As we prepare to celebrate the holidays with family and friends, I find that my guests are always delighted when we gather around a thoughtfully decorated table. It can be casual or formal, tailored or extravagant, depending on your personal style. Start with what you already have (furnishings, dishes, glassware, etc.) and build around it.
If you are having guests stay for a few days, you may want to decorate the kitchen table, where casual meals will be shared during their visit. In fact, this simple decoration can be left during the entire holiday season, as it is out of the way, at the far end of the table. The greens and berries are artificial, so no worries about dry pine needles. For this design, I started with my clients’ everyday dishes. The colors worked perfectly with some plaid fabric that I had, which I draped across the table at an angle. The Santa with a blue robe worked well, too, adding an interesting focal point.
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Mimosas
Spinach, feta cheese and mushroom omelet
Skillet potatoes
Bacon
Honeydew and canteloupe
Streusal coffee cake
Coffee and tea
Since this home is so light and open, I wanted to keep that feeling with the table, too. I used the clients’ china, glasses and silver, while adding these majestic angels. The color palette is mostly neutral so I focused on repetition of textures - crystal (chandelier, mirror, hurricane candle holders, wine glasses, napkin rings), dark teal and green (in china and florals), white (china, napkins, candles, berries) and gold sparkles (angels and gold berries in floral arrangement on side chest).
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Coffee-rubbed pork tenderloin
Potatoes au gratin
Maple-glazed carrots
Broccoli
Black Forest cake with vanilla ice cream
Cranberry Cup (cranberry juice, orange rind, star anise, ginger ale)
Imagine that you have an early evening event, say a church service or concert, that you planned to attend with friends. Afterwards, you invite them to your home to share a light buffet. They will be delighted with the sight of a rich-looking buffet such as this! The existing mahogany buffet is a beautiful piece on which to spread an elegant satin runner. I used the client’s cut crystal cake plate and aperitif glasses, as well as her china and silver. The antique papier mache Santas are family heirlooms, standing center under an original oil painting by the client’s grandmother. The food, with its varies colors and textures, became an integral part of the tablescape. Featured is a custom chees plate by le cracker.
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Crostini with smoked salmon, chevre and capers
le cracker cheese tray with fruit and nuts
Flourless chocolate cake
Benedictine and brandy
Coffee and tea
For this simple tablescape, I was inspired by the black and white checked chargers. Black and white with red and green go together very well for a holiday table! Red plates echo the holly berries and red tray on the buffet, while the green tumblers repeat the leaves in the centerpiece and on the tray. The off-white napkins are held by “rings” that I created for an old tablescape. They are merely black satin ribbons, hot glued together with small brass lock plates. A single pillar candle in a crackled glass hurricane gives a warm welcome to this casual, intimate table setting.
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Baked ham
Twice-baked potatoes
Roasted Brussels sprouts
Corn bread
Sauvignon Blanc
Pumpkin roll with cream cheese filling
Cappuccino
My clients’ French Empire furniture and Bernadaud china were the starting point for this holiday tablescape. Nothing casual here - I wanted to show everything in its formal glory! The principle colors in the china are white, amber and gold with black edging; then, in a surprising departure, the centers of the plates have an image of a blue sky with clouds. I pulled out the white color and repeated it in the flowers, candles and napkins. The floral centerpiece includes elegant roses and freesias as well as berries and seasonal greens, which I set in a lovely porcelain footed bowl that belonged to my client’s beloved aunt. Silver candelabra create a majestic height to the table setting. The napkin rings have sparkly jewels to which I added light blue, a nod to the blue sky and clouds in the china. Then I added a Santa, dressed in a sparkling gold robe.
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Standing rib roast
Yorkshire pudding
Asparagus with Hollandaise sauce
Pommes Dauphin
Frizee salad with lemon-Dijon vinaigrette
Cabernet Sauvignon
Oeufs a la Neige (meringue on custard)
Ice wine
I hope that you have enjoyed these holiday tablescapes as much as I enjoyed creating them. I also hope that you will create your own. Just start with what you have and build around it!
I would love to see photos of your tablescapes, too! Please share them with me at kimcarroll13@gmail.com! Happy Holidays!