A JOURNAL FROM REEVA SETHI HOME
The Christmas Table
How to set a Christmas table, with warm wood, linen and fresh greenery.
A Christmas table begins with the welcome. Warm wood, linen napkins, and fresh greenery give the evening its character. Set the foundations the night before, leaving time to enjoy the people arriving at your door.
Start with the surface
Bare wood, a linen cloth and a runner each set a different tone. For this look, leave the wood uncovered and run a jacquard runner down the center. Rattan placemats, round or oval, suit a table you would rather protect.
Place each setting
Allow about 24 inches of table edge for each guest. Set the charger first, then the dinner plate on top. Flatware is laid from the outside in, in the order it will be used.
Set only the utensils needed for the courses you’re serving.
- Charger, with the dinner plate on top and a salad plate above that if serving one.
- Forks to the left: salad fork outside, dinner fork inside.
- To the right: dinner knife next to the plate, blade facing in, then the spoon.
- Dessert fork and spoon laid across the top of the plate.
- Water glass above the knife, wine glass just to its right.
- Bread plate at the upper left, above the forks.
- Napkin on the plate or to the left of the forks.
The Westbury charger
Braid and buckle
The jacquard runnerThe charger
A charger frames each place and keeps the spacing even through the meal; courses are served on plates set on top. For this look, choose solid mahogany, the Westbury or the Langford, whose warm brown sits easily beside white china and greenery.
Napkins and rings
Linen napkins, folded simply and drawn through a ring. The Equestrian set is braided from tan leather and closed with a buckle and brass pin. The Ashford set has a simpler, tailored design that suits a more formal table.
A low centerpiece
Cut greenery, a few pears or clementines, and a tray to gather small things. As a practical guide, keep the centerpiece under about 12 inches so guests can see each other across the table. Leave clear space along the center or at one end for serving dishes.
Green, with a note of red
Greenery, warm wood and leather make a calm palette. A single red accent, a ribbon on each napkin or berries tucked into the greenery, brings in Christmas.
The night before
Lay the plates, flatware, glasses and napkins the evening before, and add the greenery on the day so it stays fresh. The last hour is then free for the kitchen and the door.
Create the Setting
Questions About the Christmas Table
How do you set a Christmas table?
Allow about 24 inches per guest. Place a charger or dinner plate at each seat. Forks go to the left; the knife, blade facing the plate, and the spoon go to the right, arranged from the outside in, in the order they will be used. Glasses sit above the knife, and the napkin rests on the plate or to the left of the forks. Keep the centerpiece low and leave room for serving dishes.
Which way should the knife blade face?
Toward the plate.
How tall should a Christmas centerpiece be?
As a practical guide, keep it under about 12 inches so guests can see and talk across the table. Taller arrangements work at one end of the table or on a sideboard.
Do you need charger plates for Christmas dinner?
No. A charger is optional. It frames each place and keeps the spacing even, and it can stay on the table while courses are served on top.
What colors work for a Christmas table?
Any palette works if it is consistent. Greenery, warm wood and natural linen make a calm base, and a single red accent, such as a ribbon on each napkin or berries in the greenery, brings in Christmas.
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