It's early December — time for making lists, decorating homes, planning celebrations and having visions of sugarplums dance in our heads! For me December always includes setting holiday tables! Even before a single tree is put up, or garlands, wreaths, ornaments and figurines are unpacked, the dining room is decked out for Christmas.
I'm excited to share my cozy, bright and classic holiday table with you today in a Christmas blog hop hosted by Rita of Panoply for eighteen designers to share their tablescapes. (The links to all are located at the bottom of this post.)
Setting a table can begin in all sorts of ways. This year I wanted a cozy table that would adapt to either a late lunch or a dinner and I knew the cozy warmth of plaid linens would make the perfect base. I love this runner and matching napkins in a bold red with green, black and white accents! You may remember seeing it in A Merry Plaid Christmas. Dinner plates are a compatible plaid in a smaller scale.
Bright components came together easily. The plaid linens are themselves bright, not at all muted. The gold chargers nearly match the brilliance of the sunshine on the only day I could take photos! The white base color of the salad plates is set off by the rim design of green trees and red and black grenadiers. I love the red and gold lines that encircle their center!
Classic is evinced by the more traditional style of the salad plates, the flatware's composition and design, and the repetition of elements around the table.
Though the napkins are simply folded, they are encased by green damask ones covered in holly leaves that allow the plaid edges to show. Damask on top of plaid adds delightful visual and physical texture. Depending on what the final menu turns out to be they may both be needed!!
Lovely goblets that I have not yet identified are a nice quality glass and are generously sized for either wine or water. They are one of my favorites to use because of their versatility. Here they tie together the various other greens on the table.
On a whim I've added silver knife rests shaped like galloping horses that I bought several years ago but have never included in a tablescape. They strike me as Art Deco in spirit if not in age. If you were to visit my home, you'd see horses represented in all sorts of ways throughout.
Alongside the goblets are mid-century champagne glasses encircled by etched windswept leaves. I love their glamour and their delicacy!
The center of the table is laid simply, with a crystal vase of red amaryllis, white chrysanthemums and pine and magnolia greenery. All faux at the moment. (And yes, those are pieces of artwork of horses on the wall. They're done in a Eurasian steppe style.)
Flanking the vase are two black lanterns dressed with evergreen pieces and tiny sisal birds.
These little clip-on ornaments have alighted on several tables, trays and vignettes over the years. They can be counted on for generating smiles.
For a dinner setting, I've styled the buffet with crystal candlesticks and greenery. The coffee and tea set have moved back into the dining room from the living room coffee table.
The pillar candles within the lanterns cast abundant light which scatters off the crystal, china and silver.
I like the table even better at night!
Thanks so much for joining me today! I'm sure you'll enjoy exploring each of the table designs gathered below for more inspiration for your holiday table!
Debbee's Buzz - Unique Holiday Peacock Theme Tablescape
Home Is Where the Boat Is - 'Tis the Season for Plaid and Peppermint
Panoply - Nutcracker Classic Christmas Tablescape (our host!)
Everyday Living - Old Time Christmas
My Thrift Store Addiction - Enchanted Forest Christmas Tablescape
Thrifting Wonderland - A Hunt Breakfast Christmas Tablescape
Hyacinths for the Soul - Christmas Joy
From My Carolina Home - Vintage Christmas Tablescape
The Painted Apron - December Birthday Celebration
The Little Yellow Corner Store - A Candy Land Breakfast
Life and Linda - Plaid Tidings with Santa
Pandora's Box - Where the Treetops Glisten
Celebrate and Decorate - A
Christmas Tablescape Wrapped Up for the Holiday
Me and My Captain - Snow Was Falling Gently on the Streets
Corner of Plaid and Paisley - Dreaming of a Christmas White and Sweet
Dinner at Eight - Cozy, Bright and Classic - A Holiday Table (you are here!)
Red Cottage Chronicles - Cranberry and Gold Christmas Tablescape
The Bookish Dilettante - Christmas Sweets
Happy Holidays!
Table details
Plaid linens | Sur la Table
Dinner plate | Williams Sonoma 'Classic Tartan'
Salad plate | Bernardaud 'Grenadiers'
Silverware | Reed & Barton 'Eighteenth Century'
Champagne glass | Libbey Glass Company 'Windswept' c. 1962
For more holiday inspiration visit a few of my other Christmas tables!
I love your table scape. Very very pretty
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rosemary!
DeleteSandra, your beautiful seasonal floral arrangement sets the perfect tone for your table. The flanking lanterns bring to mind snowy evenings with just the light from a lantern showing the way home. Love the plaid runner that pulls all the colors together. The grenadier plates are quite wonderful and nostalgic...perfect for a traditional table setting. Lovely to visit with you today. Happy Holidays!
ReplyDeleteLynne
Thank you, Lynne, for your gracious comments! Wishing you a very merry Christmas!
DeleteYour flatware is stunning and I love your crystal vase with the festive flowers. This is such a traditional setting and it brings back many memories of tables my Mom would set. I also like the use of lanterns on the table. I would be happy as a guest here!! Enjoy the holiday season
ReplyDeletePatti, thank you for your sweet comments! Making guests feel welcome is one of my goals.
DeleteLove those gold chargers, and your plate stack. The idea of double napkins is fun, and I love the glassware! Pretty table!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carole! Pulling well-loved items together makes for (almost) effortless tables!
Deletehi Sandra, your table is beautiful, and I love the gold, red, green and black color palette, so elegant! I am crazy about your nutcracker plates, so perfect! The way you did the napkins is simple yet dramatic and different. Everything looks especially beautiful at night with the candles and lights. The green stemware is lovely, I can see why it's one of your favorites for tablescaping. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season!
ReplyDeleteJenna
Thanks so much, Jenna, for all your lovely comments! I was excited that the evening photos turned out so well!
DeleteThanks for posting photos of your table at night, too. I love the lanterns! Your table is so elegant: I love the pretty dessert plates and the sweet little clip on bird ornaments. I also love the green stemware! It's beautiful! I'm also linking over to your other Christmas tablescape posts; they all look pretty, too.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ricki! The birds were added at the last moment, but I loved their bit of whimsy.
DeleteSandra, I have always loved those toy shoulder decorated plates, and been tempted to go online searching for them! They look wonderful in your plate stack and with the plaid linens. The color palette is both elegant and festive. Love all the other details, especially the stemware and candles. Wishing you a most happy holiday season!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Debbee, for your delightful comments! I owe my plates to my husband who gallantly went searching for them when I said how much I loved them.
DeleteSandra, love your plaid Christmas table. The grenadier plates are lovely. Using double napkins also adds interest to our tables. Love the soft glow of candlelight. The lanterns are a great look on your table. Beautiful crystal always shines. It is lovely to see your dining room. It looks fantastic in blue. always a pleasure joining you. Merry Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Linda! I had tried several napkin rings but nothing seemed to mesh with the plaid napkins -- I'm glad because then I looked at the napkins in a different (and better!) way.
DeleteSandra, so warm and cozy! There is something so classy about plaid that incorporates black in its design. I love your choice of a plaid runner with the bold and stunning floral centerpiece and black lanterns. Something about it makes me also think of Christmas time in the past, perhaps when there was no electricity and candlelight from lanterns made the room aglow. Very much like your beautiful evening pictures. It makes for a room filled with warmth and serenity. I love your horse knife rest. It is unique and playful and also takes me to another place and time in history. A very stately Christmas tablescape. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! I love the drama that black can bring to a table. I scooped the lanterns up from their usual place next to the fireplace.
DeleteSandra, your table is beautiful! Overall, it reads softer Christmas colors to me, but I love the pops of "brightness" in your plaid linens and flowers. Love the double napkins - what a great way to show them! The salad plates are gorgeous! The table is so pretty at night too and I'm sure any guest would be delighted to have a seat at your lovely table. Wishing you a happy holiday season!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kim, for all your comments! I was really pleased with the nighttime photos -- I hadn't used pillar candles on a table for a while and loved the light they added.
DeleteSandra, I love your classic and elegant table. I have always loved the Bernardaud pattern and it pairs beautifully with the tartan dinner plate. I am a big fan of plaids, it is timeless to me. The marrying of the napkins is perfect and I am making a mental note of it. The night view is magical! Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Pam! I loved the way the two different plaids referenced each other, and added a bold touch to the understated plates.
DeleteSandra,
ReplyDeleteJust beautiful!! I love the plaid and so glad to see it is back in style this year!! This tablescape looks so lovely against your gorgeous colored walls!! Thanks for sharing!!
Hugs,
Deb
Thanks, Debbie! I hope plaids never go out of style!
DeleteSandra, your plaid runner is so festive and your fresh flowers are lovely! Wishing you a joyous Christmas season!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cecilia! Hope you have a very merry Christmas!
DeleteSandra, I love seeing your table in the daylight and in the evening…such a dramatic change with the cozy lights of your lanterns which really makes your crystal and silver sparkle! I have long admired Grenadiers by Bernardaud…love those little soldiers and I’m mad about plaid in your runner, napkins and plates! As always, it’s a treat to join you at the table and hop with you. Wishing you a Merry December and Christmas❣️🎄
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Mary! I really liked the evening photos -- and was surprised how strong the candlelight was considering there was light coming in from the adjoining rooms. Plaids always seem to add an extra layer of coziness during the holidays. Hope you have wonderful holidays!
DeleteGreat job Sandra....you have succeeded in making your table cozy, bright and classic! The whole table makes one feel cozy. The lanterns and candles and flowers are bright. The plate stack is so classic. Plaid is always good at Christmas and remains timeless. One can never go wrong with plaid and the table runner immediately caught my eye. It is always a pleasure to table hop with you. Have a very Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kari! I'm pleased you enjoyed the table. We hit a bit of a dreary spell with incessant rain or overcast skies, so cozy seemed particularly appealing!
DeleteSandra, your table is a classic of timeless pieces. Of course, I love the plaid- always a favorite!! Your dark walls lend a hand in making this such a cozy, warm and inviting space to spend a cold winter evening. Very pretty with the lanterns lit!! I hope you have a peaceful Christmas 🕊
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ann, for your generous comments! I particularly loved the effect the candles had. Have a very merry Christmas!
DeleteSandra, your dining room is such a pretty space. I love the blue walls. It's very dramatic and romantic. Have to say, I like a traditional table. The tartan is a win/win for me. I'd love to dine at this table. Happy Holidays!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sarah! I think the fall and winter holidays lend themselves to traditional trappings for the warm feelings they engender. Have a very merry Christmas!
DeleteSandra, I love the classic appeal of the tartan on the table with the plate stack featuring the grenadiers. The knife rest do look Art Deco, a favorite style era for me. Beautiful glassware and candlelight easily takes your tablescape from lunch to dinner. Thank you for bringing your style to the blog hops and I wish you a happy and healthy holiday season!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rita! I bought the knife rests on a whim from an antique dealer out of Charleston. I never owned any before but I just loved their spirited style. Wishing you a very merry Christmas!
DeleteSandra, Your table is just right for the holidays! I always love seeing plaid used this time of year! Your combination of plates and the charger complement one another so perfectly! Those salad plates are beautiful! Using the pair of napkins was a great idea and looks charming next to each place setting. I especially like that you included the nighttime photos with the soft glow of the candles! That is how I would like to sit down and enjoy this lovely table! Merry Christmas to you and your family!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Chloe! There's something about plaid that just seems especially appealing at holiday time. I love all the color and pattern combinations that can be found in plaids. Wishing you a very merry Christmas!
DeleteSandra, your dining table looks so festive! I love the layering of plates you did. It brings in so many colors and textures. Great job. Thank you for sharing on the Home Imagined party. I hope you have a lovely week and a Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Meagan! I love combining compatible but not similar plates to make my tables more interesting and memorable. Hope you have a very merry Christmas!
DeleteThe colors you chose are gorgeous! I'm featuring you this week at the #HomeMattersParty. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Allyson! I'm honored that I would be chosen as one of your features!
DeleteLovely table, Sandra. I now want to try a double napkin fold :) The horse knife rest is fab. You should use them more often. I would feel like a queen to sit down for a meal at your table.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Hugs
Rachelle
Thanks, Rachelle, for your sweet comments! This is the first time I've ever used a knife rest -- and I really liked the result! Wishing you a very merry Christmas!
DeleteLovely table, Sandra. I now want to try a double napkin fold :) The horse knife rest is fab. You should use them more often. I would feel like a queen to sit down for a meal at your table.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Hugs
Very pretty! I love the traditional vibe and the plaid of course! Thanks for sharing at All About Home. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Amber! Wishing you a very merry Christmas!
Delete