How to Add Candles to Your Dinner Table Without Going Full Grandma
Candles are a tricky thing for your tablescape. Go too hard and you’ve got a setting more fit for a scene in The Craft. Too light, and your candles will quickly be lost among plates of food and become more of a threat to hungry guests’ arm hair.
Getting it right all starts with a good candle or candle holder: not the silver, gold, or iron varieties you’ll find alongside overflowing poinsettias in a black-and-white holiday film. Mix and match a few of the options below, and you and your guests will be literally glowing all night long.
Photo by Chelsie Craig1/5Globule Stjaki
I’m not quiet about my love for buying souvenirs for my dining room table. And I think vacation is the perfect time to find some rad, regional candlesticks. That’s where this beautiful candle holder from Icelandic designer Ragna Ragnarsdottir comes in. I picked this particular candlestick because the black-and-white waves in the resin remind me of Iceland’s black sand beaches.
Next time you’re abroad, look for a store that specializes in local designers and see if you can find a candle you fancy. It’ll double as a conversation starter!
Buy the Globule Stjaki candle holder here.
Photo by Chelsie Craig2/5Hex Crystal Tea Light Holders
These crystal tea lights may look straight out of the ‘90s at first glance, but pop in a tea light, dim the lights, and your entire table will be transformed. As any design enthusiast knows, pulling together three similar items in different heights is what the eye wants. And the transparent footprint of these candle holders doesn’t take any attention away from the real attraction on your table: dinner.
Buy the Hex Crystal Tea Light Set here.
Photo by Chelsie Craig3/5Oculus Mirror
This one waged a battle in my brain: Who puts a mirror on their dining table?! But, think about it: A reflective surface will double the amazing food and tablescape you’ve put together. Plus, you can bet your rent-stabilized apartment that you won’t find a design object like this on grandma’s table. (And if grandma is ahead of the curve on this, I want to be her friend.)
Buy the Oculus Mirror here.
Photo by Chelsie Craig4/5Eames Candle
You don’t have to go all in on candle holders. This subtly hued Eames candle from Yield Design has the perfect amount of color without going overboard (not to mention moss green looks killer when paired with warm, dark wood colors). The more you use the candle, the more chartreuse the candle becomes thanks to the colored soy chips on the top. This particular scent has notes of rosemary, birch, and eucalyptus—but it’s not so intense that it overwhelms the delicious food smells.
Buy the Eames candle here.
Photo by Chelsie Craig5/5Areaware Totem Candles
The first thing I love about these candles is the way they burn: inward, so you don’t have to deal with messy wax drips. The rich colors are a bold pop and the architectural shapes only add to their intrigue. Set a couple of these on a small mirror (to act as a barrier between your table and the wax) and you’re good to go.
Buy the Totem candle here.
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