Set the Holiday Table with Ilirida Krasniqi

We join Ilirida Krasniqi in her Copenhagen home, where the scent of tradition meets the expression of modern design in a festive table setting layered with meaning.

In Ilirida Krasniqi’s Copenhagen home, celebration begins long before the meal is served. It lives in the scent of byrek baking in the kitchen, in the sound of conversation rising from the living room, and in the gentle reflection of candlelight on glass. Here, Albanian roots meet Scandinavian sensibility, creating an atmosphere of warmth and elegance.

Ilirida’s dual life as a dentist and a creative presence in fashion is mirrored in her surroundings, where precision and aesthetic sensitivity coexist naturally. “Just as precision matters in dentistry, proportions and layout matter when setting a table,” she explains. “And just like in fashion, I’m drawn to timeless pieces.” That same sense of proportion carries through her home, where design icons and modernist details meet to form a space that feels deeply personal yet effortlessly timeless.

When the holidays arrive, Ilirida’s home becomes a space for connection. “Celebration, to me, is about being truly present with the people who matter most,” she says. Her gatherings are guided by ease: laughter that lingers, slow meals, and small gestures that make people feel at home. Over the past year, she has turned cocktail-making into a ritual of care. “It’s become a little tradition,” she smiles. “I like to prepare a drink that feels thoughtful and balanced; it’s another way of expressing creativity through craft.” Each cocktail reflects her tactile sensibility, an intimate act of hosting expressed through the interplay of texture and taste.

The art of hosting runs deep in her Albanian heritage. “It’s about making sure every guest feels welcome and offering the best of what we have,” she says. Her approach to the holiday table is shaped by those roots — by generosity, food and a cultivated sense of togetherness. The scents of byrek and baklava are part of her earliest memories, intertwined with the sounds of laughter and Albanian songs playing in the background. “It’s that combination of scent and sound that brings the deepest sense of nostalgia,” she recalls. Even today, she recreates those familiar flavors with care, seasoning her dishes with Vegeta, a simple spice blend that instantly transports her back in time.

In her Copenhagen home, Ilirida has discovered a slower rhythm defined by ease and intention. “I love including old recipes from my mum or my mother-in-law; it keeps our traditions alive,” she says. “But I’ve also embraced the Scandinavian approach of simplicity: less is more. I don’t prepare as much food as we traditionally do in Albanian culture, but I focus on dishes that are simple, flavorful and satisfying. It’s about creating balance — still full, but not overwhelming.”

That philosophy extends to her festive table. Her palette is neutral yet rich in material contrast: rippled glassware beside matte ceramics, silver cutlery resting on raw linen, and soft candlelight flickering across polished metal. The effect is subtle but deeply sensory, a table that feels contemporary and personal. “The table shouldn’t compete with the meal or the people,” she says. “It should enhance the atmosphere, not dictate it.”

Lighting, too, plays a defining role. “My boyfriend is a photographer, so lighting has become part of how we set the mood,” she explains. “It can completely change the atmosphere and make everything feel more intimate.” In her home, light becomes texture, bouncing off glass, glinting on cutlery, and softening across linen. It moves gently through the space, revealing the balance that defines her world: a dialogue between heritage and modernity, precision and warmth, expressed through the simple beauty of how she sets the table.

Discover the pieces that bring Ilirida’s holiday table to life and explore our wider Holiday Collection, featuring timeless designs that balance form, feeling and festive warmth.

Shop the Holiday Collection.