5 TRICKS TO STYLE A WINTER TABLE
Creating the right ambience for entertaining during winter means embracing comforting and inviting styling.
If there’s any time of year I love to style a table for, it’s winter. Of course, we’re in the entertaining season, so there’s plenty of reason to want to create a festive (if not Christmassy) tablescape - but how do you create the right feel for these months where you want a more indulgent yet welcoming ambience.
I’ve recently been sent one of WoodWick’s new winter fragrances, Evergreen Cashmere, so it was the perfect excuse to style up a comforting winter table set-up, and this is how I set the tone.
Use dinner candles for height
Gloomy days and dark evenings calls for candles in winter more than any other time, so it’s time to bust out the dinner candles. This is a great way to add some height, without introducing something that’s going to block guests from seeing each other across the table.
My top tip for arranging them? Avoid symmetrical layouts, and create a more casual feel with a more irregular set-up, while trying to achieve balance across the scheme using your other elements.
2. And scented candles for fragrance
Candles aren’t just about creating extra light for ambience, the best ones introduce a fragrance that sets the tone, too. Evergreen Cashmere is a fragrance that does just that for a winter set-up, balancing the freshness of pine, with a earthy, comforting headiness that comes with cashmere, spice and sandalwood. It’s just the right balance for what you want to achieve at a dinner party at this time of year. Plus, if you choose a WoodWick candle with a PlusWick, you also get that beautiful crackle that really adds to the feel of an evening.
3. Create a centrepiece with seasonal produce
I’m always an advocate for a centrepiece for a dinner table, but rather than some intricate candelabra, I love using seasonal fruits to bring some colour and atmosphere. For this table, they bring a warm counterbalance, and I love the rich, rosy tones of fruit that we associate more with the winter months.
4. Use seasonal foliage
My favourite flowers tend to be scarce at this time of year, which is why I’m always down for a responsibly-foraged foliage centrepiece for winter styling. Pine branches with bold and dramatic sweeps can be hung over a table, and will help contribute to your dinner party’s ‘scentscape’.
5. Make textiles layered and welcoming
A neatly folded napkin is fine, but it lacks drama. I love to style a table slightly more informally for that real welcoming look, and using textiles to drape and cascade. It’s the touch that can really elevate a table in my opinion.