to drink; it’s calm and relaxed.'
To create this calm sense, she leans heavily on organic materials like wood, rattan, and stone. 'I just keep going back to nature,' says Courteney. She jokes: 'Listen, I'm not somebody who wants to sleep in the woods. I'm not even a nature person, but I love the look of it. So things that feel organic is what makes something feel right to me.'
Shop H&G's Seasonal Hosting Edit
This holiday season, we're leaning into Courteney's advice and decorating with a mix of natural materials and seasonal accents. These are our editors' picks for a laid-back yet elevated look.
There's only one thing Courteney doesn't like about hosting: seating. We definitely get where she's coming from. She explains: 'I dont ever want to tell anybody that they have to sit next to somebody. I can't stand that. I don't want to be in charge of it. Sit where you want. I don't want to have to think about it.'
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Everyone has a different approach to hosting, but if the look and vibe is right for your guests, you can't go wrong.
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Sophie is a writer and News Editor on the Celebrity Style team at Homes & Gardens. She is fascinated by the intersection of design and popular culture and is particularly passionate about researching trends and interior history. She is an avid pop culture fan and has interviewed Martha Stewart and Hillary Duff.
In her free time, Sophie freelances on design news for Westport Magazine and Livingetc. She also has a newsletter, My Friend's Art, in which she covers music, culture, and fine art through a personal lens. Her fiction has appeared in Love & Squalor and The Isis Magazine.
Before joining Future, Sophie worked in editorial at Fig Linens and Home, a boutique luxury linens brand. She has an MSc from Oxford University and a BA in Creative Writing and Sociology from Sarah Lawrence College.