Winter table inspiration

A bright Christmas tablecloth, or simply a beautiful piece of patterned fabric, a garland of fir branches winding down the centre and a few small candles are all it takes to make the festive dinner table catch the eye before the food even arrives. Instead of traditional white tableware, try darker shades and echo the greenery of the garland on each plate, next to the place card. This way, every guest will find not only their seat, but a little Christmas surprise too.

A New Year’s Eve calls for a table that’s dressed up a little more than usual. Pair white plates and a grey tablecloth with clear glassware, mirrored surfaces and subtle silver or gold accents. Against this backdrop, the food will sparkle as if served in an ice kingdom. To make the cool colour palette feel warmer, light a few LED lamps and arrange sprigs of eucalyptus or other greenery in vases. Then all that’s left to do is fill the glasses and count down to midnight.

Straw reminiscent of old festive traditions, woven placemats, Christmas decorations doubling as napkin rings, natural textiles and classic Christmas colours. This table seems to have everything. Well, except the guests. And they haven’t been forgotten either, not even the smallest ones. If layered herring salad doesn’t tempt them to the table, perhaps the miniature Christmas trees and toy train will.

You don’t need to bury the table under decorations to make it feel festive. Start with a calm foundation: natural wood, textiles in neutral colours and black or white tableware. Then focus on the details. Warm things up with gold-toned trays and candle holders, display miniature Christmas trees under glass domes and bring a few books to the table. They’ll add height to the display and might even spark an interesting conversation while everyone waits for dessert.

Looking for something calm but far from dull? Dress the festive table the Scandinavian way, with plenty of wood, earthy tones, beautiful tableware and coordinating textiles. There may be only a few details, but each one counts: a wrapped gift awaits every guest on their plate, tea towels take the place of disposable napkins, ceramic Christmas trees subtly echo the colours of the tableware and textiles, and sheepskins draped over the chairs invite everyone to settle in and get even more comfortable.

P.S. The more green you bring into your home, the easier it is to forget that outside, everything is grey or white.