Here's the translation:
How to Set a Beautiful Table in Ten Minutes
Receiving guests doesn't always demand hours of preparation. With a few simple gestures and a bit of method, an ordinary table becomes a considered one — ready to welcome an impromptu dinner just as well as a proper reception. Here's how to do it.
Minutes 1 to 3: the foundation
Begin with a tablecloth. Even for a casual dinner, this single gesture changes everything: it signals that the meal is a moment set apart from the rest of the day. Smooth the creases by hand. If the cloth is badly wrinkled, slip a damp tea towel over it and pass the iron quickly.
Then place the main plates, spaced about 60 cm apart so that everyone has room of their own.
Minutes 4 to 6: cutlery and glasses
To the right of the plate, the knife (blade facing the plate) and the spoon if you're serving soup. To the left, the fork. Above the plate, the dessert cutlery laid horizontally.
For the glasses, set the water glass just above the knife, slightly to the right, and the wine glass a little forward of it. No need for crystal: a fine, simple glass will do — provided it is spotless.
Minutes 7 to 8: the napkins
A cloth napkin, even simply folded, signals care. Laid flat on the plate or folded in three to the left, it's enough to lift the whole table. Avoid paper napkins whenever you can: it is one of those details that instantly changes how a table is perceived.
Minute 9: the light
A few lit candles, two or three, low or tall depending on your table. Candlelight flatters everything: faces, colours, food. If you have candlesticks, bring them out. Otherwise, plain candles in glasses work beautifully.
Minute 10: the detail that makes the difference
A small bouquet, a few branches cut from the garden, three lemons in a bowl, a split pomegranate, a sprig of rosemary laid across each napkin. It's this last gesture — almost effortless — that separates a table that has been dressed from one that has simply been laid.
A final word
Receiving well is not a matter of time, it's a matter of intention. Ten attentive minutes are worth more than a scattered hour. And your guests, without always knowing why, will feel the difference at once.