Art of the table
Toronto Stylist Chad Burton is known for his bold approach to interiors, and we charged him with conceptualizing an eccentric lineup of tabletop, gift wrapping and holiday decor schemes.
His table for two (because why shouldn’t an intimate dinner be as festive as a bustling party) captures many of the year’s notable entertaining trends. “I see a lot of creators making these wild and wonderful stacks and combinations and sculptures,” he says of the setting’s towers of dishware, textiles and organic elements.
Here, layers of Ginori plates tease the multi-course meal to come while a Colours of Arley tablecloth and vintage tiger-striped napkins create their own feast for the eyes. In a pair of egg holders, Burton has nestled baby Chinese eggplants labelled with each diner’s name. Even when you’re making a big design statement, it’s those little touches that your guests will remember.
How to plate like a pro
Illustration by Salini Perera
If no one posts a photo of your Michelin-star-worthy holiday meal, did you even spend two days sweating over a hot stove cooking it? Earning social media accolades goes beyond delicious food. Dinner needs to look as stunning as it tastes.
Louise Borins is the owner of Into the Kitchen, a company that brings clients into the inner sanctums of some of Toronto’s top restaurants (La Palma, DaiLo, Mamakas Taverna) for one-on-one workshops. She is also an enthusiastic home cook who has been entertaining with an over-the-top ethos for decades. “It makes people feel special that you’ve gone to the trouble of caring to make it look remarkable,” she says of mastering the art of dinner plate composition.
The charcuterie board has become an entertaining standard, and evolved to look increasingly maximal over the years, but Borins takes a more thoughtful approach. “It’s carefully placed, and there’s lots of white space,” she says, a mantra she carries into all her plating. “Less is more. When food is served on a platter, you want to give it air and not fill it up from end to end.” Whether you serve your meal family-style or individually plated is up to you. Borins prefers a mix – a plated salad or soup, shared mains and either for dessert.
She’s fond of using a restaurant kitchen staple, plastic bottles, to dispense dressings and sauces so they look “artfully done.” And garnishes can make all the difference. Borins favours contrasting pops of colour, including pomegranate pips, chili flakes and sesame seeds, but the garnish must make sense with what you’re serving. “Keep it integral to what you used in the dish,” she says. That could mean sage for a turkey or cilantro clippings on a curry. – Andrea Yu
Wine columnist Christopher Waters offers his guide to the season’s best #OTT bottles
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TRUE BRUT
Bollinger Chef de Cave Denis Bunner continues to put terroir front and centre by selecting unique pinot noir-based sparkling wines for limited release. The current offering in Canada is Bollinger PN TX20, a beautifully balanced bubbly predominantly based on grapes from Tauxières, a village in Montagne de Reims. The creamy and refreshing Champagne complements the house’s vintage-dated flagship, La Grande Année. But the real excitement is the consistent value for money character offered by Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut Champagne, a rich and rewarding wine with a deliciously satisfying honeyed richness.
Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut Champagne, $110 in British Columbia (champagne-bollinger.com).
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ACROSS DECADES
Forty Creek Master Blender Bill Ashburn is celebrating his storied career with the release of Chronology, a limited-run whisky that spans the first four decades of the Grimsby, Ont., distillery. It’s the most ambitious release yet from the producer of the popular Double Barrel and Confederation Oak brands. The blend features selected barrels from 1992, 2000, 2014 and 2020, reflecting different grains and oak types that Ashburn says capture the essence of his decades of distilling. The result is a harmonious spirit suggesting chocolate, tobacco, cherry, citrus and peppery spice notes, with a seamless texture and lingering finish.
Forty Creek Chronology Canadian Whisky, $300 in Ontario (fortycreekwhisky.com).
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SWEET SUCCESS
Thoughtful cask management allows Glenfiddich to produce a sophisticated portfolio of Speyside single malt Scotches with complex, unexpected characters. In this instance, Gran Reserva 21-Year-Old’s maturation in former rum casks adds sweeter and spicier undertones to Glenfiddich’s trademark apple orchard character. The mix of sweet and dried fruit aromas and flavours seem right at home for the holiday season, while a soft and sippable nature adds to the crowd-pleasing appeal. Expect a mix of rich toffee, fig and oak notes that are nicely balanced by leather and peppery spice on the lingering warm finish.
Glenfiddich Gran Reserva 21-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, $355 in Alberta (glenfiddich.com).
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AUSSIE RULES
Australian red wine is coming back into the limelight, especially celebrated labels from established producers that prize restraint over power. The Henschke family started making shiraz from Mount Edelstone vineyard in the Barossa in 1952. They like the quality of the grapes so much, they purchased the vineyard in 1974. Today, like all Henschke’s vineyards, the site is farmed using organic and biodynamic practices. That passionate approach behind the scenes contributes to the polished and perfumed character of a red wine that offers a beguiling mix of floral, dark fruit and spicy notes to savour. Drink now through 2040.
Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz 2018, $314 in Alberta (henschke.com.au).
That's a wrap
“I lived in South Korea for a few years and saw this style of wrapping used by older generations,” Burton says about Bojagi. Using cloth in an artful way allows a present’s packaging to become part of the gift. Here, Burton relied on a wardrobe of designer silk scarves, but most textiles will do. “Any sort of scrap fabric in a beautiful texture or pattern would work.”
Burton looked to Pinterest tutorials for step-by-step instruction on wrapping everything from a ball to a baguette, and the double wine bottle (far back) is probably the most straightforward option.
“Lay the scarf out flat like a diamond,” Burton says. “Place both bottles on their sides, bottom to bottom with a three-inch gap, about four inches above the bottom point of the scarf. Wrap the bottom point of the scarf over the two bottles and roll them both towards the top point of the scarf. Raise the bottles to stand next to each other and tie the ends of the scarf into a handle with a double knot.”
The person who has everything still loves a thoughtful gift
Illustration by Salini Perera
In the history of gift-giving, there have been some December doozies. After a four-year hunt to find the most beautiful ruby in the world, actor Richard Burton placed a ruby and diamond ring from Van Cleef & Arpels in Elizabeth Taylor’s Christmas stocking in 1968. In 2008, Indian billionaire Anil Ambani bought his wife a $62-million superyacht to usher in the New Year. And in 2011, Angelina Jolie purchased a waterfall in northern California as a Christmas gift for her then-husband Brad Pitt.
“Oh, you shouldn’t have,” doesn’t begin to capture the extravagance of these presents, but even with an endless budget, it can often feel impossible to track down a holiday gift that goes the extra mile.
Elie Sassine, general manager at the W Toronto, has spent years working in luxury hotels. He and his team not only assist guests in purchasing important gifts, but they also arrange presents that frequent and VIP guests (the kinds of people that really do have everything) receive on arrival.
“Everybody loves something personalized,” Sassine says. He suggests monogramming the recipient’s name or initials onto a present, which instantly proves that it wasn’t an afterthought you ordered online yesterday. He’s facilitated the engraving and embossing of everything from perfume bottles to leather bags, jewellery and champagne flutes.
Susy Fossati, director of the consultancy Avignon Etiquette, advises general spending guidelines based on etiquette industry standards: a value of $10 to $20 for acquaintances, $10 to $30 for neighbours or colleagues and $20 to $50 for extended family members. As the relationship gets closer, the appropriate amount to spend increases – $30 to $75 for siblings and close friends and $50 to $200 for a spouse, parent or child.
It’s all relative, of course, but even if you skimp on or blow past Fossati’s budget, there’s one non-negotiable: always include a handwritten card. “A personal note adds warmth and meaning,” Fossati says. - A.Y.
Style pro Odessa Paloma Parker assembles the most decadent of giftwrap options: designer leftovers from your latest wallpaper project
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CHECK PLEASE
A piquant nod to Bauhaus artist Anni Albers’s inimitable textiles, Farrow & Ball’s punchy Check has a sense of vibrancy without being overwhelming. The legendary British decor brand, which celebrates its 80th anniversary next year, produces all its wallpaper by hand in small batches at its Dorset factory; and this graphic pattern is available in four colourways crafted using the company’s exacting pigmentations from milder natty neutrals to fresh mixes of greens, blues and browns.
Farrow & Ball Check wallpaper, $345/10-metre roll at Farrow & Ball (farrow-ball.com).
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GIVE IT A SWIRL
Toronto-based multidisciplinary creative Gabrielle Lasporte originally created the Fluid Connectivité pattern as part of an interactive installation for the overnight cultural event Nuit Blanche in 2022; and it was also included in Lasporte’s turn as guest designer during DesignTO 2024. Now anyone can gaze at its hypnotic painterly lines thanks to Lasporte’s new collection of wallpapers made with local manufacturer Rollout. Her contributions to the label’s array of artist-made patterns range from this psychedelic offering to batik motifs and florals.
Gabrielle Lasporte wallpaper, price on request through rollout.ca.
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FRUIT FLAVOURED
Kate Golding, the Newfoundland-based artist known for her endearing pen, brush and ink works, collaborates with Montreal’s Wynil on a variety of wallpaper patterns. From sprightly blue jays on boughs to a rendering of the cheery houses seen in Newfoundland’s Bonavista, Golding captures homegrown scenes that delight. Her figs pattern features a spray of the lush fruits surrounded by delicate leaves and evokes a sense of warmth and serenity just right for the season.
Kate Golding Figs wallpaper, price on request through wynil.com.
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ABSTRACT CONCEPT
NewWall, the female-lead Toronto-based company that boasts a wealth of wallpaper brands under its umbrella, offers a selection of fabulous designs by Barcelona’s Tres Tintas. Made in Spain, its lush Abstract Mex pattern – available in tones from moody purples to peppy coral reef colours – is part of the 26-year-old brand’s New Primitivism line. Its expertise in crafting artful wallcoverings draws from the three founding brothers’ family legacy in the industry.
Tres Tintas Abstract Mex wallpaper, $675/five murals at NewWall (newwall.com).
Bits and Baubles
Beyond traditional ornaments, a holiday tree can become a showcase for all the things you love to collect. Here, Burton’s personal cache of spent matchbooks and boxes creates an eclectic display. “I collect matches at restaurants I visit, especially on travels,” he says. “The typography and colours of the boxes are always fun and unique.”
When deciding if a stash of objects will work, Burton’s advice is simple: “Anything you collect that a ribbon could be tied onto and is of ornament size is fair game,” he says. “I’ve used old dollhouse furniture, which has a very quirky, charming and retro quality.”
To complement the collectables, Burton suggests other vintage elements. “Mercury glass antique ornaments are so delicate and beautiful, and all those food ones you find are fun and charming,” he says. “Pair them with multiples of a modern colour story or shape.”
Your next show-stopping arrangement might come from the produce aisle
Illustration by Salini Perera
Havelock, Ont.-based florist Beth Puttkemery of Smells Like Flowers finds inspiration for her creations at the grocery store, and not in the shelves of cellophane-wrapped poinsettias near the checkout. In the produce section, everything from cobs of corn to mushrooms and clusters of grapes are ripe for her tablescapes. This season, Puttkemery suggests a festive garland of bright red chilli peppers. “That’s a big trend, to have a garland of something that you can weave through your arrangement,” she says. “Or you could put it at the bottom of an arrangement and just let it cascade over the table.”
Flowers still play a central role, of course. Both Ms. Puttkemery and Bowen Island, B.C.-based floral designer Hitomi Gilliam favour amaryllis. “It’s really beautiful and statuesque,” Gilliam says. “It has big blooms and lasts a long time.” The flowering bulb famously comes in a vibrant, holiday-appropriate red, but both florists agree that layering in complementary tones adds interest. Gilliam reaches for carnations and roses in rust and burgundy, while Puttkemery suggests adding even more amaryllis in a peachy hue. “Just really go all in on it,” Puttkemery says. “To make things look more elevated, minimize the varieties you’re using and just use a ton of them.”
For vessels, ditch clear, cylindrical vases and go for pottery, which Gilliam prefers since it hides stems and floating leaves. Puttkemery advocates for an elegant compote bowl, a vase with a foot. Both suggest ditching the foam in favour of chicken wire instead, which can support an arrangement’s structure by being balled up and placed in the base of a vase or formed into a tube for a tabletop garland.
For more delicate garlands, Puttkemery suggests floral wire that can also be used to make classic wreaths that fit any decor style, which she likes to gift her hosts. She’ll make a holiday wreath out of juniper, white pine and cedar, then add a group of foraged pinecones. “The more, the better,” she says. - A.Y.
Fragrance expert Nathalie Atkinson selects the bougiest of bougie to treat your consummate host
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FASHION STATEMENT
Designer Yves Saint Laurent’s fashion stylings inspire YSL Le Vestiaire des Parfums, but new home fragrances in the haute parfumerie collection also reference notable places in their namesake’s life. The scent 70 Paris embodies Saint Laurent’s long-time private haven on the city’s Left Bank, where the couturier took up residence in 1970. Its black-on-black styling recalls the avid collector’s penchant for lacquer, louche Le Smoking tuxedos and famous Jean Dunand vases, while the spicy and woody black pepper and patchouli scent conjures the home’s atmosphere of heady bohemian opulence.
70 Paris candle, $135 at Holt Renfrew (yslbeauty.ca).
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REQUIRED READING
Assouline, the purveyor of designer coffee table books that elevated the art of reading to a style brag, offers a new way to flash one’s cultured bona fides. Among the luxury publisher’s new Library Collection of literary accessories, including bookends and magnifying glasses, are scented candles that embody aspects of the reading lifestyle. The signature scent is Culture Lounge, a library candle redolent of lemon, rum and sandalwood, while Paper is the familiar, nostalgic, dusty-sweet of decaying pages.
Culture Lounge candle, $200 at Maison Lipari and Teatro Verde (assouline.com).
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CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
Baccarat Rouge 540 remains perfumer Francis Kurkdjian’s most notable elixir. Yet his holiday home fragrance also enjoys a cult following, not least because it comes out but once a year. Named for the French version of the German O Tanenbaum carol, Mon Beau Sapin’s resinous seasonal scent has rich balsamic notes with a touch of cinnamon, capturing the air of a wintry forest walk. Eschew the standard jar for the limited-edition taper candles. The unexpectedly fragrant format makes decadent dinner party swag, and the trio is a (relative) steal.
Mon Beau Sapin taper candles, $70/set of 3 at Holt Renfrew (franciskurkdjian.com).
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ETERNAL FLAME
Loewe’s subtle botanical aromas housed in glazed terracotta vessels are a candle collector’s stealth status symbol. The freshly picked scent of Tomato has made it the brand’s covetable candle this season, but two new additions may unseat it. As the names suggest, Beeswax is an earthy, honeyed scent, while Palo Santo is smoky and mysterious. Known for its role in ancient cleansing rituals, its soft, citrusy pine aroma may have the best chance of ridding holiday gatherings of negative energy.
Loewe Beeswax medium candle, $380 at Holt Renfrew (holtrenfrew.com).
