The dinner table is one of the central spaces on Christmas Day. It’s where family and friends gather to share glad tidings and stories and is the one place you spend the majority of the day—that is until you slump through to the living room and slouch on the sofa consuming Christmas movie after movie.
Create a practical-yet-stylish space for everyone to enjoy the festivities. Here are some tips on how to create an elegant, functional space for all the family to enjoy.
Centerpiece sets the theme
Stocking everything from beautiful candles to colourful artificial flowers, which are perfect additions to any table, it’s all about starting with the centerpiece and working your way out.
The centerpiece will set the theme of your Christmas table, and adding things like candles really help create an ambiance in the room. Then you can get stuck into the decorative items like place settings, napkins, napkin rings, and crackers.
Work with what you’ve got
Many people have gorgeous dinnerware and glassware and these are things you should definitely try to incorporate into the overall look. So use what you have already.
Some centerpieces incorporate artificial flowers, peacock feathers, and branches and can stay on a dining table all year round, as these are more dramatic and have been created for that room.
There is a big range of artificial flowers in many department stores and online sites. These do not have to be Christmas themed or colours—that’s the beauty of it. One can find ruby red to white flowers and twigs and branches that can be used creatively.
Candles for an elegant feel
Candles also add an elegant feel to the table. Tall candlesticks are very slim and stylish. They add that height and so beautiful when they’re lit.
But as overboard as one may get with Christmas decorations, when it comes to the dinner table, a polished, functional finish is what’s best when hosting small or large groups.
Focus on adding height to the table, not clutter
On Christmas Day, there will be lots of food, Champagne glasses, and bottles of wine, so it is important to make your table look luxurious, but not take up too much space. You can overcomplicate and overdress a table quite easily, so be careful with the number of items you’re adding.
Focus on the place settings and adding height to the table, rather than cluttering it. Practicality wise, dress your Christmas table to look great, but for the actual day, you’ll remove the different plates and use them as you serve the food. The stacked plates are really just there to create that amazing look everyone wants to achieve for Christmas and they look great in the run-up to the big day. The idea is to achieve a functional dress table.
A bit of sparkle for your Christmas table
Adding a bit of sparkle to your table is easily done by using smaller, more intricate accessories that won’t take up too much room. It’s all about marrying everything in, or just being creative.”
Mix more traditional colours such as rich burgundies and forest greens with lighter mint greens and fresh lilacs to keep your festive table looking modern. Equally pastels such a pale pinks look great alongside metallics-mix shiny surfaces with glittery, tactile surfaces to bring a bit of Christmas sparkle.
Ultimate timeless look
Then there is the ultimate timeless Christmas look: pairing white and silver together in a stylish combination but stop it looking too cold by introducing greens and natural woods.
But perhaps the easiest way to stop your table looking too stark is to be clever with lighting-festoon bulbs hung over the table, lit strings draped along the table and a scattering of tealights amongst your settings. These will add a much-needed twinkle when night time falls.