Five Simple Steps to a Luxurious Fireside Table for Two

One chilly early morning, I took advantage of the weather to set this luxurious fireside table for two! It’s a wonderfully relaxing way to start the day, and it only takes five simple steps!

Step 1 – A Fireplace

The first thing you have to have for a fireside table, of course, is a fireplace! (I’ve always been fascinated by that word – it really just means a place for fire!) In theory, you could have a fireside table next to a firepit in the yard, or even a camp ground. You could have one of those fire-tables out on your patio. It could be an actual built-in fireplace in your living room. Or it could be – like this one – a free-standing electric fireplace that you buy and put anywhere that you want some cozy warm ambiance!

I had this fireplace on my wish list for years before I finally broke down and got it. You can read all about that in the FINALLY! MY BEAUTIFUL NEW MANTEL AND A HAPPY NEW YEARS EVE! post.

Step 2 – A Table for Two

Next, choose a table for two. Here I used a regular card table, and moved it in front of the fireplace. Almost by definition, a table for two will be smaller and more intimate than a normal family-sized dining table. But of course, if you wanted to just set the two places at the end of a long table, you could do that too. Isn’t that the beauty of tablescaping? You can pretty much do whatever you want!

Having your table by the fire is the key idea. Extra points for doing something a little different, like we did here. This room is actually my home office, and we’ve never eaten in there before. But it was early in the morning and the rest of the house was still cold. (Our house is old and it takes a long time to heat up.) So a cozy table in the office by the fireplace heater was just the thing.

Speaking of “heater,” you can tell how much air my fireplace puts out by how much the candle closest to it had dripped by the time I got the pictures taken! You can actually feel the warmth blowing through the room! Next time I do this, I’ll probably use something less drip-able! More about candles later.

Step 3 -A Beatutiful Setting

The Tablecloth and China

If you’re going for luxury, you can’t go wrong with a lovely white tablecloth.

Then set your table with some beautiful china. Here I used my wedding china, Noritake Shenandoah.

I don’t remember if I’ve told you the story before, but the last thing my fiance said before I went out wedding-china shopping with my mom was “Don’t get anything with flowers all over it!” Unfortunately, I fell in love with this pattern, which did, in fact, have flowers all over it. So I ended up picking something else, but I really didn’t like it as well.

Next time my fiance and I were at the department store, I showed him the one I’d picked. Then I showed him this one. He liked this one a lot better! So I went and changed the registry right then and there! (I guess we had different ideas about what “flowers all over” meant, thank goodness!)

Anyway, I’ve had it for over 40 years, and I still love it!

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The Table for Two Flatware

If you have some special flatware you keep tucked away for special occasions, this is the time to use it! I actually use my silver all the time, mostly because I just love how it looks on the table. This pattern is Rose Point by Wallace.

The Drinkware

I think crystal is so luxurious! So here we’ve got beautiful champagne flutes for some peach mimosas. (To match our flowers, naturally!)

And because this is a breakfast table for two, I wanted to set the teacups on the table. If it were dinner, I’d bring them out when I serve dessert. But unfortunately, no dessert this morning! We’re using the teacups that match the china. I just love their shape!

Step 4 – Luxurious Flowers

Then – fresh flowers!

I could write a whole dissertation about how the various styles and quantity of flowers on a table elevate it to various degrees. But I’ll spare you that, and just say that if you want true luxury, add some fresh flowers. It doesn’t have to be a lot to get the effect. Here I only used eight roses and some greenery, but it does bring such luxury to the table.

There are some gorgeous faux flowers too, if you want to go that route instead. Just make sure they’re good quality, otherwise they won’t be too luxurious.

Step 5 – Candles

And finally, you’ll want to add some candles. Candlelight is so romantic on a luxurious table for two – well on any table, really! Here I chose some tall rose gold taper holders to match the beautiful rose gold charger plates. I used both of these pieces on my Milestone Birthday table too, if you want to see them in a different context.

But as I mentioned, if I’d realized how much air movement we’d get from the fireplace, I might have gone for something more contained. It sure heats up the room fast, but it’s a little breezy for the candles. I’ll need to use my secret wax removal trick on the tablecloth before it goes into the wash.

One Last Look at Our Table for Two

So here’s a last look at our luxurious fireside breakfast table for two! Just follow these five steps, and you can have one too!

Thanks for sharing this one with me.

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This Post Shared With

• Tablescape Thursday 02.01.24 – Hosted by Between Naps on the Porch
• Thursday Favorite Things 02.01.24 – Hosted by Katherine’s Corner
• Tuesday Turn About 02.06.24 – Hosted by My Wee Abode