WINTER DINING INSPIRATION - The Home Studio

Saturday and Sunday come with a happy sense of freedom, but there are simple ways to bring that easy, breezy weekend feeling to the average Wednesday as well – especially if you are in holiday mode, staycation style! For us, that includes mid-week dinners with friends.

I know, I know: the thought of cooking, hosting, and cleaning up sounds like a lot to tackle after work, but the anticipation of a social even makes a middle-of-the-week workday so much more fun.

With my sister in town, we’ve been doing lots of entertaining over the last few weeks, and I’ve noticed there is a certain cosiness that comes with a winter table setting that I just can’t get enough of. While many of us South Africans might be suffering from a little PTSD from candle over usage (thanks load shedding), there is definitely something to be said for the flicker of candle light at the dinner table.

It immediately creates an ambiance that invites moments of ease and intimacy amoungst friends. I love pillar candles in amber or dark glass vessels for the ultimate moody ambiance. Tall, exposed thin candles also look stunning, but I do get nervous about them getting knocked over too easily.

While we (I) don’t go overboard with our table settings, there are a few favourites that I like to include on the regular. My go-to style is neutral and natural all the way. I either leave the wood table exposed and choose place mats for each setting, or if there are a few extra bodies squeezing around the table, we dress the table with a linen tablecloth and nix marking out individual settings. Rather we pile up the plates and cutlery for a buffet style self service.

For me, the main dinner plates and bowls are always an off-white colour, and I love the organic, hand-crafted shape of my plates and bowls. Even though I bought them from Woolworths and they are no doubt mass produced, the organic style gives them a slightly more special, elevated feeling.

It’s been a thing for many years for people to have multiple crockery sets, however my preference has always been to find one set that I just love, get myself a full 20 piece set and stick with it for as long as I can. If I’m looking to mix things up, it’s all in the accessories and table setting.

Along with my staple crockery and stainless steel cutlery (matt if you can), I love to include a selection of blooms on the table. This includes a preference for arrangements of different styles of white flowers, dotted in with greenery or dried flowers.

There is something about the beautifully muted and warming tones of dried flowers that works so well with candles. Alternatively, a table full of simple greenery sets the tone. Different size arrangements and vessels lend a more informal feel to the table setting. You don’t need a lot either, a few simple sprigs in small vessels are all you need.

When it comes to the food, I’m a huge fan of harvest style tables. A gorgeous spread of store-bought or easy-to-prepare bites that look way more impressive than they actually are, and require very little time coking in the kitchen. Anything that can be prepared in advance gets major bonus points. When it comes to snacking style food, how you arrange the food is almost as important as what you’re serving!

Over time I’ve curated my own collection of stylish platters, serving bowls, boards and even more dipping bowls in a range of colours and materials that fit whatever vibe I’m trying to create.

They’ve grown over the years alongside my love of the table spread, and it gives me an excuse to keep adding to my collection when I find something I love. Ceramics are serious weakness in my Less is More armour.

We know how important it is bring a little more fun into your everyday life, so we’ve pulled together a few simple pieces for an easy breezy mid week dinner setting. Raise your glass to the fact that the simplest gatherings are often the most fun!