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5 Tips for Setting a Fresh + Simple Holiday Table

A holiday table setting in shades of grey, amber and white | This holiday season, consider simplifying your table setting with these 5 fresh styling tips! | via Yellow Brick Home

It’s a Monday Rewind! Yellow Brick Home has 12 years of archives, so from time to time, we’ll be sharing our favorites from posts past. This was originally published in December 2019. Enjoy!

When you think of hosting – for the holidays, for game night, for your monthly book club – does it make you excited? Or do you get the feeling that your to-do list just grew? Here’s the thing, I used to fall in the latter category, but over time, I can say that I’m now firmly planted in the former. Over the years, we’ve scrapped the mentality for the need to Do It All, and instead, we have potlucks. We order pizza. We make a big pot of chili or a pitcher of margaritas or lay out ten bowls with fillings for tacos. And when it comes to setting the table, we pride ourselves on casual and approachable. Fresh and simple. Which, by the way, is not to say boring or even easy – I know, but hear me out. Rather, our hope is to provide the landing pad for laughter, togetherness and those second (and third) servings. It’s a feeling, don’t you think?

A holiday table setting in shades of grey, amber and white and a Christmas tree in the background | This holiday season, consider simplifying your table setting with these 5 fresh styling tips! | via Yellow Brick Home

Small, Thoughtful Details

Today, I want to share 5 tips for setting that fresh and simple table for your favorite people this holiday. The kind of table setting that lends itself as the cozy backdrop of your conversation. Small and thoughtful details go a long way, and it’s the little things – from the physical objects to the restraint you show – that sets one table apart from another. Everything you see here is from Amazon Home and friendly enough for year-round use (minus the flocked trees, of course, but you do you!), whether it’s for a special occasion or family spaghetti night. Psst: I’ve rounded up everything for you at the bottom of this post, too!

1| Mix + Match

I started with thick, fringed placemats and sandwiched soft linen napkins between our dinnerware. Speaking of which, we paired off-white stoneware plates (similar) with honeycomb-textured clarets and smoke grey water glasses. Matte black utensils (also in brass and copper!) and amber glass candle holders (similar, in stock) bring in both contrast and warmth. All this to say: Mix, match and have fun with textures and finishes.

An overhead shot of a holiday table setting in shades of grey, amber and white | This holiday season, consider simplifying your table setting with these 5 fresh styling tips! | via Yellow Brick Home

Tip: Consider swapping in a (new) dish towel instead of a napkin! Dish towels are thicker, larger, and your guests can bring theirs home with them as a small gift.

2| Bring In Greenery

I typically stick a big vase of fresh eucalyptus in the center of our dining table, but for the holiday season, I wanted to try something more festive! As soon as I found these marble base hurricanes, I knew they’d look so sweet filled with faux snow and flocked trees. After filling my hurricanes about 1/4 full with snow, I tucked these (adorable!) miniature trees on top and then dusted in more snow. It’s a cute conversation starter, and after dinner, I knew it’d look cute on our sideboard or on a bookshelf!

Homeowner setting down a centerpiece on the holiday themed dining table | This holiday season, consider simplifying your table setting with these 5 fresh styling tips! | via Yellow Brick Home
A close up of a DIY table centerpiece made from flocked trees and a hurricane glass | This holiday season, consider simplifying your table setting with these 5 fresh styling tips! | via Yellow Brick Home

3| Skip the Place Cards

Give yourself permission to skip the place cards. Once seated, your guests will have one less thing to move, and it’s one less thing to clutter the table.

A holiday table setting in shades of grey, amber and white | This holiday season, consider simplifying your table setting with these 5 fresh styling tips! | via Yellow Brick Home

4| Add a Vintage Touch

We have a hutch in our kitchen where we display items that we find to be both beautiful and useful. One of those things is a big stack of vintage brass chargers, and I love a reason to pull them out! Maybe you’ve inherited your grandma’s wine glasses or silverware, maybe it’s your great aunt’s embroidered napkins. Whatever it is, adding a vintage or personal detail brings in a heartwarming dose of nostalgia.

A holiday table setting in shades of grey, amber and white | This holiday season, consider simplifying your table setting with these 5 fresh styling tips! | via Yellow Brick Home

5| Don’t Forget Lighting

Lighting is everything. It’s everything! Think: Taper candles, a tangle of fairy lights (like these!) and your dining room fixture set to dim. (And if you don’t have a dimmer switch, now’s the time.) For this table setting, I paired ivory tapers with our amber glass holders, and I allowed them to burn down to different heights for added interest. There’s magic in good lighting.

A holiday table setting in shades of grey, amber and white | This holiday season, consider simplifying your table setting with these 5 fresh styling tips! | via Yellow Brick Home

A Fresh + Simple Holiday Table

  1. cream dinnerware, service for 4, $44
  2. grey tonal fringe placemat, set of 6, $29
  3. slate linen table napkins, set of 4, $51
  4. smoke crystal clarets, set of 4, $60
  5. smoke rocks glasses, set of 6, $40
  6. matte black 5 piece flatware set, $54
  7. similar taper candle holder, set of 4, $18
  8. ivory taper candles, pack of 30, $29
  9. glass + marble hurricane, starts at $35
  10. fresh fallen snow, $10
  11. assorted mini pine trees, $27

What else would you add to keep things simple, attainable and stress-free? Bonus points if the items, tips and tricks can be utilized year-round!

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  • Debra12.2.19 - 9:08 AM

    So pretty!  I had been wanting black flatware to compliment my white dishes for the longest time and finally found some at IKEA that I love and my next wishlist item was black or smoke glassware, so this is serendipitous. ReplyCancel

    • Kim12.2.19 - 9:45 AM

      I’ve already enjoyed many glasses of wine out of the clarets! They feel so special, yet not too precious to use every day.ReplyCancel

  • at home with Ashley12.2.19 - 9:36 AM

    Ooh yes! This is so gorgeous, I totally want to come sit at that table. All the textures and mixed elements really make this!ReplyCancel

  • Stacy12.2.19 - 10:58 AM

    My Thanksgiving centerpiece was just a bowl full of clementines – simple, seasonal color, edible! For Christmas I’m thinking of doing the same thing, but adding whole walnuts (in the shell) and maybe some cranberries and a bit of greenery stolen from my wreath :)ReplyCancel

  • Andrea12.2.19 - 12:45 PM

    I just love this~thanks for the inspiration and the links!  Quick question…did you purchase the hurricanes in large and medium?  Thanks again and love your site.  ReplyCancel

  • Lynn12.3.19 - 10:26 AM

    this table is sooo pretty!  Love the relaxed look and yet so perfect!ReplyCancel

  • Jennie12.4.19 - 2:35 AM

    Love how you decorate the table, simple and elegant!ReplyCancel

  • Steph12.7.19 - 7:20 PM

    Love these kind of posts! Where are the wooden candle holders on the sideboard from?ReplyCancel

  • Danielle12.8.19 - 3:58 PM

    I love your centerpiece idea! So simple, so pretty. I’ve been debating buying the trees on Amazon and no surprise, the price has been slowly creeping up. But I just snagged them on sale at my local Michael’s and I can’t wait to put everything together. Thanks for the inspiration!ReplyCancel

    • Kim12.8.19 - 9:47 PM

      Ah yay, awesome!! If you make them, please tag us!ReplyCancel

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