The festive season is the perfect time to go to town on your tablescape and create a beautiful and memorable table that your friends and family will love and enjoy.
It can be hard to know where to start, but we have a few tips that may make it easier…
- CONSIDER YOUR GUESTS – is it a small affair with just adults, or will you have lots of family and children? Do you have a formal Christmas or a more relaxed one? Ultimately you want everyone to feel relaxed and not out of place.
- PICK A THEME – before you start gathering your tableware, picking a theme will help you stay focused. Think rustic, contemporary or maximalist, minimalist or it could even be an eclectic mix but at least you will know your direction. A theme could be as simple as one colour or you may like to think about matching it to your existing décor. We tend to stay away from being too ‘matchy’ with our table designs, and often try to stick to one dominant colour and two complimentary colours or tones. A mix of new and antique can also add a great dimension.
- THINK ABOUT THE FUNCTIONALITY - A beautiful table is so lovely, but you need to remember to leave room to sit and eat and also hold conversations with those around your table. From a functional point of view, you need to consider crockery (plates and bowls), cutlery, glassware and napkins. You can then style with bud vases, candles and fun festive decor.
- START WITH LINENS – Choosing your tablecloth or table runner first helps you build the design. If you choose a patterned or coloured tablecloth this will be your dominant colour from which you can complement with other elements of your table. Tablecloths are great if you need to cover the table, or a runner if you have a beautiful table to show off, or of course you can use both! We believe that all patterns and colours can work for Christmas, however we like to stay away from the obvious festive patterns.
- LIGHTING – Christmas is ALL about the lighting and it’s the lighting that creates the ambience. Candles are a perfect way to add in varying heights. If you choose a candlestick with a taper candle, these can be complimented with tea lights or even pillar candles with no candlestick. Just remember not to put too much at eye level so not to block anyones view.
- SEASONAL FOLIAGE - Avoid blocking the view across your table with an oversized centrepiece, instead we much prefer to spread smaller vases of flowers along the entire table to delight everyone around the table. A non-linear arrangement of your bud vases creates a more relaxed vibe. For a formal occasion, you should pay special attention to lines and balance throughout your tablescape.
- FINISHING TOUCHES – choosing the finishing touches is the most transformative part of table styling. They can tie your scheme together. Finishing touches can be anything from candles to name places or Christmas décor. If you are having children on Christmas Day adding a few reindeers or snowy trees are a way of showing them you wanted to include aspects they would enjoy. A lovely idea that we always use is getting the children to write name places.
In summary, there are really no real rules and our advice is to focus on your personal preferences and traditions when planning your Christmas table styling. You don’t have to purchase a whole new tablescape easy year, many pieces are timeless and many themes / styles can be created from the same elements. We like to add one extra ‘festive’ piece of décor each year. A beautiful new tablecloth can completely transform your table, and could still be paired with your favourite candlesticks that you have had for years.
Most importantly just enjoy the special time with your loved ones.
Happy Christmas Table planning,
Gemma and Sarah X
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