With everything going on in the world, so many of us are finding new ways to make the holidays festive, special and meaningful, even though we may not be able to be with all of our loved ones. Here is the good news: festive holiday tabletop decor ideas have not changed! Setting a beautiful table still brings the same amount of welcome, warmth and celebration to any occasion. Maybe more so now! And with people having more time on their hands now is the perfect time to think about holiday tabletop decor ideas if you have not done so before. So, Buon Giorno! Hello and (I cannot believe I am about to say this) Happy (almost) holidays!
I am going to share a few easy tips and ideas to help you get the process started. So, let all those creative energies flow and let’s get to festive tablescaping!
Choose your palette; festive holiday decor can be anything you want it to be!
When I am creating a table in my home I really like to begin with a color palette because then from there every decision is much easier. For this blog, I am choosing photos from a recent shoot that I did with Kesh Events and Collin Pierson Photography at our Chicago restaurant, Gene & Georgetti. In fact, I was just chatting with Akeshi on the phone today and she was telling me about some major content she is working on, including an episode on thanksgiving table decor ideas that you can access here!
We wanted to go with a romantic, jewel toned winter vibe that could work easily for any holiday from thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve and I love the way this came to life. The deep red roses, leaves and dash of berries definitely add some fun texture in addition to color while those insane beautiful cappuccino colored roses soften the palette. The antique hydrangea and the pink orchids and roses bring it together so beautifully. We finished with colored taper candles (which you can easily order here), and used vessels for the floral that were a combination of teal and gold. The gold for warmth and the teal in place of traditional green because why not, right?
The linen is an easy creme velvet and as you can see in this photo below we went with simple glassware and white china (I have another table to show you below where we punch up the glassware too!). The chargers were sourced amazon believe it or not! And you can find similar versions here. Aside from the floral details, the majority of the table was a neutral color. The room were in were had a significant amount of bold color itself so we wanted to create something that was just enough pop without overwhelming. My love of winter color palettes and celebrations is a subject I have discussed before here on the blog, find more on that here.
Know your place settings – where does it all go?
Now that you have the colors set in your mind, you can begin pulling everything that you would like to see on the table. From glassware to china to flatware and everything in between, for me personally the more the merrier when you set a table. I love the grandiosity of a really full table. It just always pulls me in and begs me to sit down and enjoy it, and I really want my guests to feel that way too so I pile it up! Then, I make sure to know where everything goes! This is most important. As you can see below, we kept the setting very simple in the “informal” definition of table setting. I start from left to right: Salad fork, Dinner Fork. Charger and plates on top, then dinner knife, teaspoon (if you are using one) and finally soup spoon). We went two ways for the napkin; one under the dinner plate, and one with the napkin on top of the dinner plate. After that, the wine glass is on the right side closes to the soup spoon and the water glass is on theft next to it. It is a signature of Akeshi’s to finish the table setting with floral and I am so here for those gorgeous orchids on the plates aren’t you?
Shop in your house for fun, festive decor details
I have said this forever, and I am still saying it during COVID-19; shop in your own home to find odds, ends and details that will work on your table. Not only can this bring immense style and presence to your tabletop, but it is also a great conversation starter as many of these kinds of items have a story. Perhaps the glasses were purchased while traveling or the napkin rings were gifted by a loved one. That kind of layer adds in authenticity and heart and THAT is what truly makes any table a welcoming one! These gorgeous glasses actually belong to the mother of one of Akeshi’s team members and were the perfect addition to this table. I have discussed my love of shopping in your own home on previous holiday tabletop blogs which you can read here.
Enjoy this process, and enjoy your festive holiday table!
There is no better feeling than when loved ones walk in to the dining room, see the table come to life and their eyes light up. This is part of the magic of the holidays for me, and also part of the gift that I give them. It is truly a part of myself that I give because of how much I love what I do. Welcoming someone to a table that feels warm, fancy and fun makes my day because I see how much my loved ones enjoy it. So my last tip is to do just that; enjoy the fruits of your labor. Now that you have some tips for festive holiday decor ideas, be creative, and have so much fun at your table!
Happy decorating, amici miei! xoxo
