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A contemporary table setting for the Holidays

Vanessa Sicotte, Added 04 December 2011

Artemano, a client whom I admire for their philosophy pertaining to retail, their genuine approach and mostly the unbelievable furniture they source from Thailand and India, has asked me to give you my  tips on decorating for the Holidays in a contemporary home environment.

 

 

The Table

 

Well it all starts with the table. Choose a table with clean lines and legs that are unadorned. The sightline of a contemporary table lies in its straight planes and he light grain of a noble material such as rosewood. Finally chairs: leather is a very contemporary option, choose preferably a chair with a lower back to keep with the style.

 

 

Table covering

 

Now for what to cover your gorgeous table during your Holiday get together. What are the options? Typically we think of either a table cloth, placemats, or runner. The key thing to remember here is: the more formal the dinner, the more coverage. For a more casual and contemporary approach, I would recommend to let the table be the star and layer placemats on top of it to start the table décor.

 

 

 

Dishes

 

Life is already so busy these days that there is no reason to make your table as such. Make life easier for your guests with the necessary elements for a nice dinner, removing all excess. A big trend is to place a charger plate beneath each dinner plate in a different color than your dishes. This is the corner stone of your festive arrangement.

 

 

 

 

Cutlery

 

The biggest rule with cutlery is knives are always to the right of your plate with the serrated edge pointed inwards. Spoons are to the right of the knife and forks. If your style is contemporary forgoe the family heirloom silver cutlery and opt for a more streamlined version with clean lines and an unadorned handle.

 

 

 

 

Glasses

 

Again we make life easier for everyone with the glasses layout. Therefore, with a modern meal, you can simply have a water and a wine glass. No fuss no muss! If you need any more glasses over the course of the meal, they could be brought out as the courses are served.

 

 

 

 

Napkins

 

No if or buts… don’t put the napkins in the glasses! You run the risk of breaking your glasses, plus you are not a restaurant right? It is the holidays so go all out and use cloth napkins that can be simply laid in the middle of each plate. The color of the napkins should go with your charge plate therefore reinforcing the color scheme you are intending to put forward.

 

 

 

 

The centerpiece

 

Now that the basic have been laid down on the table assert what space you have left for the “pretty and jolly stuff”. Less is more need to be the approach to maintain the contemporary feel of the table. Think of a single Christmas tree ornament marking the place of each guest, or simple pine branches laid across the table as a long runner. Keep it simple and let your evening shine.

 

 

 

Until next time! 

Vanessa

 

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sources photos: This is Glamorous, Stylizimo, BHG, Roomzaar

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