Tip #1-Select Your China
When decorating a holiday table, I suggest always select the china first, before deciding on all the other table elements. This is similar in concept to designing an entire room, choose the large elements first, and this will give you much more room for expanding the design with the smaller design details. Consider mixing and matching china, I love using a mix old and new china. Vintage items, mixed with contemporary pieces will give your table a unique and personal look. Look for items with similar colors and patterns with similar scale. Try shopping at flea markets, antiques stores, or even garage sales for vintage china and unique serving pieces, this will add personality and pattern to your table. This is the time to pull out any items that were passed down from previous generations. Reproduction china will give you that vintage look, without having to hunt for each individual piece. New, inexpensive plates, and china, will modernize the entire look when pattern and scale are mixed properly. Find all of the serving pieces that you will use and be sure you have enough for each table setting.
Happy Table Decorating!
