Light some candles and make it a candlelit dinner every night

Making time to sit down and eat dinner at the table might sound like something your mum made you do, but it’s undoubtedly a lovely ritual to have at the end of the day. Whether you exchange tales from work, discuss what the kids got up to, or just sit quietly, it’s a moment of pause in what can be a day where you feel like you haven’t stopped for a second.

We often talk about ‘candlelit dinners’ as something exclusively reserved for trips to Paris and all-out Valentine dinners, but there’s no reason for them to be. By having a nice candle holder and candle to hand, you’re far more likely to light it, not because it’s a special occasion, but just to make your evening that little bit nicer. Who doesn’t love the gentle flicker of a candle?

We’ve picked some options to adorn your dinner table with, whether it’s a steak and wine night, or just a pasta and sauce kind of evening.

Formal enough for a dinner party but sleek enough to stay on the table permanently, this design holds four long candles, which will provide plenty of light. It also doubles as a centrepiece during the daytime, even when the candles aren’t lit. Kubus black 4 candleholder, €148, Finnish Design Shop

If you’re not ready to commit to the traditional long candles, why not go for a more casual tealight holder? It will add a soft glow without dominating your table, and no one is going to knock it over, either. This terrazzo design gets bonus points for being extremely on-trend. Terrazzo tealight holder, €7.99, Zara Home

The simplest designs are often the ones we use most often, which is why we can see these pared-back offerings becoming a permanent fixture at our tables. Completed with a long candle, they’ll add a little something to a weeknight dinner, without feeling over the top. Their textured finish will also add interest to the table. Cast iron candle holder, €16.50, Industry & Co

If it seems like a waste to light a candle for a dinner that will only last 10 minutes (no judgement, hanger is real), why not go for a design that you can easily move when you’re done? The cute handle on this glass tea light holder means you can put it next to your Netflix/reading/trying not to fall asleep spot on the sofa when dinner is over. Chickidee green glass tea light candle holder, €8.30, Asos

Reminiscent of more traditional candle holders, yet with a modern edge, this iron design will look equally elegant in the centre of a table, or lighting up a sideboard or mantelpiece. Finish with black candles for a monochrome look. Madison black cast metal long dinner candle holder, around €29, Habitat

And to fill them…

Beeswax dinner candles, €12.50, Irish Design Shop. Colour merging candles, €12, Industry & Co. Jubla unscented candles, €6, Ikea.

Featured image: Tunes centrepiece, €170, Finnish Design Shop

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