A chic holiday tablescape

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]'m walking you through setting the perfect holiday table step-by-step. My table features white and gold accents with greenery. It's lit up by flicker candles and a pre-lit birch tree garland. If you need a guide to the basics of creating a perfect tablescape, you can check out the Functional + Fabulous: How to Create the Perfect Tablescape post to give you some tips & tricks.

I love the white & gold style for the holidays, accented with greenery. It's such a chic and sophisticated look, while still feeling festive and fun.

  the Decor

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he trick to choosing elements that work together to create a gorgeous & cohesive tablescape is to choose 2-3 colors  and pick elements that work together in that palette, with a variety of hues & textures to keep it interesting. My color picks were white, green, and gold. I chose a variety of elements with these colors in them — from greenery to textiles to dishes and accents.

You can browse each element of my tablescape via the slider below, plus catch a little commentary for what I love about each piece.

the Design Process

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]here is no perfect formula for creating a stunning tablescape, but I do have some tips and checklists to help you out. You can start with the centerpiece before you set the table with plates & silverware, but I like to set the plates first so I have a good idea of how much space I have to work with for my centerpiece.

pro tip: Work from largest to smallest elements when building your centerpiece — this helps you achieve balance and makes sure everything fits.

After the plates, I add the bigger elements of the centerpiece next — in this case my candle holders and center candle on the wood pillar. I love wax LED candles since they look real but are so much easier and less messy. Mine are vanilla scented and come with a 5-hour timer, which is a must-have. Placing larger elements lets you fit in the smaller pieces to create a cohesive look. After placing the candles, I laid the garland between them to add texture and a lighting element.

Once that was in place, I added the larger pieces of my greenery and floral elements. I used a mix of faux evergreen, boxwood, some gold berry pieces, some white floral stems, and some birch sticks with pinecones & faux ice. This mix keeps my centerpiece looking fresh, even when things outside might be brown and sleeping.

Make sure to fluff all your greenery and separate the branches to give added texture and help your faux greenery look real. Once all my greenery was in place, I turned on the garland and flicker candles on.

pro tip: If you're having trouble fluffing your greenery, google a photo of it. Seeing a picture of the plant helps you get a visual for how it grows naturally and how to make your fluffing and arrangement of it look lifelike.

Next up is the napkins & silverware. I chose napkins with a metallic accent and tassels to tie in the gold accent. I rolled them and wrapped a gold cord around the middle three times as a napkin ring. I added a faux boxwood sprig for a greenery accent and to tie into the greenery in the center.

Last I added gold silverware, which goes perfectly with my gold-rimmed plates. Gold is super on-trend for home decor right now, but the simple gold silverware is a timeless style that can work with a variety of table settings and look chic but approachable. For this table, I left the wine and water glasses off, so you could get a full view of the centerpiece and place settings.

pro tip: Walk around the entire table so you can view the centerpiece from all angles. There shouldn't be a "front" and a "back" side — it should look great from all angles.