 | ||
| Your browser is not supported. | ||
|
Please browse our site using any of the following options:
| ||
5 Steps To Creating A Scandi Style Christmas Table Setting
Bring the glacial, minimalist look of the Scandi design movement into your home this Christmas by creating a Scandi style Christmas table setting. Thanks to the unfussy nature of a Scandi Christmas table setting, you don't need a huge amount of Christmas tablescape supplies - and what you do need, you can find at Spotlight!
Here at Spotlight we have everything you need to set your Christmas dining table your way - whether you're going for a bustling, festive look or an elegant and refined design. The Scandi Christmas tablescape is one of our favourites, thanks to the flexibility you have in how many layers you put down, and the ease with which you can choose your colours. Interested in creating your own minimalist table setting for Christmas? Read on and follow our 5 steps to creating a Scandi style Christmas table setting to see how easy it is!
Quick Links
- Create A Clean Base
- Add Textured Placemats And Coasters
- Layer Clean, Polished Dinnerware
- Coordinate With Cut Glassware
- Place Elegant Decorations
1. Create A Clean Base
While many holiday tablescapes demand a festive Christmas tablecloth to work as a base, for a Scandi style table setting, you may not need one at all! If you've got a lovely wooden dining table you like the look of, we encourage you to show it off in your Christmas table setting. No matter if it's a light honey colour, a rich, warm brown or a chilly slate grey, all can be styled to suit the Scandi theme. Uncovered tables should have a table runner going down the middle if possible, just to create a clear space for decorations and add a little contrast in texture and colour.
If you'd like to use a tablecloth, choose a colour that contrasts well with the rest of the tableware you plan to use. Neutral colours like white and light grey are more commonly seen in Scandi style tablescapes, as it's easy to contrast placemats, dinnerware and decorations with these light colours. You can also make it work with bolder colours, such as our red tartan tablecloth seen in the image above. As long as your other tableware is a lighter colour, it will still suit the Scandi style. Make sure your tablecloth drapes well over the edge for a more elegant look.
2. Add Elegant Placemats And Coasters
If you have a tablecloth on your table you can skip adding Christmas placemats and coasters, as the extra layer and texture will make your Scandi Christmas table setting look too busy. But if your table is bare, then placemats and coasters give you a chance to add some interest, as well as protect your table from watermarks and spilled food!
Your choice of placemats and coasters should hinge upon two things - colour and texture. Scandi design, when used in home decor styling, often includes natural textures and materials like furs, bone and woven grasses. When it comes to placemats and coasters, look for ones made from fine woven materials in rectangular shapes - straight lines are a hallmark of Scandi style, and chunky woven placemats and coasters are more of a beachy/bohemian design. Placemats and coasters made from wood or plastic are fine as well, but ensure their colour matches your table and dinnerware, and that they aren't too overtly-patterned.
3. Layer Clean, Polished Dinnerware
When it comes to your Christmas dinnerware, look for solid colours on your plates and bowls. Bright prints and busy patterns won't suit your minimalist table setting, although a simple metallic edge or elegant engraving won't go astray here. If you are placing your dinnerware on the table at the beginning, layer your main and entree plates/bowls on top of one another, and make sure all have been polished to a shine! Ceramic dinnerware, like those made from porcelain or stoneware, is best for this.
Your cutlery should also be plain and polished to a high shine. Silver is the most common for a Scandi-style table setting, as gold is too warm. Matte black cutlery can also be suitable if black is present on the table elsewhere. A less formal dinner can see all the cutlery set to the right of your plate, while a formal table setting will require your cutlery to be set on either side of the plate, with entree forks and knives on the outside, main ones on the inside and the dessert spoon on the top.
Choose plain cloth napkins that match your placemat or tablecloth for your Christmas tablescape. Fold them into elegant rectangles and leave them on under cutlery, or gather them into a twist using a napkin ring and place them on top of the plates.
4. Coordinate With Cut Glassware
Clear glassware with elegant cut patterns is king for a Scandi-style Christmas table setting, as they exude elegance without distracting from the rest of the Christmas tablescape. Tall glass tumblers, wine glasses and champagne flutes look wonderful on a Scandi tablescape, but be sure to provide coasters if you aren't using a tablecloth for your drinkware, or use extra-large placemats so there's room for guests to place their glassware on the edge.
For a slightly more earthy Scandi table setting you can opt for stoneware-style or coloured glass tumblers. Stick to neutral colours for these like brown, grey or cream.
5. Place Elegant Decorations
It's time to add a few pops of colour and shine with some stylish Christmas table decor! Stick to the Scandi nature theme by adding a natural or faux garland down the middle of the table - you can add pinecones or hollyberry sprigs for extra texture and colour. Rosemary or holly sprigs can also be placed on top of your plate or folded napkin for an elegant touch.
Candles are another great addition to a Scandi style Christmas table setting. House small tealights in elegant candle holders or minimalist lanterns, or use free-standing pillar or taper candles for a romantic touch - keep their flames away from your garland though! Stick to cream and white candles here, as bolder colours may overwhelm when paired with the candle flame itself. For a less flammable source of light, you can twine some gold string lights through your garland instead.
Finally, add a few minimalist figures or statues down your table. Reindeer are a common sight as Scandi Christmas decorations, although traditional nutcracker figures look great as well.
Shop Christmas Table Decorations
Create Your Dream Christmas Table Setting With Spotlight
Ready to bring your Scandi table-setting ideas to life? Browse our full range of Christmas kitchen and dining supplies online, or visit your nearest Spotlight store to do your shopping in person.
For more table-setting goodness, read our blogs on everyday table setting ideas, setting the table for Christmas in July and creating a traditional Christmas table setting in 5 steps. And make sure you're getting the right products for your Christmas lunch and dinner by reading our buying guides on table linen, dinnerware and servingware.
