Christmas table styling
Maria Fernandes/NT
Founder of Dining Couture, Ami Kothari, was the featured guest on the recent Navhind Times, Talk From the Heart, Christmas special that aired on the Goa 365 channel. The conversation centred on festive table styling, mindful hosting and simple yet imaginative ways to make Christmas celebrations warm, personal and memorable without excessive expenditure. Conducted in the true spirit of the season, the interview highlighted themes of joy, togetherness, and thoughtful hospitality.
Kothari, who began her professional journey as an educator working with children with special needs, spoke about how her passion for hosting and her instinctive ability to make guests feel welcome gradually evolved into a successful career in table styling. Drawing on her background in teaching, she was able to organise her ideas into well-structured workshops, eventually leading to the launch of Dining Couture. Much of her inspiration, she shared, comes from family traditions, particularly from observing her mother and grandmother host with grace and warmth.
She stressed that good hosting need not be complicated, expensive or overwhelming. “Using what you already have at home and adding small elements of surprise is key,” she noted, adding that making guests feel comfortable and valued matters most. She demonstrated this philosophy with a simple example of serving everyday dishes like idlis and rasam in creatively chosen bowls collected during her travels, showing how thoughtful presentation can transform even the simplest meals.
In addition to making use of existing household items, Kothari suggested mixing handmade décor with store-bought pieces, involving children in creating paper Christmas trees and decorations, using rice or salt to create a ‘snow’ effect, and enhancing tables with greenery, candles, fairy lights and touches of red. She pointed out that Christmas décor need not strictly mirror Western ‘white Christmas’ themes but can be adapted creatively using locally available materials.
When blending Indian elements with Western Christmas décor, she recommended incorporating brass serve-ware for a touch of richness, red and green block-printed fabrics or dupattas and natural materials such as pinecones, foliage, dry flowers and eucalyptus. She also suggested using spices like cinnamon sticks tied to napkins to add warmth, fragrance and visual interest.
Kothari further highlighted the importance of sustainable décor, advocating the use of reusable and natural materials over disposable options. One of the most prominent themes of the discussion was personalization. She encouraged using travel souvenirs as décor, adding handmade name tags and hanging family photographs on the Christmas tree to create celebrations that feel emotionally richer and deeply personal.
Overall, her insights urged viewers to focus less on perfection and fleeting trends and more on joy, connection and authenticity during the festive season.
