9 Top Designers Reveal How to Set the Perfect Holiday Table

Rayman Boozer

“For Thanksgiving each year, I always host my friends so I like to change up the theme. Last year I found these incredible Otomi place mats from my travels to Mexico City and I thought they matched well with my Haviland “Le Brésil” chargers. Bigger plates mean more food! I mixed in a set of Moroccan water glasses and traditional wine goblets. My choice in florals is always inspired by the colors in my Barbara Brewton painting, which sets the backdrop for my table. I also like to add in some pieces from my old store—in this case, it’s the pitchers—and a John Derian vase. Lastly, I don’t think any table is complete without candles; I source mine from Floral Society.”

Natalia Miyar

“I wanted to create a very sophisticated palette anchored with unexpected touches of black. I purchased the marbled plates in France—I love that they have a handmade, tactile, and wonderful quality. They not only inspired the nature but also the sophisticated palette for the tablescape. I really like my centerpieces to make sense with the food I serve, and there will be corn and pumpkin on the menu. I wanted these to reflect daylight moving through to the evening with the mixture of colors and textures.”

Charlotte Moss

“As someone who lives in New York, I am somewhat reluctant to push summer out of the way for fear of doing it too early, but changing leaves say fall no matter what. In an effort to keep an early-fall dinner on the light side, I mixed oranges with reds and mixed leaves with roses and berries such as Bittersweet and hypericum, to smooth the seasonal transition. Antique paisley shawls overlap as tablecloths, hand-painted faux-bois plates rest on woven chargers to balance the formality of the Elsa Peretti thumbprint tumblers and the antique silver flatware. Horn boxes and antique silver decorate the table; bronze candle globes provide the ambiance. For the menu, I start with a stilton celery soup, poussin with roasted root vegetables, butter lettuce salad, pumpkin soufflé, and Corton-Charlemagne—limitless, naturally . . . “

Ken Fulk

“We created a fun, dark Victorian-themed holiday celebration one year that was all about the tablescape. We had sequined tablecloths topped with abundant red, white, and green florals, big gothic candleabrum, cut crystal stemware, and vintage-inspired dinnerware. The menu and the cocktails were updated twists on classics—a blood orange margarita, spicy coconut shrimp—but the table and the service elevated the meal. To me, it’s always more important for the food to be delicious than thematic.”

Alex Papachristidis

“Every Thanksgiving the table changes a little bit, but I always have candles. I collect antique candlesticks, and then I have all these beautiful small portes that I buy in Paris that I have made for me by Maison Meilleur. I like to use antique and vintage things, and I love to use objects from the house as centerpieces, which I send to Sag Harbor Florist, who does my flowers. We do a traditional turkey, stuffing, creamed spinach; then there’s an entire vegan section laid out on a buffet in our breakfast room. But the dining room is always set with some of my collection of dishes, chargers, and one of the floor-length tablecloths that I’ve made.”

Shanan Campanaro, Eskayel

“Before dinner we had a cocktail hour with sparkling rosé in the living room. Since we wanted to create a more formal setting while still fitting in with the surfy vibe of our apartment, we made a custom runner with a pale flower motif and used plates from Source and Tradition with an organic shape and nice ocean-blue glaze. Napkins were made from another ocean-hued Eskayel textile, and blue candles were used with sand-speckled candleholders from Virginia Sin. We used a few berries and plants to create a fall feeling and had watercolor name cards. Finally, we hired our favorite chef, Al Di Meglio from Barano, to cook in our kitchen; he served up an assortment of fall veggies, salads, pastas, and chicken.”

Marie Flanigan

“I’m drawn to the rich colors and scents that come with the arrival of autumn and let those influence my dinner table. This was a casual affair with a few close friends, which allowed me to be a little more playful with my decor. I served figs with blue cheese and a balsamic reduction, a fresh apple and kale salad, an apple tart, and my new favorite cocktail—the Autumn Fizz! I let the menu lead the way, which inspired the table’s palette of plums, amber, and brass.”

Paloma Contreras

“I wanted to create a setting that was unexpected—rather than go with traditional Thanksgiving colors, I opted for a color palette composed of various berry hues, which feels both festive and sophisticated. While the decor didn’t specifically match the food, they worked cohesively in creating a setting that was elegant yet feels relaxed and inviting.”

CeCe Barfield Thompson

“This table setting, created for a formal family holiday dinner at my home in New York City, was largely inspired by my grandmother’s annual Thanksgiving table at her home in Amarillo, Texas. While it was very sophisticated, it was also magical to experience. The setting I created is old-world but infused with personality. I layered a Julia B. turquoise cloth under a vintage organdy table cover, then added Belgian linen place mats and napkins from my home collection. Considering the setting was so layered, I kept the flowers fairly simple, then scattered bowls of my favorite treats for guests to snack on, which also added a final layer of color. For family gatherings I like to create an elegant setting that feels special, memorable, and, of course, festive.”

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All the Ways to Refresh Your Tabletop for the Holidays

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Beloved Notting Hill brand Summerill & Bishop introduced a new collection of table linens with the dashing Scotland hotel Gleneagles that translates the destination’s Art Deco details and bucolic landscape into a beautiful print perfect for seasonal celebrations.

Photograph by Courtesy of Summerill & Bishop

Design darling Adam Charlap Hyman expanded his product offerings with a new collection of tableware with Sprezz, available November 15. Sold in three colorways and in dessert and dinner sizes, the plates feature ribbons u201cinspired by a series of prints of citrus fruits made in the 17th and early 18th centuries,u201d says the designer, who u201cloved the idea of each of the ribbons appearing as if they had been blown across a table and landed perfectly on each plate.u201d

Photograph by Courtesy of Sprezz

Add a vibrant pop of color to your tablescape with Armani Casa‘s Cool table set featuring an embroidered linen placemat, coaster, and napkin, with a matching painterly napkin ring.

Photograph by Courtesy of Armani Casa

The handfeel of London designer Richard Brendonu2019s mouth-blown glassware is second to none. These fluted tumblers nod to traditional cocktail culture but look decidedly modern on the table.

Photograph by Courtesy of Richard Brendon

The Neela gold napkin rings from Blue Pheasant have an artful sense of movement. Crafted in either brass or antiqued pewter they elegantly enhance any napkin design.

Photograph by Courtesy of Blue Pheasant

Artist Jean-Michel Othoniel translates his iconic artwork The Gold Rose, crafted in honor of the Francis Kurkdjian perfume L’Or de J’adore, for a new series of exquisite plates with Dior.

Photograph by Courtesy of Dior

Already well know for its exceptional porcelain plate designs, Pinto has teamed up with Casarialto for a debut collection of glassware. The Chance collection comes in two sizes of stemmed goblets and water glasses in three distinct colorways, each with a handpainted gold rim.

Photograph by Courtesy of Pinto

Matouk’s relationship with Schumacher has resulted in a number of stunning selections for the home. These new Granada placemats come with a cornucopia-like pattern and are available in a series of rich autumnal shades like scarlet, chestnut, and thistle.

Everyone looks better by candlelight. Northern Lightsu2019 12-inch decorative tapersu2014available in seasonal colors such as terra cotta, hunter green, graphite, and bordeauxu2014are enhanced with a painterly wash of glistening gold.

Photograph by Courtesy of Northern Lights

Embrace this unexpected take on traditional holiday colorsu2014Ginori 1735’s new Oriente Italiano collection combines the elegant shape of the longstanding Antico Doccia Ginori design with an exuberant decoration rendered in gold.

Photograph by Courtesy of Ginori 1735

Brooklyn boutique Porta curates thoughtful collections of artisan dinnerware, flatware, and service pieces. The handpainted Rayas bowls, plates, and platters take a peppermint-like pattern and elevate it with painterly stripes of maroon, purple, or navy color.

Photograph by Courtesy of Porta