Get Your Thanksgiving & Christmas Tables Ready: Holiday Tablescape Ideas

Holiday Tablescape Ideas by Charleston furniture store GDC — White table and chairs with vases of flowers, ribbons, and ornaments down the center

‘Tis the season for family, friends, and holiday dinners! Now’s the time to start planning the festivities by gathering your decorations, coming up with the menus and making your guest lists. In the past few years, people have been taking holiday tablescape ideas to new heights, bringing in all manner of chic tableware and decadent centerpieces to create picture-perfect dining experiences. Not only is it fun to create your own customized tablescape, but it adds to the ambience and the memories from the party. 

Bring the beauty of the season to your party with these holiday tablescape ideas, some of which can be used throughout the year. The combinations are limitless, so let your creativity shine!

Holiday Tablescape Ideas by Mt Pleasant furniture store GDC — assorted candles decorating the table

Glowing Candles 

Candles are a much-loved staple of tablescapes, but if you want yours to make a stronger impact, you have to think out-of-the-box. For starters, pillar candles in varying heights work beautifully as a centerpiece. They add a warm glow and take up more space than thin candlesticks, adding a very intentional and eye-catching feel. For an extra fun surprise, try incorporating a candle into each individual place setting, as we did here. Your guests won’t soon forget this very warm welcome.

Colored Glassware

Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a regular night at home, colorful glassware adds a beautiful touch to your table. You can match the color of your glassware to the tableware, or make it stand out by choosing a complementary hue. For example, this lavender wine glass adds a whimsical accent to offset the blue chinoiserie.

Holiday Tablescape Ideas by Charleston furniture store GDC  — colored glassware to compliment the patterned plates and holiday table decor
Holiday Tablescape Ideas by Mt Pleasant furniture store GDC — muted hues and natural textures like antlers, wood, and rosemary as holiday table decor

Luxe & Organic Materials 

If you are looking to create a tablescape that is more unique than red and green, focus instead on using muted hues with unique textures. Mixing raw, organic materials like wood and foliage with luxurious accents like gold or silver creates a simplistic, yet chic tablescape. Tip: Add a fresh element, like a sprig of boxwood or rosemary to adorn the napkins. These details are very easy to come by and bring an additional pop of color to your table.

A Cornucopia Harvest

As it gets closer to Thanksgiving, we’re all dreaming of the pumpkin pies, turkey, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, and cranberries that are to come. This year, add a little extra autumnal produce to your cart, including carrots, squash, cherry tomatoes on the vine, apples, artichokes, and dried corn – not to cook, but to decorate with. Keeping with the harvest theme, fill up a cornucopia with all of these fall specialties and let them spill out on the table to provide a sense of abundance.

Holiday Tablescape Ideas by Charleston furniture store GDC — a cornucopia of harvest vegetables spills out onto the table as festive holiday table decor
Holiday Tablescape Ideas by Mt Pleasant furniture store GDC — a jumble of colorful Christmas tree ornaments sit on a bed of ribbon decorating the holiday dinner table

Ornaments on the Table

Christmas is the most enchanting holiday of the year, so let your holiday table join in the magic. Bring together an assortment of ornaments, whether tiny, precious figurines, or more traditional Christmas balls along with ribbon and some large vases or candles. Place the largest items on the table first before adding the ribbons and ornaments. Coordinate your tableware and glassware for the finishing touches!


Jazz Up Your Holiday Tables at GDC

Whether you’re planning to host Thanksgiving, Christmas, or both, don’t wait until the last minute to plan your table decorations. Gathering everything you need ahead of time will save you stress during the busiest season of the year and ensure that you’ll have a truly memorable holiday table. You can find everything you need, from festive plates to holiday tablescape ideas at GDC – stop by any of our three Charleston furniture stores to get started!


Shop the Look


Lastra Holiday Sixteen-Piece Place Setting

Delight in the holiday magic as hand painted fir trees and bright cardinals drift across the fresh white canvas of each of these handcrafted pieces.

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Berry & Thread North Pole 10″ Serving Bowl

Find the elves’ village and Santa’s cottage depicted on this serving bowl with subtle scallop and berry detail along its edge.

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Forest Walk Set of 4 Dinner Plates

Found treasures from woodland rambles are artfully arranged in a coronet of wildly beautiful things – making a fine nest to frame your main course.

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Berry & Thread North Pole Set of 4 Napkins

The mythical, folkloric world of the North Pole is hand illustrated in this new holiday collection. This napkin is digitally printed on 100% cotton sateen.

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