A centrepiece that’s off-centre or too big for the table can make everything look slightly untidy, even if nothing else is actually messy.
When you place a runner, tray, vase or bowl aligned neatly along the centre line of the table—matching its proportions—it creates visual order. Chairs look more balanced around it, and the whole setting feels thought through.
It’s a tiny alignment detail, but our brains are very sensitive to such things. That little bit of symmetry calms the look.
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