Can Safe Holiday Entertaining Still Be Festive? Of Course, Our Design Experts Say
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
“Hearst Magazines and Verizon Media may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.”
This holiday season will undoubtedly be like no other. But even though just about everyone will be staying home, we can still create a safe place to entertain, whether it’s for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or New Year’s Eve. First off, whatever your plans are, you should focus on small family gatherings, emphasizing those within your own household. With that as our baseline, we polled several ELLE Decor contributors and A-List interior designers—as well as our own editors—for some strategic tips to make your holiday unique. So however you decide to spend it, add some of these festive flourishes to make it healthy, bright, and—above all—safe.
William Li, ELLE Decor contributor
According to the food and lifestyle personality William Li, this is the year for “more is more” when it comes to decor and entertaining. “What 2020 has taught us is that life is unpredictable, fleeting, and can be pretty scary,” he says. “This Christmas, I’m all about old-school comfort food and drink, and that includes a standing rib roast, Yorkshire pudding, roasted Brussels sprouts, and a Buche de Noel, served with plenty of Champagne and Manhattans.” Li also plans on decking the halls and installing a giant tree chockablock with ornaments he’s collected by Matt McGhee, John Derian, and decor from his travels, highlighting antiques shops. He prefers a densely decorated tree with lots and lots of white lights. “My feeling is, if you can’t see the tree from outer space, you haven’t done your job.” The exterior of the house will be trimmed in white pine garlands and lights, along with wreaths made from a mix of evergreens and berries. “I will drape the stair railings and upstairs loft bannisters with red pine garlands. I never do this. But this year requires it! Even if it’s just two of you, celebrate that we’ve made it through. Celebrate the future and be in the present.”
Bronson Van Wyck, ELLE Decor Contributor
“We’ve all spent enough time in sweatpants! Just because the table won’t be quite as long this holiday season doesn’t mean it has to be casual,” says Bronson Van Wyck, whose company Van Wyck & Van Wyck is the go-to New York party and event planner. He highlights thoughtful gift-giving this year, in lieu of gathering in person. “I love sending live foliage and greenery. Nothing says you care like sending a wreath to perfectly perch on a loved one’s front door, or garland to trim a friend’s mantel. The wreath’s history goes back to ancient Greece and Rome, and it symbolizes many things across cultures, including resilience and hope—pretty fitting for this year. I personally love magnolia and always add a touch of gilding to the leaves to make it extra festive.” Van Wyck has stocked his Holiday Shop with wreaths made (with love) by the Van Wyck Elves.
Paloma Contreras, ELLE Decor A-List Interior Designer
Houston designer Paloma Contreras offered up her secret to the perfect tablescape, including stylish gift ideas from her shop Paloma & Co. to send to loved ones you’re unable to be with. “While the gatherings may be smaller this year, we hope to find the silver linings and celebrate what we do have to be grateful for,” she says. Intimate groups allow the host to get creative with style and decor, and for Contreras a personal favorite touch is a bouquet from Belle Fleur New York. “Everyone could use a little extra dose of joy this season, and flowers help create the backdrop of some of our most special moments.” She also likes to send a card or give a handwritten note to each guest, to let them know why she’s thankful for them. This small act of kindness is heartfelt and touching at any time, but especially this year.
Young Huh, ELLE Decor A-List Interior Designer
Intimate family gatherings for the holidays will be more special than ever this year. New York City–based designer Young Huh advises on a cozy movie night with plenty of snacks, including, of course, popcorn and even individual potpies in Le Creuset ramekins. Instead of large, shared bowls, fill small red-and-white bags with kettle corn or handmade crackers. Then, for a surprise, seal them with clothespins and a thoughtful, loving note to get everyone in the holiday spirit. For dessert, “treat your family to mugs of cocoa with candy canes for stirrers, then double down by serving each person a small plate of your favorite chocolate truffles.” Now is also the best time to bring out your chicest dinnerware and napkins—make it an event!
Corey Damen Jenkins, ELLE Decor A-List Interior Designer
You can never go wrong with a hot cocktail during the cold winter days. Interiors tastemaker and A-List designer Corey Damen Jenkins will be serving up his go-to hot toddy recipe, by Cookie + Kate, “replete with honey, bourbon—so im-por-tannnt!—cinnamon, and cloves,” he says. “In my experience, it is best enjoyed while participating in lively fireside conversations.”
JJ Johnson, Chef and Restaurateur
James Beard Award winner and classically trained chef JJ Johnson is known in New York for his mix of Asian, West African, and American cuisine. His added suggestions for a holiday meal include a plantain mousse for dessert, served in a miniature glass jar and garnished with cocoa nibs, sprinkles, and whipped cream. His beverage of choice? A personalized rum punch “juice box” made from fresh pineapple, pineapple juice, mango, Asian pear, and rum.
Vanessa Lawrence, Senior Editor, ELLE Decor
When entertaining, Lawrence recommends a mix of different styled drinking vessels, to ensure that each guest knows which glass is his or hers, helping to prevent any accidental—and unhygienic—sharing. “It also makes a cocktail table setting much more interesting,” she says. While she won’t be hosting guests this holiday season, “under non-COVID-19 circumstances, I like these four distinct tumblers from Nachtmann.”
Kelly Wearstler, ELLE Decor A-List Interior Designer
“Most people expect a traditional meal over the holidays, but eating the same thing every year can become mundane,” says Los Angeles–based designer Kelly Wearstler. “Spice things up, literally, by looking to global cuisines for inspiration that can provide delicious twists on staple holiday fare. I find that Moroccan and Indian flavors and dishes pair particularly well with family favorites.”
Asad Syrkett, Editor-in-Chief, ELLE Decor
As far as Syrkett is concerned, all you need to celebrate the holidays this year is some warm lighting: “Holiday entertaining in 2020 means bringing the magic to you. And my tried-and-true method for a brighter, more magical first few days of winter is literal: candles. In my family, December means celebrating Kwanzaa, where the weeklong holiday is marked by lighting candles in festive red, black, and green. But for general seasonal merrymaking, any color will do—even a traditional white—and you can’t go wrong with something elegant or eye-catching.”
Daniel Boulud, Chef and Restaurateur
New York chef Daniel Boulud, also a consulting editor to ELLE Decor, has provided a recipe for a special Holiday Cobbler cocktail, which combines cranberry syrup with pineapple juice, lemon juice, and sherry, served in a festive glass garnished with mint and fresh cranberries. Boulud acknowledges that “this holiday season will look and feel a lot different for many people all over the world. More than ever, no matter how small the gathering, we should make a point of celebrating to help lift the spirits. We may be far apart, but we can still have meaningful exchanges. Create a festive menu with family and friends, and share a virtual moment together to help melt away the distance. Give to a food charity and remember the elderly in your community. In New York, I support Citymeals on Wheels, an organization that provides warm, nutritious meals to the homebound and frail-aged.” Joyeuses fêtes!
Daniel Boulud’s Holiday Cobbler
Serves 1
INGREDIENTS
½ oz lemon juice
1 ½ oz cranberry syrup (store-bought or homemade)
1 oz pineapple juice
3 oz Amontillado sherry
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and top with ice. Shake well and strain over fresh ice into your glass of choice. Garnish with a bouquet of fresh mint, fresh cranberries, and dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Bebe Howorth, Contributing Special Projects Editor, ELLE Decor
Howorth, a Mississippi native, remembers how her grandparents used to have a bar in their study on Christmas that was solely dedicated to martinis. “I plan on doing something similar this year—albeit a smaller version to fit the intimate group—and will absolutely have Julia Reed’s foolproof hot cheese olives on a silver tray nearby,” she says.
Robin Standefer, Roman & Williams, ELLE Decor A-List Interior Designer
“Even before all of this started, Stephen has always been the cook, and I set the table,” says Robin Standefer, partner with Stephen Alesch in Roman & Williams. “I’ve always been interested in this concept of growing a meadow on your table, with seasonal snips from your garden or your corner flower shop. I prefer a collection of smaller vases with a single stem in each vase over a singular arrangement, because then you can actually see the person across from you.”
When it comes to entertaining, “I like the idea of using finger bowls for individual condiments or sides. At La Mercerie, we’ve even used them to serve smaller sides like chips with a beautifully plated lobster. You could even use shot glasses! I have these beautiful Nishiyama shot glasses that are shorter than traditional shot glasses, and I like to use them to hold salt or creamer for coffee. These days, the fewer shared serving dishes, the better!”
Ken Fulk, ELLE Decor A-List Interior Designer
Design impresario Ken Fulk is dedicated to making the holidays as festive as possible. “This year, the trimmings are more important than ever—though we cannot gather in big groups we can certainly lay out a gorgeous table, string up the garland, put on Perry Como, and light a grand candelabra,” Fulk says. “In addition, I’m also making a few adjustments to our special meals: Serving bottled cocktails with brightly colored straws that help keep drinks safe and separate; gifting custom masks at the door embroidered with our cohort nicknames; and—obviously—any invitation should be extended with a guilt-free RSVP policy, requesting that folks join virtually if they aren’t feeling well.”
Melissa Feldman, Contributing Style Director, ELLE Decor
“I won’t be hosting guests in my abode this season,” Feldman says. “My plan is to stock up with mini-cans of Bollicini Prosecco and individual canned cocktails from the New York speakeasy Raines Law Room to go, concocted by mixologist Meaghan Dorman.” The two cocktails: Joy Orchard, which combines Appleton Estate Reserve Rum, apple cider, bourbon, pomegranate, and a slice of lime; and the New York Minute, a mix of Wild Turkey 101 Rye, Cynar, Ancho Reyes, and sweet vermouth, to be garnished with a cherry.
You Might Also Like
