The best conversations and memories are often had around food, more so in Filipino culture where most occasions are celebrated with feasting fare in mind. Christmastime is no exception — in fact, many of our local festivities are centered around holiday dishes and seasonal spreads. That said, it only makes sense to spend a fair amount of time decorating your dining table and overall entertainment space as it witnesses high foot traffic.
A holiday dining set-up is relatively easy to adorn — all you need are festive linens, personal elements, and the right ornaments — but it's easy to overlook especially if you're hyper-focused on what actual food you're planning to serve guests. Thankfully, there's a plethora of decorating tips in the web, and this is just another one of them.
Scroll through to find 7 simple yet highly effective styling tips that will work for any dining space or kitchen — customizable to your personal preferences, regardless of interior design style.
Dress up your table with tiny tabletop trees.
Christmas trees are a quintessential holiday décor piece, so there's really no reason to stop at one grand piece that stands in your living room. Christmas trees don't even have to be trees per se — think ceramic figurines or glass toppers.
Incorporate the iconic element in textile prints, tea light candle holders, or in the case of your dining display — foliage centerpieces, drink picks, or food containers like salt and pepper shakers.
Try an evergreen runner.
Many holiday decorations and ornaments use natural elements like leaves, branches, and wood, from Christmas trees to advent wreaths. These decorations add an organic touch that's much needed in interior spaces, and provide more texture as compared to the traditional cloth runners.
For the space where you take your meals, natural features tend to encourage better eating habits and more enjoyable experiences. Take elements of your holiday greenery to your dining set up by using a moss or garland table runner. Artificial or freshly cut, your evergreen runner must be a piece that ties your entire holiday garb together. Use the same ornaments or baubles otherwise hanging from your tree or staircase garland, and follow a similar color palette across the board.
Bring out the candles.
Candles are romantic and festive, and definitely amp the dining experience. For Christmastime, candles serve as a source of light and warmth as people feast in good food. Candles are also a fun way to incorporate holiday scents that stimulate appetite.
Adorn your dining tables with simple tea lights or colored column candles held in holiday holders, or a mix of different types and sizes to create visual texture. Just be careful when lighting wicks and be sure to keep candles far from things that catch fire like fabrics - the last thing you want is a house accident during the merry season.
Opt for an edible centerpiece.
What's a spectacular dining set-up without delicious grub? Hit two birds with one stone by serving visually appetizing food - the more festive, the better - and placing them front and center on your table. Some great examples are holiday icon-shaped breads and pastries, or main plates that utilize the classic colors of Christmas.
Using food as your centerpiece maximizes every square inch available and is extremely practical. Additionally, table cleanup is much less intensive compared to extravagant displays and ornaments.
Swap stainless steel for gold.
In an everyday setting, stainless steel works best for dining, considering its sturdy make and ubiquity. Stainless steel also matches with most materials like ceramics and china, and thus can feel too commonplace especially when decorating for festivities during the holiday season.
Gold is a great replacement for cold stainless steel, as it automatically signifies energy and opulence. Yellow gold is polished and sophisticated, and the warm metal is a perfect third color to the red and green combo. This color also pairs well with black and white for a more minimal, elegant take to festive decor, or as an accent to natural browns found in twine and rattan.
If you're feeling particularly fun and adventurous with your holiday table setting, there's nothing wrong with mixing metals and accents. At the end of the day, it's all about staying true to your individual style when you decorate your personal space.
Invest in holiday napkins.
Linen and textiles are a great way to introduce holiday cheer to your dining set-up. Placemats and runners take up majority of your table's surface, and perform double-duty as they protect your surfaces while injecting style into your spread. For a more formal experience, introduce cloth napkins into the mix.
When deciding on which napkins to display, go for a classic Christmas color palette like red, green, and gold, or try something new by pairing silvers with purple and brown. Plaids feel wintery and festive, while Christmas patterns are kitschy and more modern. If you're big on personalization, you can also choose to adorn settings with tailor-made, embroidered serviettes - something that you can even pass on as a family heirloom.
Don't forget the chairs.
Your holiday spread may be the star of the show, but don't forget that your dining chairs occupy just as much - if not more - visual space in a decorated space. Keeping your seating bare is akin to displaying a undecorated tree.
Fortunately, dressing your seating doesn't have to be overwhelming - you can start by hanging a simple garland with festive ribbon on the chairs' backrests or using themed seat covers. For dining benches, you can play with textiles like holiday throws or pillow covers.
Extra: Show everyone their seat.
If you're the resident Christmas dinner host among your family or friend group, you may want to personalize your place settings - more so if you're bringing new friends together. Make your guests feel extra special and festive by using bespoke elements like name cards or gift tags welcoming each visitor to their seat in the table.