Holiday Spirit: Creating a Christmas Mood in the Dining Room

In this post: If you’d like to create an atmosphere that reflects holiday spirit, this seasonal dining room will put you in the Christmas mood.⇒

Atmosphere.

It’s that intangible quality that many of us strive for when we entertain, or even for our own pleasure when we’re home alone.

It’s what creates a mood and evokes emotion, regardless of what else is in the room. Sure, decor is part of setting that stage. But to really imbue a room with seasonal spirit, you have to add an extra layer of that special something. It’s like magical fairy dust and it’s what makes your guests feel truly privileged.

There are some sure fire ways to add atmosphere to a space so that it’s more than just the sum of its decorative parts. The goal is to spark warm feelings and to prompt memories and a sense of being coddled.

You can set a perfect table that is dressed to the nines, but without ambiance, it can appear quite sterile. Today I want to share with you tips and ideas for heightening the Christmas mood in your dining room.

Lighting

It’s impossible to overstate the importance of lighting when it comes to setting a mood. It can be dim and dramatic or bright and upbeat, depending on the feeling you are trying to evoke. I use dimmers in most of my rooms with several light sources to ensure I have the maximum control over the tone I want to set.

Our dining room is a tricky room to properly light because one end is very bright with a large window while the other is dark with lots of shadows. Playing with the lighting helps even things out and begins to create a baseline for what will follow next.

Candles

Working hand in hand with the overall lighting in a space, the presence of candles is perhaps the number one way to create instant ambiance. This is where the dimming of lights becomes important when used in conjunction with scattered candlelight. The warm glow is like a gentle hug and it has a way of imparting a relaxed feel.

It helps to choose candle holders that enhance the mood, bouncing the light around the room and serving it up at varying heights. The glass hurricanes, below, and the marble pillar are from Better Homes & Gardens at Walmart and form a lovely vignette on the sideboard.

*This post was sponsored by Better Homes & Gardens at Walmart, but all opinions and product-love are purely my own.

Aromatics

If candles and lighting provide visual cues, aromatics contribute subliminal prompts and can be a very powerful way to stir up emotions. You can use scented candles with seasonal fragrance or try melting wax in a charming wax warmer. My favorite for this time of year is the Fresh Cut Frasier scent, below, with a bouquet reminiscent of fresh holiday greens. Place them on a bar cart and let them perfume the room.

Fresh Flowers

I can hardly picture a room I’d consider brimming with ambiance that doesn’t have a lush display of flowers. And while I’ve been known to supplement my arrangements with faux florals, there’s nothing that can substitute for the real thing. They bring an element of vitality to any room and have their own gentle aroma that can summon reflection and remembrance.

Glimmer

The holidays are an exciting time of year and a great way to mirror that sense of gaiety is by using decor that literally shines. A golden lantern or silver flatware, glittered ornaments and gold dusted baubles. If it sparkles it’s fair game for setting the Christmas mood and even a little tinsel can awaken your Christmas spirit.

Consider a few additional ways to add mood to your rooms:

• Display meaningful photographs, especially vintage ones
• Add religious symbols and objects
• Try scented potpourri in a pretty bowl
• Play music in the background 
• Use appealing food displays to evoke pleasant memories

You could set a stunning table in a hospital operating room and you would never notice how lovely it is. Atmosphere is everything. When you pay attention to ambiance, you can create a magical aura, evoking delightful emotions for your holiday guests. Dim the lights, light the candles, put on the music.

And you don’t even need to find actual fairy dust.

Christmas Mood Resource List

To get the look, click on the items below for direct links to the products. Where actual items were no longer available, I’ve provided similar options. 

(This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.)

IF YOU LIKED THIS POST, YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN:

• Elegant Holiday Decorating Ideas for the Dining Room
• Decorating with Rose Gold Christmas Decor for the Holidays
• Complementing Your French Style With a White Christmas Tree
• Christmas Decoration Ideas: Easy Shortcuts for Simple Christmas Decor

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