How Do You Decorate a Dining Room Table for Christmas?

Decorate a dining room table for Christmas by building a low central arrangement along the length of the table, keeping everything below eye level, then layering in candlelight, textiles and a small detail at each place setting. Work with three or four elements at most: greenery, candles, tableware and one accent material such as brass, glass or ceramic. Anything taller than about 30cm at the centre should be slim enough to see past.

The single most useful principle is that a Christmas table has to work as a table first. It has to hold plates, dishes and glasses for two or three hours while people eat. Decoration that has to be moved to serve the food was never really decoration; it was an obstacle.

Start With the Centre Line

The middle of the table is where the scheme lives, and the best approach is linear rather than a single central object. A run of greenery down the centre, three or five small vessels spaced along it, or a low tray arrangement all give the table a spine to build around.

Keep the height low. Below 25cm to 30cm means nobody has to look around it, and the conversation across the table stays open. If you want height, use taper candles: they are slim enough that the eye passes them.

Leave the two widest points of the table free of decoration so there is somewhere to set down a platter. On a rectangular table that means keeping the mid points of each long side clear. On a round table, keep an outer ring free.

A garland of eucalyptus, fir or bay laid directly on the table is the simplest version of this and still one of the most effective. Real greenery brings scent, which artificial arrangements cannot, and it costs very little if you cut from the garden.

Candlelight and How to Use It

Candles do more for a Christmas table than any other single element, because they change the quality of the light rather than just adding an object.

Mix heights and types rather than lining up identical candles. A few pillar candles in glass holders along the centre, with two or three tapers in low brass or ceramic holders set slightly off the centre line, gives depth without clutter. Staggering them rather than pairing them symmetrically looks more relaxed.

Use unscented candles on a dining table. Scented candles compete with the food, and at close range they can be overpowering during a long meal. Save the scented ones for the sideboard or the hall.

Glass holders protect the table from wax and from heat, which matters on a timber or high gloss surface. If you are using open tapers, place a mat or a tray beneath them.

Overhead lighting should be dimmed to let the candles do the work. If your dining pendant is not on a dimmer, a lower wattage warm bulb for the festive period is a small change that makes a real difference. Our range of modern ceiling and chandelier lights UK sale includes fittings suited to dining rooms if the existing light is too bright for the occasion.

Textiles and Layers

Fabric softens a table and gives the decoration something to sit on. A full cloth is traditional and works well on a table you would rather cover. If the table surface is a feature in itself, a runner down the centre is the better choice, and it also gives the greenery a defined base.

Linen suits a calm scheme. It creases, but the creasing reads as relaxed rather than untidy, which is not true of most synthetics.

Napkins are worth the effort. Fabric napkins in a colour that picks up one element of the scheme, folded simply and either laid on the plate or to the left of the forks, immediately lift the table. Avoid elaborate folds, which look fussy alongside natural greenery.

Placemats define each cover and protect the surface from hot plates. On a table with a runner, mats on either side of the runner keep the geometry clear.

Choosing a Restrained Palette

A Christmas table looks considered when the colours are limited. Pick a base and two accents and stay with them.

Deep green with cream and brass is a reliable combination that reads festive without shouting. Green comes from the greenery, cream from the linen and china, brass from candle holders and cutlery.

White with silver and glass suits a modern room and a high gloss or glass table particularly well, since it plays to the reflective surface. Add texture through the linen and the greenery so it does not feel cold.

Warm neutrals with terracotta or rust suit a timber table and feel more autumnal, which works well for a long festive season rather than one day.

Whichever palette you choose, let the food be the brightest thing on the table. A scheme that competes with the meal is working against itself.

Place Settings and Small Details

One small detail at each place setting does more than a lot of scattered decoration. A sprig of rosemary or a single bay leaf tucked into the napkin, a small ceramic dish, or a name card in a simple holder all serve the same purpose: they say the table was laid with care.

Keep it edible or natural where you can. Herbs, a small clementine, a cinnamon stick tied with twine. These sit well alongside food and can be cleared away without ceremony.

Resist the urge to add crackers, favours, place cards, a sprig and a small gift all at once. Choose one or two.

Charger plates under the main plate add a layer of formality if that suits your household. They also take up a good deal of table depth, so check your table width before committing: on an 80cm table, chargers on both sides leave nothing in the middle.

Working With Your Table Surface

Different table materials suit different treatments, and it is worth playing to what you have.

A solid timber table looks best with the surface partly visible. A runner rather than a full cloth, natural greenery, and warm metals all sit well against wood grain. Protect it properly: mats under everything hot, glass holders under candles. Our modern wooden dining tables UK sale covers oak and walnut finishes that take this sort of styling well.

A glass table reflects candlelight beautifully, which is its great advantage in December. Keep the underside in mind though, since everything below the top is visible. Fingerprints show, so a final polish just before guests arrive is worth the two minutes. Have a look at our glass dining tables UK sale if this appeals.

Marble and stone tops need no help at all. A simple runner and low greenery is usually enough, since the surface is already the feature.

High gloss tops behave like glass in reflecting light, but they scratch more easily, so felt backed candle holders and mats are essential.

The Room Around the Table

A well dressed table in an undecorated room looks isolated. A few touches beyond the table tie it together without much effort.

The sideboard is the obvious place to extend the scheme, and it is also where the serving dishes, the wine and the pudding will end up. Keep its decoration minimal for that reason: a small arrangement at one end, a candle or two, and the rest of the surface clear. Our modern sideboards UK sale includes designs with the surface depth to handle both jobs.

Chair backs can carry a small detail, a length of ribbon or a single sprig, but only on the two end chairs. On every chair it becomes a lot.

Finally, think about how the room looks when the candles are lit and the overhead light is down. That is the state it will be in for most of the meal, and it is worth checking in advance rather than discovering that half the table is in shadow. For ideas across the whole dining room, browse the collections at Furniture in Fashion.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you decorate a Christmas table without blocking the view?

Keep everything below 25cm to 30cm at the centre, and use a long low arrangement rather than one tall centrepiece. Taper candles are the exception, since they are slim enough to see past.

What goes in the middle of a Christmas dining table?

A linear arrangement works best: a garland of greenery, a run of small vessels, or a low tray. Leave the widest points of the table clear so serving dishes have somewhere to land.

Should you use a tablecloth for Christmas dinner?

Only if you would rather cover the table. If the surface is timber, glass or marble, a runner down the centre with placemats at each cover looks better and still gives you the softness of fabric.

How many candles should be on a dining table?

Enough to light the table without crowding it. On a six seater, three or four pillar candles plus two or three tapers is plenty. Use unscented candles so they do not compete with the food.

What colours work best for a Christmas table setting?

A limited palette of a base and two accents. Deep green with cream and brass, white with silver and glass, or warm neutrals with rust all work. Let the food be the brightest element on the table.