Holiday Tablescaping
A round-up of festive frivolities, in the nick of time
The art of curating a tablescape is the magic that exists between using what you have and creativity with florals and food. Gathering with friends and family is special—and why not make it feel that way and invite them into your world.
Gathering inspiration can come from anywhere: a color you love, a time period, a recipe. I love combining a reference with something accessible and amping it up. Lately, I’ve been inspired by art deco and its interpretations of a Bacchanale (an extravagant party and feast lasting days honoring the ancient god of wine, Bacchus) as well as French pastries and desserts from another era. Lucky for us we don’t need to pick only one.
Using food as a part of the ‘scape feels Bacchanalian, festive, and rich—urging you to indulge in the present. Creating art with florals adds a level of dynamicism, playing off softer textiles, metals of tablewares, glittering glasses and glowing candles.
Food
Food trends are skewing more opulent and refined—maybe something you’d see at Marie Antoinette’s banquet. The most spectacular kinds have been created for fashion and brand events. Blurring the lines of art, the theater of display makes me want to create a piece of it for myself.
Takes on the croquembouches, often used as a traditional French wedding cake, have been popping up. I want in. I love to see the creative iterations—or maybe it’s just a festive edible topiary. From radishes to poinsettias to cornichons. I’ve even seen one made from Dunkin’ Donut munchkins!
Chocolate mousse has recently become popular again, usually prepared and scooped from a large serving dish in French bistros. My grandmother would always make “pot de créme” for Christmas, served in individual lidded porcelain pots. I've been wanting to recreate this in the bistro style for ease and serve in stainless steel coupe glasses.
Glacé fruits with roots tracing back to the days of the Romans (perhaps at a bacchanalian feast!) have also been making a comeback. They can take weeks to create and have origins in a multitude of cultures. Fruits transformed to jewels of themselves after the harvest; it really applies an artistic lens to preservation. Now this is a prime example of a holiday treat I’d outsource, but I’d love to try making them one day. Martha, call me! Perhaps easier made are sugared fruits, perpetrators of the ‘90s faux fruit decor, but the real deal looks like a Nutcracker dream come to life.
Festive Floral
Holiday decor can easily spill into sensory overload between the decor, Christmas trees, and tableware. I find that keeping the florals to a singular species or color story can be less visually overwhelming. Alternatively, adding wildness via florals like evergreen branches adds the right amount of juxtaposition, especially with a more formal table setting. An element of tension always brings a bit of je ne sais quois.
For Thanksgiving, I dotted the table with low arrangements of deep burgundy peonies for ease of conversation, while adding a rich color and lushness to the table. Impactful and simple is often my favorite way to go.
I just visited NYC for a quick holiday weekend trip, and per usual the florals in restaurants and shops inspired me greatly. Particularly the florals at the concept store, bar, and event space Quarters and Kallmeyer—they were on the looser, wilder side which was a refreshing look, letting nature shine. I loved seeing the combination of amaryllis blooms within evergreens, which I recreated afterwards. Mixing branching evergreens with pops of color (especially a deep red or white) is a winning combo. In contrast, I spotted some sexy tropicals in fire engine red and really evoked the ‘80s and modernism in all the best ways.
Decor
I’m loving the thin, long tapers as of late, especially fun to use in conjunction with food! Whenever you’re able to tweak the proportions of a simple, everyday item it breathes new life into your look. I snagged some of these narrow taper candles from World Market for a steal. Even Jenna Lyons understands the impact of scale. This is her source for her extra long tapers (30”!!!), and they have a ton of color options. I love the French Bordeaux, espresso, and soft sage colors.
Add a little shine to your look with silver. Easily thriftable and just looks so good, especially when you have multiples. Yes, there is some elbow grease required (all good things come from a bit of work), but I recently was introduced to Weiman silver wipes and they’re game changers. Silver paired with something high and low makes for an easy party trick. Fries on a silver tray with a glass of bubbly: done and done.
We have been on a collective bow overload, but for the holidays I think they’re always in season. Tinsel or some evergreens strewn about is an easy and chic way to add a little extra to a tablescape. I even love the idea of a mini tree or evergreen branches loaded up with only tinsel. Not quite as demanding as the whole tree, but it still lets you in on the tinsel fun.
Work in multiples, outsource when you can, and use what you have. Sometimes just honing in on one idea that excites you is most impactful. Creativity comes from everywhere and from within—harness it!
This post is so good! I love that opulent tablescapes are making a comeback—it’s such a beautiful way to make gatherings feel special. Now I want to learn more about Bacchanales—thank you for the inspo! 🍷🍇🧀