Have you started thinking about the holidays? Before you know it, they will be here and if you are going to be hosting friends and family during the festive season, it’s time to start thinking about the dinner table, dining room sets, and of course, how you want it to look. The presentation is important, but it’s not everything. Comfort will keep your guests happy, so gather your most comfortable dining chairs and barstools, and get to planning. When it comes to the table, remember that it doesn’t have to be fancy or cost you loads of money to make it look camera ready. A simple décor can impress your guests and it only takes a few basic items to achieve success. And don’t forget seating for the little guests, they could even have their own special table! You could put a pub table, or a smaller dining set off to the side of your main table, that way the kids still feel included. If you begin planning now, you won’t have to stress when the festivities roll around. We’ve outlined a few ideas below, to help with your planning process.
GUEST SEATING
If you’ve got a lot of family and friends heading to your house for turkey dinner or for some fun game nights, you’ll want to make sure you have enough seats for everyone invited. Dining room sets make it easy by matching your table and chairs, and then you can add extra kitchen chairs or barstools to fill in around the table. You could add some fun restaurant chairs to the mix or place a few barstools around the room to give your guests a variety of seating. It might be a good idea to have a few extra chairs in case you have some unexpected guests show up.
TABLE OPTIONS
Depending on your space, you may need a few smaller dinettes, rather than one large dining table. There are some great options for dinette tables, like metal or wood dinettes. Perhaps you could create a large table by pushing several smaller tables together…the possibilities are endless!
FOR THE LITTLE GUESTS
And let’s not forget the little guests! Creating a separate space for the kids to eat can be fun for all and it frees up more seats around the main dining table. Pub tables are a great way to add some height to the room and give the kids a feeling of inclusion. You could add some extra kitchen stools to the pub tables, including some with backs if you are concerned about them falling off the stools.
FESTIVE DÉCOR
And finally, the table décor. It can be easy to make a beautiful table if you keep it simple and elegant. Fresh flowers are a lovely way to add elegance or you could gather some pine cones from outside, along with some different colored leaves, and scatter them around the table for a fall feel. Table linens are a wonderful way to protect your dining tables and they help to add character to the presentation. Consider mixing different fabrics together, it isn’t necessary to have everything match. Get some butcher paper and crayons to cover the smaller dinette tables. Kids and adults love to color while seated and it can be a great way to keep the kids occupied while the parents enjoy their meal.
Whatever you decide, remember the most important factor is the seating. Everyone will feel included if they have a seat somewhere around the table. If you’ve got a combination of dining sets, bistro tables, and pub tables, just make sure you have the right seating for each table. And don’t forget to count yourself, it’s a common oversight of hosts to forget themselves! Starting your planning early will give you the time to make your dining table perfect for the holidays.
