My Favourite Winter Tabletop
WORDS: CHYKA KEEBAUGH
PHOTOS: LISA ATKINSON
I have styled many a dinner table in this exact style and I STILL LOVE IT!
It’s been featured on my blog ( a few times!) and starred in the Winter chapter of Chyka Home. When I had a few friends over for dinner and was setting the table, I knew I wanted to create feelings of warmth, a little glamour and keep it fun and rustic. So my thought process goes a bit like this - books, old books, dark leather covers, in piles on a wooden table at varying heights. Candles surrounding the books, placed on top and surrounding; creating a warm flickering light, just perfect for a dinner party or cosy night indoors. Coloured candles have been frowned upon for a long time but using a dark brown, and various heights add to the drama and warmth. The great thing about candles is they last a long time and look better the more they are used with drips down the side.
Gorgeous, dark coloured orchids in tinted glass vases fill the gaps between the books and the candles. For your flowers, Orchards can be replaced by fresh herbs, roses, tulips - whatever is in season and takes your fancy. Heavily printed serviettes that tie together the colouring of the orchids with the books add a bit of drama—wooden plates, rustic and rich in colour.
AND FINISH THE DINNER OFF WITH A DELICIOUS FONDUE…
Fondue is the perfect winter dessert because seriously, who doesn’t want to sit in front of a fire and dip strawberries into warm chocolate? No one! All you need is a funky fondue set, which is available at any good food store and you are ready to go!
CHOCOLATE FONDUE
Ingredients
1 x 250g good-quality milk chocolate, finely chopped
80ml (1/3 cup) thickened cream
Four fresh figs, cut in half
Eight large fresh strawberries
125g (3/4 cup) whole macadamia nuts
Method
Place the chocolate and cream in the bowl of a fondue set. Light the burner and stir the chocolate mixture until melted and smooth.
Step 2 Serve chocolate fondue with the figs, strawberries and macadamia nuts.