Month: December 2021

Simple Christmas Table Setting Ideas

Villeroy & Boch, New Moon, Christmas Table Setting, fasten ur Seatbelts

When the air turns crisp and the cosy knits come out of hiding, we know what’s just around the corner – Christmas! For many of us, this holiday season means friendly gatherings, family dinners and taking turns to host.

As we hurry about trying to plan our Christmas extravaganza, I can’t help but want to spoil ourselves with beautiful decorations around the house. This includes Christmas table settings, whether it’s for a dinner party or a simple Christmas breakfast.

This year, I’m particularly inspired by Scandinavian décor and table settings. Simple but elegant, it’s easy to incorporate this style into your existing dishes. There’s no need to buy special “Christmas” plates and cups that only get used once a year!

If you have dramatic and unique lights like we do, a minimalist table setting matches extremely well.

Christmas Breakfast / Brunch Table Setting

For breakfast, you can add more flair with a centrepiece. Borrowing from Scandinavian design, I chose two long and sleek candles to bracket the main display. Candlelight adds ambiance and warmth to the table.

The centrepiece itself is where Christmas steps in. Evergreen are perfect to use as the base; especially if you have a Christmas tree somewhere in the room. The green makes other elements like the small tree models, gold and red baubles stand out. Notice how the complimentary colours pop without being too noisy?

Tone down the table setting with neutral linens and plates. The off-white mat and simple plate setting makes a statement. To seem more fancy, wrap a branch of mistletoe and napkin in a ring holder. You can even change each napkin and greenery combo – alternate colours with mistletoe berries and green sprigs.

Of course, the highlight of these table settings are the dishes.

As some of you may know, one of my go-to shops for dining ware is Villeroy & Boch. The NewMoon collection is beautiful in its simplicity! You can see the soft curves of the moon in each piece; the asymmetrical rim shows off the shape of a narrow crescent moon.

By combining clean lines, different textures and just a few Christmas elements, you get a beautiful table setting to celebrate the season.

Christmas Dinner Table Setting

The key to a simple but characterful dinner table setting is to let your décor blend in with the linens and dishware.

To minimize clutter, I didn’t use a table runner. Instead, I used larger place mats to mark each place comfortably. Layer two plates (one slightly larger than the other) to create some texture. By folding a napkin like a Christmas tree and pairing it with a sprig of green for colour, I added seasonal elements without overdoing it.

In the narrow strip down the middle of the table, I alternated between small candles in mason jars, tiny cones and slices of oranges to keep the look organic. A longer string of evergreen is positioned at the end of the table. This allows more space for garnishes to be placed within easy reach.

Don’t worry about it looking too “white” – the small pops of nature are visually interesting details!

Villeroy & Boch, New Moon, Christmas Table Setting, fasten ur Seatbelts

300 days of sunshine a year in Algund

Nestled in the lush valley of Lagundo, Italy, is a hotel that reminds us to find balance in our daily lives. We have recently had the pleasure of staying at Hotel Avidea, which blends seamlessly into its natural surroundings.

Starting with a great culinary experience, we enjoyed our meals at the on-site restaurant with a terrace. The kitchen crafted themed menus that changed by the day. Monday treated us to “sweet, wine & dine”, while Tuesday’s “Bella Italia” theme spoilt us with Italian-based dishes for breakfast and dinner. Not only was the plating beautiful, but the textures of each dish was highly enjoyable. The chef is also careful to source his ingredients sustainably.

The idea of balance and wellness is carried out beyond our meals too. Hotel Avidea features a beautiful spa area with a Mediterranean-inspired garden. You can dip into saunas, steam baths, relax in scented treatment rooms and an infinity pool that is both indoors and outdoors. In particular, I love the rooftop spa! They also offer plenty of Yoga treatments (including massages and gentle workouts) out in the woods.

If you love nature, spare time for “Algunder Waalwegs”. This stunning trail is just in front of the hotel, leading into the vineyards and fruit grove.

With 300 sunny days every year, Algund is made for outdoor living. Don’t just admire the Texel Mountains from the lounging decks and the comfort of your bedrooms (even if they’re beautiful).

To make travels more convenient for you, Hotel Avidea offers you a ”South Tyrol GuestPass Algund” – complimentary! The guest card lets you use public transport for free within South Tyrol, as well as free entry to 90+ national museums. You also get discounts on rentals and leisure outlets, so be sure to pencil in at least a day for biking and hiking.

Things to Do

The small, elegant city of Meran and neighbouring Algund will stay in my memory forever.
You can walk the distance to Spa Town Meran – it’s 1.5 hours on foot – or travel 10 minutes by car to explore the beautiful city with loads of shopping possibilities.

  • Visit Meran – Having hosted nobility and royals since 19th century; we get to appreciate stunning architecture like the Pavillon des Fluers, the Kurhaus and the Kurmittelhaus.
  • Walk around the city – 16 hectares of parkland, heritage sites and more are meant to be explored. Don’t miss out on the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle, Women’s Museum, Merano Theatre or the panoramic chairlift.
  • Enjoy spa time – Therme Meran Spa is such a relaxing experience.
  • Relax with the Kneipp Course – There are 50 “exercise” stations dotted around Algund so that you can meditate and move outside in nature.
  • Hike the Meran High Mountain Road – This high-Alpine circular hike is one of the most beautiful in Europe. The 100-kilometers long route features plenty of rest stops and cultural landscapes.
  • Bike around Merano – Cover more ground as you cycle around the city and over the mountains.
  • Discover fortresses and castles – There are 400 in South Tyrol, now home to small businesses, museums, wineries and restaurants.