Drab to Fab
Atiyolil: How to make a picture-perfect dinner table
December 28, 2011
Marc Atiyolil
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Q: I’ve always wanted to learn how to make those amazing tablescapes I see in magazines and department stores. I can never seem to get the right look. Help!
A: The holiday season is here, and while we reminisce about wonderful past holidays spent with family and friends, the hope creating new memories is in the air.
One holiday tradition is entertaining at home. Although a lot of planning and preparation is required, one must remain stress free to keep energy for the evening event. During preparations, one of the daunting tasks is decorating the table for the main event.
The menu is selected, the china is taken out of storage and culinary dishes are carefully prepared. Table decorations are unpacked only to realize that they’ve suffered one too many years of wear and tear. Relax! I have a great solution for you!
Decorating a holiday table is an expression of colour and texture, mixed with different elements. Each tablescape starts its journey with a single step, the base. The base can be a table runner or a garland. Garlands are a great way to create a fluid line across the table that can be tied into patterns on plates or chargers. They also add a sense of nature to the scape which grounds the design.
Building a tablescape can be easily achieved by following these simple steps:
Step 1: Choose a colour scheme that fits well with the room’s colour palette. Whether the space is modern or traditional, one must continue this. First, lay a silk runner in the centre of the table.
Step 2: Lay the garland over the runner in the shape of an “S.”
Step 3: Add little ornaments and small accessories to the garland. But don’t place all of the pieces so that they are clearly visible from every seat at the table. Each table guest should have a completely different view and experience.
Step 4: Throw the rules of symmetry out the window. Place both candles on one side of the arrangement as opposed to balancing them on each side. To offset the visual weight, place different candle holders on opposing ends. When decorating a table, never purchase pieces more than fourteen inches in height. Anything higher will obstruct the view of your guests from one end of the table to the next.
Step 5: Match placemat colour with the runner. For instance, add charger plates such as the beaded piece seen in the images for a more formal look.
Step 6: Place the plates and soup bowls onto the chargers.
Step 7: Place wine glasses on the top right hand corner of the place settings.
Step 8: Funnel cloth napkins through napkin rings and them on the side of the setting with the tops tucked under the bowls.
Step 9: Pour yourself a glass of wine. Listen to holiday music and enjoy!
Tip of the Week
Flea market finds make great table accessories. Old charger plates can be painted to look new again and a table runner can be created by painting and stenciling an unused straw beach mat.
Marc Atiyolil is the editor-in-chief of Canadian Home Trends: Canada’s Home Décor & Lifestyle Magazine and host of the Marc Atiyolil Show on www.MarcAtiyolil.com. To submit a question for Marc Atiyolil, visit www.CanadianHomeTrends.ca.