Elevate Your Holiday Dinner Parties with Stylish Interior Design Decor

The holiday season is upon us, and what better way to celebrate than by hosting unforgettable dinner parties? As an interior designer and avid entertainer based in Pennsylvania, I'm excited to share some tips on how to elevate the look of your dinner party and make this festive season truly special.

Elegance for Timeless Celebrations: For a timeless and sophisticated atmosphere, consider a classic holiday dinner party look. Think rich colors, beautiful glassware, and ambient lighting. Incorporate elements like deep burgundy, maroons, shades of plum, gold accents, ivory tones, and elegant table settings. Check out these classic pieces to elevate your soirée:

1. White Agate Coasters

2. Crystal Wine Glass

3. Unscented Tapered Candles

4. Frosted Aspen Faux Garland w/ LED Lights

5. Set of 2 Candle Holders

6. Antique Gold Candelabra Candle Holder

7. Marble and Wood Round Cheese Board

8. Blossom Branch

9. Vanilla White Dinner Plates with Gold Trim

10. Snowy Pine Cones

11. Gold Tealight Votives

12. Plum Burgundy Stonewashed Puren Linen Napkins

13. Matte Gold Silverware Set for 4

Holiday Dinner Party Mood board

Modern Minimalism with a Festive Twist: For those who appreciate clean lines and a modern aesthetic, a minimalistic holiday dinner party might be the way to go. Keep things simple yet festive with neutral tones like classic black hues, rich dark green tones, softened by hints of pinks and lilacs for an unexpected twist. Incorporate seasonal touches such as string lights and candles to bring some holiday cheer! Here are some modern picks to achieve this look:

1. String Lights

2. Natural Sandblasted Manzanita Branch

3. Black/Gold Candle Holders

4. Gold Vintage Ribbed Glass Tealight Votives

5. Black Silverware Set

6. Matte Black Dinner Plates

7. Lilac Linen Placemats

8. Pink Linen Placemats

9. Faux Metallic Gold Bay Leaf

10. Eden Green Cloth Dinner Napkins

11. Black Marble Cake Stand Set of 2

12. Golden Round Mesh Napkin Rings

13. Green Agate Coasters

14. Fluted Ribbed Coupe Glasses

15. Fluted Wine Glasses

winter dinner party mood board

Whether you opt for classic elegance or modern minimalism, the key is to infuse your personality into the design. As you plan your holiday dinner parties, remember that the joy is in the details. Each element contributes to the overall ambiance, making your guests feel not only welcome but immersed in the magic of the season.

Ready to elevate your holiday dinner parties to a whole new level of style? Explore the curated looks I've shared and transform your celebrations into unforgettable moments of warmth and sophistication. Click the links to effortlessly shop for the pieces that catch your eye, and let the magic of design infuse joy into your festivities.

This holiday season, let's celebrate not just the festivities, but the art of bringing people together in spaces that reflect joy and good design. Cheers to a season filled with laughter, good company, and the beauty of a well-designed dinner party! Happy hosting!

Just a heads up, some of the links provided are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through the links—thanks for supporting the blog!

Project Tour: Outdoor Retreat

THAT'S ME ADDING FINISHING TOUCHES TO THIS STYLISH TABLE SETTING. Photography: Simone Merrique

Recently, I had the joy of capturing an outdoor project I decorated through my Votre Chambre design service. This busy family of four lives a very social life and wanted to use their large backyard to fit their needs. They called on a professional landscaper to design and create an outdoor kitchen, fire pit, pavilion, hardscape, landscaping, and outdoor lighting.  Once the hardscape and landscape were complete it was time to design and furnish this multi layered area. 

Dilemma: How to create multi sitting areas while maximizing the seating and making it feel warm, inviting, and comfortable. 

Solution: Since my client wanted an overall comfortable and stylish look I designed a lounge sitting area under the pavilion to seat 6-7 people. In order to accomplish that I used an L-shape sectional with a matching chair and ottoman complimented by a swing chair for an accent. The base was a white outdoor fabric accented by bold colored pillows filled with detailed patterns.

Photography by Simone Merrique

This family loves to entertain intimate dinner parties as well as large gatherings. In order to create a space great for everyday use and large dinner parties I furnished the space near the outdoor kitchen with a bar height bistro table with a stone top and 4 contrasting wicker stools for everyday dining. For a more formal setting I selected a durable rectangular wood-like farm table made of environmentally-friendly Resysta® contrasted by wicker dining chairs.

The color palette was inspired by the bold colors from the pavilion area and colors from the interior of my client's home, also designed by me. Design Tip: Be sure to carry the same style and some colors from the interior of your home. This will help create a smooth transition from the inside to the outside of your home.  

Relaxing fire pit. Photography by Simone Merrique.

With a mood board for inspiration, a complete shopping list for convenience, and a floor plan drawn to scale my client was equip to shop and arrange the furnishings with ease due to the Votre Chambre by Georgette Marise package. So are you ready to start your design project? Let me do the hard part of producing a personalized space for you that is stylish and functional. Click here to get started!

Here's to the final days of summer!

How to Decorate a Beach Themed Room

So summer is almost here! June 20th marks the first day of summer. If you're like me you look forward to putting your feet up, enjoying the warm weather, entertaining outdoors and taking occasional trips to the beach this time of year. Bring beach inspired ideas into your space to reflect a more relaxed, calm, and casual mood during this summer season. 

Decorate a beach themed room

If you love the beach like I do and want to create a calm space inspired by the beach start with an inspiration piece. In this mood board the inspiration was the serene artwork. I pulled the entire color palette from the artwork and built a design for a living space.  

Beach themed mood board

Paint. I selected a soft mint green color for the walls as a base. This color was pulled from the multiple tones in the sky illustrated in the artwork. 

Sofa. I selected a golden tan colored sofa from the colors of the sun kissed sand. 

Accent Chair. The armless chair adds a pop of color to this design. I pulled the teal color from the darker shades of the water. 

Chandelier. The shell chandelier adds a touch of sheen and elegance to this casual space. The sun settling down behind the clouds in the artwork was the inspiration to selecting this beautiful light fixture.

Accessories. The mixture of a sisal rug and contrasting accent pillows bring interest and texture. The accessories were inspired by the many natural elements found on the beach.

You can create your own unique beach themed space based on your inspiration. The key is not to go over the top "beachy", but to add elements that remind you of the beach. Finding your inspiration is half the battle, but once you've found it you are well on your way. 

Want your own mood board but have no idea where to start? Select my Inspiration Board and get customized paint color suggestions, furniture style ideas with fabric and finish suggestions to get you started on your way. Not ready to take on a design project? No problem, the Inspiration Board is meant just to give you ideas that reflect your style so when you are ready to begin your project you have a head start.

Share some of your favorite beach inspirations with me below in the comments! Can't wait to hear what you're inspired by.

Here's to a relaxing summer!