Holiday tablescapes are some of my favourite things about the holidays! I love to decorate my dining room table seasonally and add extra touches when I’m having a dinner party or family gathering. Whether it’s a Thanksgiving table, Christmas Dinner or Hanukkah night, it’s fun to doll up the dining room.

Here I’ve styled my live-edge dining room table five different ways to help inspire your own holiday tablescapes! You’ll see that I also decorated the buffet and floating shelves in my dining room to match the same aesthetic as the table for a cohesive look. My home has an open-concept main floor which means my holiday decorations must match throughout.

One thing you’ll notice about these table setting designs is that I’ve used the same set of plates and flatware through (almost) all of the styles. My goal here is to show you that no matter how your other tastes may change year over year, the same set of classic dishes should work! Few of us have the space for yet another set of china or flatware, so I kept that in mind here.

I’ve partnered with Wayfair Canada to show you how you can create a beautiful holiday table with a mix of classic and new pieces! I’m looking forward to hearing which is your favourite!

The Farmhouse Table

In this “Farmhouse Table” Design, I chose to leave the live edge dining table exposed and add a simple table runner, green garland and black candlesticks. I added additional colour to the table with blue soup/salad bowls at each place setting.

I love the casual feel of modern farmhouse style. Guests can feel relaxed and holiday decorations can take a more subdued approach. Touches of greenery and pieces of birch add to the rustic feel. I took this theme all the way to the desert I chose – a naked layered cake with confectioners sugar!

This is the only design where I opted for different flatware; I used my great-great grandmother’s silver because I felt like it went well with the aesthetic (and I don’t have many opportunities to use it!). I felt like the casual-traditional mix here allowed for it. Whenever I can incorporate family heirlooms, I try to, especially around the holidays.

This table style is family friendly and low-fuss, which I appreciate. Once dinner is done, a wipe of the table and you’re set for playing board games…with snacks of course!

Bowls of snacks that match your table settings create a cohesive feel for the entire evening. These homemade roasted almonds are the perfect touch!

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The Traditional Christmas Dinner Table

When I think of Christmas, my mind wanders to Normal Rockwell paintings and the sounds of Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole. Classic tartans, fresh greenery and other traditional elements really make this traditional table pop!

Touches of Whimsy: In addition to the decorations on the table, I added stocking holders, a tree topper and a few other more “old time-y’ elements to the shelves over the buffet cabinet. I chose pieces made of natural wood and greenery, metal and glass to really play with texture for a true traditional feel.

Linens: I opted to layer a solid navy table runner atop the plaid tablecloth to break up the pattern a bit. I chose one of the colours that was found within the plaid that would also contrast it.

Because the linens and centrepiece are so busy, I used simple white dishes (my everyday set) and silver flatware (also my everyday pieces). The everyday can be elegant if you style it properly.

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The Hanukkah Table

Ah, The Festival of Lights! I think one of my favourite things about Hanukkah is the use of blue and silver in the decorating schemes. Blue is my favourite colour and being able to use such deep, rich hues is always exciting. It also gave me an excuse to wear this dress!

I tried to keep most of the elements simple and winter-themed. Hanukkah is an eight-night event so you want to be sure the space feels appropriate for that amount of time.

Place settings of white dishes, silver flatware, and glass dessert bowls are given a pop of on-theme colour with folded cobalt napkins.

I chose to decorate the table in a simple and elegant way. I used a white and silver table runner and accented it with cobalt blue vases in mixed sizes. I even chose wine with blue labels (this was a happy coincidence).

In lieu of the traditional Menorah, I placed a homemade rustic log centrepiece on the dining room buffet cabinet, surrounded by traditional greenery.

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The Formal Dinner Party Table

Sometimes you just feel like being fancy…or maybe you feel that way all the time!

I chose an off-white table cloth with a subtle pattern throughout to give it some depth and texture. You’ll notice the cloth doesn’t sit perfectly on the table but that is because of the live-edge! These things happen! When decorating a table I always try to opt for white linens because I like red wine and white is the easiest colour to clean (OxyClean for the win here!).

Although I love serving drinks to my guests, I’ve set up a self-serve bar on the dining room buffet behind me. I’ve also placed bottles of wine on the table itself. Although I want the party to feel upscale and elegant, I also want my guests to feel comfortable to serve themselves.

Charger Plates: I added charger plates in lieu of placemats or additional linens for each place setting. I like the contrast of the dark wood on the white fabric. Charger plates are one of my favorite ways to layer and add different textures and hues to a table. They can also be inexpensive, which is also a nice bonus. Shop some of my favorites below!

The charger plates didn’t allow much space for a centrepiece without the table feeling cluttered, but I wanted to add some extra colour. I opted for spreading glass ball tree ornaments down the centre of the table in a variety of colours and textures for that holiday pop.

I might be all dressed up, but I still want everyone (including Hattie!) to still feel right at home. There’s something about casual elegance that really speaks to me.

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The Chic, Modern,
& Minimalist Holiday Table

Sometimes simplicity is the answer. I don’t like when tables are too busy and I certainly don’t feel the need to display every piece of serving ware in my china cabinet all at once! Simple garlands and a few rustic winter-y feeling pieces and this table is set.

I like when I feel like all I need is a nice sweater and a glass of whiskey, I’m all set! This casual table stands to last for the entire holiday season – from Thanksgiving through to New Year’s Eve without feeling like it’s “too much”.

This is one of those instances when I opted to showcase the table itself. I opted for a simple runner (white with snowflakes!), simple place settings and a few seasonal accents in the space to tie it all together.

Stemless wine glasses play into the minimalist feel. Shot glasses at each place setting are inviting for after-dinner liqueurs and apéritifs!

I kept the feeling of minimalism going with this “naked” layer cake on a rustic cake stand, topped with confectioners sugar. Simple white dessert plates and silver cake server are ready to go once dinner is finished.

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Tips For Setting Your Table

#1: Dishes

Opt for simple styles when it comes to dishes. These white plates are my everyday dishes that I’ve spiffed up with a few extra pieces for the holiday looks. Here are some cost-effective sets that I love:

 

#2: Flatware

We used to have two sets of flatware – everyday and “nice”. I decided to move the everyday into our camping supplies and use the “nice” every day. I’m in my 30s, why can’t I have nice cutlery?! I kept the style simple – something that can be dressed up or down. The only exception to this for me is heirloom silver flatware, which is of course for special occasions only. Some upscale everyday options:

#3: Glassware

Again, this is something you’ll use all year long. Always go with options that fit nicely in your dishwasher because otherwise they’ll sit in the cupboard. Some great options include:

#4: Table Linens

These are my favourite thing to switch up seasonally. I’m not a tablecloth girl, but I do keep a couple around for when I want a more formal table setting. What I absolutely LOVE are table runners. They give a hint of elegance while still allowing me to show off the beauty of my live-edge dining room table. Try these:

#5: Charger Plates

As I mentioned above, charger plates add a great pop of color to your table, often with the use of your everyday dishes! Here are some of my favorites:

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This post was sponsored by Wayfair, but the designs, ideas, and opinions are all my own.