I’m sharing 12 Tips to Set a Beautiful Christmas Table to help you create those memories. These are the tips that I go to again and again to create a look for table whether it’s Christmas, Thanksgiving, or any other holiday.
I’m like a kid in a candy store this year because I’m using plates that are my early Xmas gift. If you’ve been following me for a while on FB or Instagram you know that I love the Richard Ginori and their Oriente Italiano line of tableware! I chose the Malachite and the Iris-colored plates. They are the epitome of chinoiserie style and beautiful craftsmanship. Every plate is hand-painted and made in Italy. I could keep gushing but lets get on to sharing those tips so you can create your own holiday table in style.
Tip No. 1- Pick your color choice
Choose between the traditional red and green or go with colors that compliment your home. More and more people are decorating their holiday table whether it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas with a color combination that compliments their home. Choosing a color is easy when you follow this rule: Stick to two coordinating colors, for added interest use different shades of these colors together on your table.
For my own table, I decided to go with a turquoise and green color scheme, and because it was Christmas and I believe this is the season where more means more, I added the color red with a goblet, velvet ribbon, and roses in the centerpiece.
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Products featured: Richard Ginori Malachite Dinner &Dessert plate | Richard Ginori Iris Dinner &Dessert plate | Gold Rimmed Charger |
Gold Bamboo Flatware | Red Champagne Flute |Green water goblet | Turquoise Dessert Coupe | Large Red Dinner Plates (used as chargers) |
Accessories: Crown Linens Napkins (Victorian-Red & Sparkle Tree) | Blue Velvet Fabric for Tablecloth | Red Velvet Ribbon | Gold Salt and Pepper Shaker (similar) |
Mini Xmas Balls | Gold peacock | Glass Candlesticks
Tip No 2- Add a Metallic to Your Color Combination
Any table especially a holiday table needs to shine with a bit of metallic, I used gold accessories like the pepper and salt shakers, a glass charger, and bamboo flatware to introduce the gold on the table. Metallics like brass, silver, copper, or rose gold are some of the popular choices that would add that pop of glimmer to your table. Here’s my easy rule when it comes to combining metallic on one table: 1.Silver/Stainless steel can easily be combined with any of the metallics mentioned above. 2. Combine 2 metallics with similar tones, for example, I would combine a dark copper with a light rose gold or gold with brass.
Tip No 3-Create a Table That Looks Collected Overtime
Add your grandma’s china with your new china. Technically I’m using new plates but the painted pattern gives a nod to Asian vintage designs. The addition of adding a Lenox Rutherford Circle Red plate as a plate charger( above), and adding the glass gold rimmed charger (below) give the settings a modern feel. Adding the new with the old adds interest but also tells a story even if you are sharing that your plates were the best of your Goodwill finds.
Tip No. 4- Pick Your Focal Point
My general rule is to ask myself where do I want the wow factor to be. Is it going to be my centerpiece or my place setting? My easy go-to rule is this, if your plates have a lot of pattern, I try to keep your florals or centerpiece accessories simple and neutral. For example, a floral centerpiece made of just greens or using cream and white flowers. A centerpiece without flowers could be a multitude of the same colored candle held in clear glass or metallic candle holders.
I wanted my plates to play a starring role on the table, but it is Christmas, an excuse to go a little bit over the top. As a designer, I can’t help but push the boundaries. I tried to restrain myself a bit by keeping most of the flowers in neutral tones of white and blush with an addition of a few red roses to add that pop of color. (photo below)
If my centerpiece were going to be my focal point, I would create one with lots of texture, color, and scale. I would stick to white plates or plates with a minimal pattern. This way my centerpiece would shine.
Tip No 5- Pick blooms that give a nod to the holiday.
Florals alone can give the nod to what the Holidays are and can sufficiently act as your only holiday decoration. Do this by picking flowers and foliage that are typically associated with the holiday. Here the typical Christmas florals were amaryllis, pepper berries, cedar, blushing bride, star of Bethlehem. The deep velvety red of the roses and the white hydrangeas were also great additions.
Tip No. 6-Add the SPECIAL!
This is the time to take out the colored goblets, ribbon, salt and pepper shakers, embroidered napkins, and other accessories to add glam to your table. Don’t forget to make your guests feel special by adding a parting gift. The photo above is also a great example of showing Tip No 3, all of these items are things that I fell in love with and found over time. I did not always know when I would use each item, but can I was excited when I saw how they all came together on this table. The peacock was a paper clip holder I found at Target, and the green goblet was from the Aerin collection from Williams Sonoma a couple of years ago. The blue coupe was a vintage find from @PenderandPeony, the gold salt pepper shakers were from West Elm and my latest find the red champagne flutes, were a recent Home Goods purchase. These items look so good next to the Richard Ginori plates!
Tip No. 7-Varying Heights Equal Visual Interest
It’s all about different heights and layers. Glasses, candlesticks, and flower arrangements look more attractive to the eye at different heights.
Tip No. 8- Use Layers to Add Interest to your Place setting
Create visual interest at your place setting by adding layers with tableware and linens. Make sure your layers make sense to your guests. We are used to seeing several plates at a place setting at a store or even in our Pinterest inspiration, that’s fine if you serve your meal in multiple courses. Even then don’t put out plates and flatware just for the sense of design but it also should coordinate with how you are going to serve your food to your guests.
My preferred way of serving my guests is buffet style, but I like the look of layering a salad plate on top of my dinner plate on the table. The wow factor of my guest walking into a table that is beautifully set is something I also love. The salad plates are typically collected from each place setting on the table, right before I tell my guests to pick up their dinner plates to serve themselves from the buffet. I stack my salad plates next to my desserts so they will ready to be used for any sweets my guests desire. Because I typically only use two plates,(salad & dinner plate) when I set the table, I tend to focus on the layers below my dinner plate, by picking beautiful chargers, placemats, and tablecloths to add interest and depth to my place setting. I use embellished napkins as the added layer on top.
Tip No. 9 Add a Bit of Your Centerpiece Florals to Your Place Setting
An easy way to give your table a cohesive look is to add an element of your floral centerpiece to your place setting. Use bits of greenery or the smaller scale flowers to decorate a plate, a name card, or even place mini flower arrangements on individual plates. Below, I used a bit of the pepper berry under a bit of red velvet ribbon to add a bit more of the color red and texture to the turquoise place setting.
Tip No. 10 Add Whimsey or a Conversation Started With Your Accessories
The holiday table is the perfect place to add accessories with a bit of whimsey or items that will become conversation starters. Take out your collections of Xmas accessories or vintage Xmas ornaments and use them on the table. It doesn’t even have to be Xmas related but if the colors coordinate the look on the table go ahead and display them or find ways to use them during the meal.
If you’ve seen some of my other tables you know my love for this gold peacock. I stated earlier that it was a paperclip holder that I found from Target. In the photo below they are doing double duty they are being used as place cards but they also hold a little gift box that every guest will be able to take home with them after the festivities. It’s fun to let people know that this inexpensive find is what adds the chinoiserie sophistication to the table.
Tip No. 11 Set an Eclectic Table
I’m so excited that the trend of setting a Table that has been collected over time is going strong. It’s ok not to have 8 of a specific tableware item. A table looks much more interesting when you set it with different but coordinating pieces. I like to play with her plates to create different looks. Go ahead and pick two coordinating place settings to set your table. You can also blend your flatware patterns, add a vintage knife with a pearl handle with stainless steel flatware and so on, the possibilities are endless. I love setting the table below in an eclectic manner.
Another idea is to use different plates with coordinating colors and patterns at each place setting as I did on my Garden Party Table. I collected blue and white plates over two years from Replacements Ltd and Goodwill to create that table. Click here to take a peek.
Tip No 12 Enjoy!
Pick a point where you tell yourself not to tweak one more thing on your table and sit down and ENJOY!
Adding the napkins tied with the poinsettia red velvet bows, added just the right amount of EXTRA when it came to the festive feel of this table.
Products featured: Richard Ginori Malachite Dinner &Dessert plate | Richard Ginori Iris Dinner &Dessert plate | Gold Rimmed Charger |
Gold Bamboo Flatware | Red Champagne Flute |Green water goblet | Turquoise Dessert Coupe | Large Red Dinner Plates (used as chargers)
Accessories: Crown Linens Napkins (Victorian-Red & Sparkle Tree) | Blue Velvet Fabric for Tablecloth | Red Velvet Ribbon | Gold Salt and Pepper Shaker (similar) |
Mini Xmas Balls | Gold peacock | Glass Candlesticks
I hope you find the 12 Tips to Set a Beautiful Christmas Table as a helpful guide you can use again and again. Thanks for letting me share my Christmas table with you! Wishing you a Happy & Healthy Holiday season from my family to yours!!