Welcome to my table
When an officer from the Indian Foreign Service is posted in our embassies abroad, his job also requires him to entertain local officials and other diplomats. As a spouse, this gave me a great chance to style our tables at home at every party we had in every country that we were posted in. After all these years of entertaining and styling, I can safely say that when we Indians invite people for a meal, we spend a couple of days toiling hard to put different dishes on our tables.
Compared to all this, the time guests actually spend eating is very little. So, a good idea is to serve food on the buffet or a side table and seat people around the dining table and let them enjoy their meal. And that is when you can style your table and make it look gorgeous. The pleasure of enjoying a meal will most certainly get prolonged.
This season reminds me of a warm and cozy room, away from the bitter cold outside, filled with good food and laughter. For this table, I used a red chequered gamcha, used across India and especially Bengal; a few green spathiphyllum plants; some artificial red berries that have travelled the world with me and have lent their colour consistently on my tables; little clementines;black grapes that I found in the local market and, of course, white candles. Seeing all these together, I can smell apples and cinnamon cooking away and I can hear laughter of family and friends, and yes, Christmas carols.
Season’s Greetings
Here are some easy-to-do settings put together from various sources which can be replicated in your home without much fuss
Poinsettia Pairings: Nothing says Christmas more than poinsettias. So why not go the whole hog with just those as your centrepiece? Here, white dinnerware has been laid out on a white tablecloth which sets off the bright reds of the poinsettias beautifully. These have been placed in simple glass tumblers in a curved row all along the centre. Pale green-tinted wine glasses and tea lights in copper-toned votives add subtle hint of contrast and finish off this setting rather nicely.
Gold and Silver: Here’s a classic setting that does away with reds and greens and focusses only on the metallic tones of gold and silver. Gold-edged white dinnerware has been laid out on a wooden table which contrasts beautifully with the gold flatware and the small gilt plate on top. The centrepiece is a gorgeous display of dried leaves and branches, all of which have been painted silver. Interspersed within that are gold and silver ball-shaped Christmas tree decorations in varying sizes. The finishing touch? Small, gold- and silver-dipped macaroons strewn across the table.
Monochrome Magic: Ever thought of a black and white Christmas setting? We’re sure, not. But check out this very modern monochrome styling that’s a perfect foil for chic, contemporary homes. Here, white and black dinnerware is laid out on a pale silver-grey tablecloth. The centrepiece is made up of squat and slim black and white candles placed along a sinuous line of green ferns and black pine cones dusted with white paint. The gold-toned flatware adds a bold, contrasting touch.
(The wife of a retired diplomat, the writer is a professional artist, author and table stylist, who created this table setting especially for us)