As someone who frequently hosts, and by proxy, frequently styles table settings and tablescapes, it cannot be stressed enough how impactful your table can be. Like a centerpiece on a table, your table setting acts as a centerpiece to your room. People’s eye automatically take in the table and tablescape before other, smaller details. This means, it is one of the key places to communicate your theme or color scheme.
Table setting can also act as complimentary decor to the rest of the room and home. As people pass through your home, they will take note of how you have styled your table and how it functions in the room.
Whether it’s a decor statement, for a dinner party, or your Christmas table for Christmas dinner, you want to make your table setting stand apart. This becomes even more crucial when you plan to have dinner at your table because guests will interact with the table up-close.
A Place To Bake loves to host, so if you need some tips, check out all of our hosting content including how to host a Halloween Dinner Party or Friendsgiving. If you are just at the table setting stage, keep reading!
The Key Elements of a Table Setting
A well done table setting will be both beautiful and functional. All of the elements will be spaced will and balanced. A good tablescape will also serve the theme and the table. It will either work to further the theme, serve as an interactive piece and conversation piece, or all of the above. It will also be set for your specific style dinner, formal settings for formal dinners and the like.
Tips for Table Settings and Tablescapes
Remember to consider your guests and their space, don’t create barriers for eating comfortable or form natural conversation. Work with the shape and length of the table, filling it appropriately, don’t leave too much space on a large tableland don’t overpack a smaller table. Don’t forget to consider the lighting and the time of day your meal will be occurring. Guests need enough light to comfortably eat and converse, but don’t ruin the mood with harsh lighting.
How To Set A Table
If you are staging a tablescape with decor or a centerpiece, there are a few things to consider to make sure it works well with your place settings and allows your table to remain functional.
Centerpieces should be balanced in weight and height, meaning a large piece on one end of the table, should have a something of similar size on the other end. Alternatively, one large piece in the center, like a floral arrangement, can be balanced by smaller pieces on the sides. There should also be a mix of textures and materials to provide contrast. If you prefer uniformity to contrast, consider color drenching or material drenching like leaning into reds or silver.
A paper place setting will be dependent upon what you are serving and when. However, there should always be appropriate sized plating, proper drink ware, and utensils that correspond to the meal, so don’t serve a salad course without a salad fork!
Forks are placed to the left of the plate, knives and spoons to the right. Drinkware is typically placed to the upper right of the plate. A water glass is standard and your wine glass, should you provide one, should correspond to the type of wine you are serving.
Ways To Make Your Table Setting Stand Apart
Balance out the nature with some character, lean into something unexpected like print or color, make it interactive
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1. Traditional Plaids
Try leaning into the traditional Christmas plaids as a theme for an elevated take on the warm and nostalgic print. Keep the elements to key pieces such as napkins or tablecloths so that they make the theme obvious or choose smaller details like these plaid bow napkin rings that allow the theme to show through but remain lighthearted.
2. Dark and Moody Greens and Reds
If the bright and cheery Christmas vibe isn’t for you, try out the dark and moody Christmas, or Gloomy Christmas as it has been dubbed. The color scheme allows some festive vibes but puts a spin on the traditional colors with deeper emeralds, forest greens, dark reds, and burgundy details.
3. Winter Lights
Bring the magic of Christmas lights to the dinner table with fairy lights and reflective ornaments to provide that same sense of coziness and warmth that is reminiscent of candle lights and Christmas trees glowing in the living room.
4. Bows and Cranberries Table Setting
Deep cranberry-inspired color scheme and the delicate detail of bows on each place setting. Bows are reminiscent of Christmas presents while also adding some daintiness, consider switching the colors as well.
5. A Gingerbread Christmas
Make living in the gingerbread house of your dreams a reality. Detail your table with browns and whites, or create a centerpiece using a gingerbread village. You can even create an interactive element by placing gingerbread men on each place setting for Christmas dinner. Decor and dessert, all in one.
6. A Mixed Metals Moment
Christmas metallics are perfect for those who love a bit of glitz and glam, or those who just like the sparkle associated with the holidays. Instead of choosing a staple metallic, consider mixing the metallics so you still get the quintessential Christmas metallic for some holiday glitz with a chic twist.
7. Color Drenched Christmas Table
Color drenching is incredibly popular in interior design but it’s not a novel concept and can be applied to more than just a room. Try out color drenching your table by choosing a color and loading your Christmas table with it. As you can see in the inspiration, everything from the tablecloth to the candles has a touch of red, but you can choose the color that works best for you, whether green, red, or blue!
8. Gifts for Guests
A personal favorite idea of mine is the use of gifts as decor or place cards to lean into the Christmas spirit. The gifts can be coordinated with your chosen color scheme. They can be placed as personalized gifts for guests or you can fill them with stocking stuffers. The best use? Use them as both gifts and place cards!
9. Festive Mini Wreaths
What is Christmas without a wreath? We love this detail that brings a larger motif of Christmas to the dinner table. Even better, use fresh herbs, like the rosemary in the inspiration picture, to tie in the dinner element. Accent it with seasonal berries or something glitzy like ornaments.
10. Toile and Evergreen
Create a beautiful moment of contrast inspired by nature with this design that combines Toile, or Toile de Jouy with winter evergreen plants. Toile print usually depicts pastoral scenes, or scenes in nature, that pair well with the evergreen elements. Evergreen plants can often feel sharp or hard, the softness of the toile prints creates a beautiful seasonal contrast.
11. A Nutcracker Theme
A traditional Christmas theme will rarely disappoint. So don’t stop at your tree or front porch, bring that theme all the way to the dining table. I love this classic Nutcracker theme because it is so recognizable but still really easy to put a personal spin on. Create a Nutcracker centerpiece, or show off your Nutcracker dinnerware such as these Nutcracker dinner plates or Nutcracker wine glasses.
12. French Countryside Inspired Christmas
Looking to step away from the traditional elements associated with Christmas like the bold colors and bright lights? Create a softer Christmas table inspired by the French countryside with details like vintage silverware, cotton or linen tablecloths, and inspired dinnerware. Keep the color palette simple and softer with natural elements to really push the theme.
13. Bold Stripes
If something bold speaks more to your soul than subtly, lean into it. Try out one major show-stopping element on your table like this bold red and white striped tablecloth. Keep the other elements softer and classic and allow the main piece to do all of the work.
14. A Cozy Snow Day
Create something that reminds you of a cold, but cozy snow day by adding elements of both like this table. The snowfall dinnerware is combined with icy blue chargers and a white tablecloth to recreate the snow. Then add in some cozy elements like the greenery and the low-lighting centerpiece.
15. Winter Berries
Allow nature, and more specifically, seasonal food to inspire your table in more ways than your dinner. Create elements that remind you of winter berries such as a bowl of red ornaments. Or, decorate your table with berries and florals.
16. Bells Are Ringing
Christmas bells can be much more than trinkets and are often an underutilized Christmas motif. Instead of only placing bells on door handles and garlands, place some on your dining table with gold or silver accents to match. The giant bell centerpiece in the inspiration picture is a stunning way to create a moment. The greenery also created a beautiful contrast with the metallic bells.
17. Earthy Rustic Details
The holidays are also a time of honoring the season, the harvest, and the way nature performs as a whole. If you enjoy that aspect, consider creating a table that centers around earthy, seasonal elements. Make the main element of your decor seasonal fruits and dried goods and complement those with organic materials in places such as your napkins or tablecloths.
Things To Remember
The most important thing to remember is that all of these are tools to help you best express your vision. Ultimately, you can express your Christmas creativity how you see best.
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