The House of Bohn creative director on how to design a vintage-inspired holiday table.

The Update: I love creating holiday tables that are very “un-traditional” and unexpected! With the revival of everything vintage, including the ’80s and ’90s, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to take inspiration from those decades. Deep emerald green was big in the 1990s, and emerald green is a perfect twist on the classic forest holiday colour. By mixing shades of dusty rose (1980s) and burgundy, and throwing in some wood tones (1970s), this table feels incredibly modern with a distinct vintage flair.—Karin Bohn, interior designer, House of Bohn, Vancouver

How to Get the Look

1. I love flower arrangements that aren’t too perfect and that feel a little more effortless. These gorgeous loose arrangements by Celsia Florist combine all of our tabletop colours and create a really polished tablescape that feels relaxed but still incredibly elegant.

2. Metal is one of my favourite materials to use in decor. I love mixing metals, and for this tablescape we paired different tones of gold and rose gold to create a beautiful holiday sparkle.

3. Wood is a great accent material. Incorporating some wood into the place settings helps the table feel a little more casual because wood is natural and elegant without being overly glamorous or stuffy. The wood bowls reference forests and tree trunks, so they’re a nice touch for a Christmas table.

4. Add unexpected colour! In this case, pairing dusty rose with burgundy is a surprising match and really lends itself to a vintage vibe. Unexpected colour pairings take any table to the next level.

5. Edit, don’t “over-decorate,” your tablescape. Often a holiday table can be layered with ornaments, glitter and Christmas decor. Stick to some key beautiful pieces and make sure you use an editing eye. You want to be able to showcase the food and see your guests, so use some soft candlelight and try not to add anything unnecessary to the table.

SOURCES
Linen in dusty rose, lonsdaleevents.com. Florals, celsiafloral.com. Rose-gold chargers, rose-gold flatware, rose-gold napkin rings, green highball glassware, wooden bowls, crateandbarrel.com. Burgundy dinner plates, emerald throw pillow, dusty-rose feather tree, homesense.ca. Soft-pink salad plates, thecrossdesign.com. Burgundy linen napkins, bronze ornaments, cb2.com. Pink mercury hurricane candle holders, westelm.ca.

For more designer advice, subscribe to the WL newsletter!