The Opera Table: Candlelight, Drapery and Red Roses for Holiday Dinners

There is a particular kind of holiday dinner that people remember for years. The lights are low, the curtains are drawn, the table is dressed in red, and someone stays far too late. It feels less like a meal and more like the first act of an opera. This season, that is exactly the mood we are designing for.

The short answer: To set an opera-inspired holiday table, choose a deep red or burgundy base, draw heavy curtains, light the room low with candles and warm lamps, use one generous arrangement of red roses, and add velvet, gold and glass. Pinterest named the Opera Aesthetic one of its 2026 trends, and it suits the holidays perfectly.

Why the opera, why now

Pinterest's 2026 predictions included what it calls the Opera Aesthetic: theatrical, escapist styling, with rising searches for opera outfits, ceiling draping and masquerade decor. It sits alongside a wider return to maximalism, which 39% of designers in the 1stDibs 2026 survey named as the leading style. After years of quiet minimalism, people want a little drama at home, and the holiday table is the natural stage.

Act one: the curtain

Every opera begins with the curtain, and so does an opera room. Heavy drapery, hung high and wide and pooling slightly on the floor, does more for atmosphere than any centrepiece. It softens sound, holds warmth and frames the evening.

In this room, walls and curtains share one deep burgundy, so the space feels like a private theatre box. Along the wall, the On The Rocks Console Table, with its hand-hammered travertine top on a nickel base, becomes the sideboard for the evening: a place for flowers, a candle and the after-dinner glasses.

Stripes bring the same theatre. The Oscar Armchair, a modernist take on the classic armchair, is shown here in a tobacco stripe against red-striped walls: the look of an opera dressing room, and the perfect chair for the guest who wants to sit apart with a glass of port.

Act two: the table

An opera table is dressed in colour. Choose a deep red, burgundy or wine for the tablecloth, or paint the table itself, and let everything else sit on it like jewellery.

Here, a burgundy table holds porcelain, pastries and a lit Trip Table Lamp. The Trip is cordless, with a polished marble base and a hand-painted, mouth-blown opal shade, and a touch dimmer with three levels. Set two or three down the centre of the table in place of overhead light, and every face is lit from below, like footlights.

Above the table, every opera house has its chandelier. A modern version: a cluster of Ballroom XL Pink Pendants hung at different heights over a round table. Each is a single mouth-blown globe, 13 inches across, in blush pink glass with a hand-painted gold edge. Pink light is the most flattering light there is, and on a dimmer, it turns dinner into a scene.

Act three: red roses and candlelight

An opera ends in flowers. For the holidays, choose deep red roses, ranunculus or dahlias, with a little blush for depth, and arrange them generously but low, so guests can see each other across the table. Then light the candles: tapers in odd numbers, at different heights, and nothing overhead brighter than the flames.

For a truly theatrical gesture, hang flowers from above. Here, Mammalampa Queen Pendant Lights glow among suspended blooms in a dark room. Each has a raw, hand-oxidised steel exterior and a 23.75-carat gold-plated interior that acts as a mirror, so the whole inner cavity seems to be the light source: the warmest, most regal glow we know.

The supporting cast: velvet and red

Around the table, give guests somewhere to retreat after dinner. In an opera room, that means velvet, and ideally a little red.

The Egoista Armchair, in deep red velvet with cane wings, is a 32-inch swivel barrel chair whose name means “selfish”: it revolves around its own universe. Its frame is inspired by narrow, close streets, and it gives whoever sits in it a sense of command over the room. Exactly what an opera box should feel like.

Or the Milo Armchair, designed by Maison Burgos, on twin bent-wood bases with a leather handle at the back, shown here in red velvet. Two of them by the fire, and the evening is complete.

Not every opera room has to be red. The Panorama Armchair, monumental in proportion and softened by gathered upholstery, sits here in orange velvet against sage curtains, proof that the drama comes from the drapery and the velvet as much as from the colour. It swivels too.

The Opera Table checklist

• The curtain: floor-length, heavy, wider than the window, ideally the same colour as the walls.
• The base colour: a burgundy, wine or deep red tablecloth or table.
• The footlights: cordless lamps and taper candles at table height; overhead light dimmed.
• The chandelier: one cluster of glass or gold pendants over the table.
• The flowers: red roses with a little blush, low and generous.
• The boxes: a velvet armchair or two for after dinner.

In Feng Shui terms, this is a Fire room: warmth, passion and conversation. Balance it with Earth, in travertine, wood and brown velvet, so the energy glows rather than burns.

Frequently asked questions

What is the opera aesthetic in interior design?

It is a theatrical, romantic style: deep reds and burgundies, generous drapery, velvet, candlelight, gold and dramatic flowers. Pinterest named the Opera Aesthetic one of its 2026 trends, with rising searches for opera outfits, ceiling draping and masquerade decor.

How do you create a dramatic holiday dinner table?

Start with a deep colour on the table or walls, lower the overhead light, add candles at several heights, use one generous flower arrangement in red roses or dark blooms, and layer textiles such as velvet and a long tablecloth. Drama comes from contrast, so keep one pale or reflective element.

What flowers suit a red and burgundy table?

Deep red roses, ranunculus, dahlias, amaranthus and dark foliage. Mix one or two shades of red with a little blush or white so the arrangement has depth, and keep centrepieces low enough for conversation.

How do you use curtains to make a dining room feel theatrical?

Hang curtains from ceiling to floor, wider than the window, in a heavy fabric such as velvet or a deep linen, and let them pool slightly. Matching the curtain colour to the walls makes the room feel enveloping, like a stage set.

Is red good Feng Shui in a dining room?

Yes, in moderation. Red is the Fire element: it stimulates appetite, conversation and warmth, which is why it suits a dining room. Balance it with Earth tones, such as stone, wood and brown, so the energy stays warm rather than restless.

Can I get lighting before the holidays?

In-stock lighting ships quickly; check each product page for availability. Made-to-order furniture ordered now arrives in early 2027, in time for spring entertaining.

For more holiday ideas, read Hosting Season: a designer’s guide to Thanksgiving and the holidays and our Gifts from the House guide.

Sources: Pinterest Predicts 2026; 1stDibs 2026 Interior Designer Trends survey of 468 interior design professionals.

Written by Marie Burgos, founder of Maison Burgos and of Marie Burgos Design, the New York interior design studio she established in 2007. Marie is an NYU-trained interior designer and Feng Shui Master. She founded Maison Burgos in 2018: a collection of furniture, lighting and objects curated by Marie, including pieces of her own design, brought to life with the craftsmen and artisans she works with.