How to Create a Neutral Holiday Tablescape

I love decorating for the holidays, but I don’t love the idea of using a lot of vivid colors to do it. And I don’t think you have to either.

This year, I decided to fill my tree with ornaments in muted fall colors, and thought a simple and neutral table would go really well with it. The advantage of having a neutral tablescape is that you can use most (if not all) of it all winter long – even after Christmas. I was even able to use some of my existing décor and older holiday décor in this table setting because of how versatile this type of a color palette is.

While a neutral color palette may sound a bit boring to some of you, this one is full of warmth and coziness. I wanted a snowy winter white setting so I chose some white ceramic houses and candle holder trees with lots of candles, soft lighting, some simple green stems and metallic decorative accents to ground the entire look. To achieve this moody winter theme, I had to do a few things to get there, which I thought I’d share share with you.

So here are my top tips to achieve the neutral table setting you may have been craving this season…

Pick A Neutral Color Palette

For me, a neutral color palette means choosing colors like beige, gray, ivory, white and black. I try to use various shades of these same colors as well, but I don’t stray far unless it’s with greenery.

For this tablescape, I pretty much used white, ivory and black. If you’d like to add a tiny bit of color, I think you could get away with a limited muted color palette. But that means keeping it to 1 color and using various shades of that color for depth.

Layer on the Texture

A color palette like this can come off quite flat if you don’t add some texture and contrast to the mix. So to create that I added a mixture of metals like brass, gold and chrome in my decorative accessories, cutlery and napkin rings. I even sprinkled some white and silver ornaments (in various sizes) around the table for more texture. A beige tablecloth and linen napkins were added for softness, and rattan placemats in a natural color for another layer of texture.

Choose Neutral Dinnerware

White, black and glass dinnerware really helps keep your focus on the centerpiece rather than on the plates and glasses. I chose white dinnerware and beautiful glasses that I purchased from Stationary Fantasies a few years ago. I love the texture of the glassware, but it’s even better because it doesn’t take away from what’s happening in the center of the table.

Add Some Lights & Candles

Lighting is always a game-changer for me. Layering it in the right way in a room or on a table can completely change the mood and feel of a space. I wanted to create some height with my lighting so I added some taller candles in brass candlesticks as well as smaller candles inside the ceramic houses and trees. I also added some battery operated string lights to the base of the setting for that warm winter glow.

Add Some Simple Seasonal Greenery

To avoid creating too much drama in the center, I stayed away from vivid colors in my florals and added just a couple of faux muted berry sprigs to the mixture of pine and magnolia leaves. But the green stems definitely dominate the floral arrangement, which is what I wanted. The simple greenery in the black vase anchors the entire look, and also serves as a great backdrop to the white ceramic decorative items on the sides.

Sources (Saudi Based Shoppers): Charger, Ceramic Trees, Ornaments (West Elm Bahrain), Flatware, Napkin Rings, Bowl, Ceramic Houses (Pottery Barn Bahrain), Tablecloth, Napkins, Faux Magnolia Stem, Battery Operated LED String Lights, Vase (Pottery Barn), Christmas Tree (Home Center Bahrain – spray painted in Linen White Chalk Paint), Candleholders, Faux Pine Bundle (Pottery Barn)