A Pretty Holiday Brunch Tablescape (Easy and Affordable)

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Brunch is my favorite way to entertain. The food is simple, the pace is relaxed, and the light is beautiful. A holiday brunch table should feel bright and fresh, with a little sparkle, and it should be set well before the doorbell rings. Here is how I style mine.

Choose a light palette

For brunch I keep the colors soft: white, cream, sage and a touch of gold. A white textured tablecloth gives you a clean canvas that makes everything on top look sharper. If you only own one, make it white. It works for every season and every holiday.

Layer the place setting

Set a woven rattan charger at each seat, then a white stoneware plate. The warm weave keeps white-on-white from looking flat. Add gold flatware and a linen napkin folded on top, finished with a gold napkin ring for a little shine. Everything is washable, which means you can relax during the meal.

Flowers without florists

Skip the big arrangement. A row of small glass bud vases down the center, each with one or two stems of greenery or a few blooms, looks effortless and costs very little. If fresh flowers are out of budget, faux eucalyptus stems in the same vases look surprisingly real.

The food is the decor

At brunch, baked goods are the centerpiece. I bake a lemon loaf or cranberry orange bread a day ahead and display it under a glass cake dome, which keeps it fresh and gives the table height. Slices of banana bread or cinnamon swirl bread go into a woven bread basket lined with a cotton waffle weave towel. Serve butter in a glass butter dish and set out a wooden serving board with fruit.

Add a little glow

Even in daytime, a few candles feel festive. Place a pair of ivory tapers in brass candlesticks at one end of the table. If you have little ones, use flameless pillar candles instead.

Make it flow

• Put out coffee, tea and juice at a side table so the dining table stays clear.
• Pre-slice the bread so guests can help themselves.
• Use a runner or a long board to create a buffet line.
• Set the table the night before and cover the plates with a towel.

A simple holiday menu

I serve a baked egg dish, a big fruit bowl, and three quick breads cut into thin slices. Everything can be made ahead, which leaves me free to sit down with my coffee when the first guest arrives. The full recipes are in my free Sweet Bread Recipe eBook.

Dress up the side table

Give guests somewhere to serve themselves so the dining table stays about the people. Cover a console or a sideboard with a linen runner, line up a tray of mugs, a pitcher of juice and a basket of warm bread, and add a small vase of greenery. A hand-lettered card with the menu is a lovely touch that costs nothing.

Keep it relaxed

A brunch table should not look like a banquet. Mix a few heights, let the napkins be a little rumpled and keep the flowers loose. The best compliment I get is that the table feels like me, not like a magazine. Guests relax when the table is inviting, not intimidating.

A holiday twist

For Christmas, swap the greenery for sprigs of pine and add a few cranberries scattered in the vases. For Easter, use pale pink blooms and a pastel napkin. For Mother's Day, set a small handwritten note at each place. The base layers stay the same all year, which means once you own them you can restyle the table in ten minutes for any occasion.

Plan the morning

Bake the bread the day before, set the table the night before, and chop fruit in the morning. Put everything on the counter an hour ahead and cover it with a towel. When the first guest rings the bell, all you have to do is pour coffee.