Q.

Dear Claudia,

We normally go home to visit family for the holidays but won’t be traveling this year because of the pandemic. My mother is a pro at entertaining; however, I don’t seem to have inherited that gene. Also, my dining room’s color palette doesn’t work well with the normal red and green color scheme that I associate with the Christmas season. How can we make our holiday festivities feel extra special this year? Thanks!

Fiona in Fairfield, CT

A.

Dear Fiona,

You’re in luck! I’ve partnered with Lauren Pressley from Southern Savvy Events and Deedie Springer of Springvine Design (in the Charlotte, NC area) to show you how to transform your dining room for the holidays and set the theme for a joyous and festive occasion. Happily, we got to use my own dining room to demonstrate how it’s done!

I asked Lauren what she typically considers when planning a special event. “When hosting guests for any type of event, whether it be a simple dinner party or a holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas, I try to keep the five senses in mind. Sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Hearing is easy - keep easy listening or seasonal music playing softly throughout your home. My trick to tying the other senses together is to use menu ingredients, such as herbs or fruit, as cocktail accents, place setting details, and sometimes even adding them to the centerpiece. Most importantly though, anticipating your guests' needs or wants before they arrive is always a priority - do they have food allergies, what is their favorite variety of wine, etc... thinking these things through before they arrive will always be appreciated.”

When creating the tablescape, Lauren considered my dining room’s palette, which doesn’t necessarily support traditional Thanksgiving and winter holiday décor. Lauren utilized a cool color scheme of blues and gray to compliment the room while Deedie added pops of burgundy and magenta to the floral arrangements to reflect a holiday aesthetic. Simple but elegant black and gray plates from Heath Ceramics grounded the tablescape and kept things from feeling too “busy,” allowing the eyes a place to rest. Minimalist flatware and glassware from Crate & Barrel served the same purpose (the champagne flutes are by Lenox). Although you don’t necessarily need customized paper goods for your at-home event, beautiful menus and place cards from Viri Lovely Designs certainly made our tablescape feel extra special.

Lauren and Deedie, who often partner on events, styled my dining room two ways. The first, geared toward Thanksgiving, used deeper versions of colors already found in my dining room, giving the room a bit of moodiness and depth. For instance, plum colored, cloth napkins from Crate & Barrel echoed the lavender color found in my host chairs and drapery trim. Next, the room was transformed to celebrate the winter holidays by removing most of the colorful blooms; instead, sticking to a palette of greenery spiked with icy accents of cool blues and white. Sprigs of pine added an organic element to the chandelier. Signature cranberry, clementine, and rosemary cocktails brought a pop of color and holiday cheer to the table. Adorable ornament cake pops from Wow Factor Cakes did double duty, both adorning the plates and serving as a sweet ending to our holiday meal.

Planning your holiday meal can be a challenge for those not comfortable with entertaining. Keeping things simple and including items that can be prepped the day before (such as charcuterie trays, salads, and casseroles) can help reduce your stress levels and allow you and your guests to enjoy your celebration. Asking guests to bring a favorite holiday dish will minimize your time in the kitchen while also incorporating their treasured traditions. And if you and your guests imbibe, don’t forget a fully stocked bar cart. Include one or two pitchers of premixed cocktails to make it easy for guests to serve themselves (we also added mini-mousse cups by Amelie’s French bakery to ours). One of my closest friends, a fabulous hostess, sticks to this rule--she serves guests their first drink to get the party started and then they can help themselves to the remainder. A thoughtful but relaxed attitude towards entertaining is your best trick to help guests enjoy themselves and feel welcome.

Well Fiona, I hope that you found our holiday event planning tips helpful and that you and your loved ones have a very happy and joyous holiday season!

XOXO,

Claudia