Christmas Eve 2023 Scandinavian Minimalist Tablescape

 

Ice. No power. Cold. First Christmas without Dad.

This Christmas didn't turn out quite as planned due to a huge storm that knocked out our power. Even with the generator going, it was so cold in the house that we decided to cancel Christmas Dinner with family. But, I still wanted to share our table setting because it was a special one, and while very simple in styling, it was beautiful to look at and used a few unique pieces.

Dad passed away a few months ago, so I wanted this Christmas to remind of him with a nod to Scandinavian design thanks to these vintage blue Bing & Grondahl Copenhagen Chrismas plates from the '60s and '70s.

My Grandmother and Grandfather had initially purchased these, and then they were passed down to my folks and then to me. I found the plate in the top photo with the deer on Etsy, as Dad sure did love watching the deer feed on corn throughout the winter here at the house. I received the plate unharmed in time for Christmas, and it was the perfect addition to our table setting.

I'd never displayed plates on a table, but it was beautiful and special. I used basic white dishes from Pottery Barn with a simple white ribbon around the navy blue napkins. And the centerpiece wooden reindeer from Garnet Hill and the wooden candlestick holders from Crate & Barrel really finished off the look nicely. I opted for a fancier white tablecloth because it was still Christmas, and I wanted to add a bit of bling to the minimalist styling.

Overall, I'm really happy with how the table looked, even though it wasn't used. Perhaps I'll bring it all out again in a future Christmas celebration. What fun to use blues instead of the typical reds and greens, especially for a Christmas Eve dinner, which would have included a delicious Swedish feast.