My favourite time of the year is definitely Christmas, and my favourite part of Christmas is when the whole family comes together for a massive shared feast on Christmas day.

It’s all about the attention to detail and a few special touches that make each table setting feel special and full, and in this post, I’m going to share with you my process of bringing the table to life to create something really special at home.

Colour

The first thing you need to consider are the colours you want to work with. Personally, I love keeping things traditional and playing with Christmas colours of green and reds, with little pops of copper, brass or gold embellishments and, festive patterns and textures along the way.

It’s important to be mindful and stick to the theme within each element to ensure everything ties together seamlessly.

Step one, choose a table cloth. Opting for something with a pattern, print or a simple pop of colour that will bring all your different details on the table to life.

Next onto plates, go for something in a plain colour, a key-line rim or, a festive pattern. Here at The Grounds we use a country farm-style green terracotta plate but depending on your preference, I recommend placing a single plate or even adding a charger plate with a key-line rim in a contrasting colour to your table cloth.

For cutlery, I love working with matte-copper or silver cutlery with lots of intricate detail on the handles. I find plain silver cutlery can bring the setting undone and take away from the festive look & feel we’re trying to create.

Tip: Place two sets of cutlery to create a fuller look on the table.

Different glassware, I love crystal-cut vintage looking glassware – look for anything detailed to add another level of texture and detail to the table. I also recommend at least two glasses per guest (water glass and a wine glass,) or if you can, three glasses (add a champagne flute.) This will bring beautiful warm reflections off the glassware once candles are lit on the table.

Placing something on top of the plate is really important for a finishing touch! I recommend using a fabric napkin that has subtle texture or a printed pattern.  Tie with twine a little handwritten name tag with holly & berries or cinnamon & rosemary for something more aromatic.

Let’s face it… it’s not a Christmas dinner without Christmas crackers!

While it may seem a little bit of a novelty placing traditional Christmas crackers at each setting for your guests is a must! It’s a fun way for everyone to interact with one another and with so many different designs you’ll be sure to find a style that suits your setting.

Once the place settings are complete, it’s time to style up the table centrepieces. I find it quite nice to have trailing foliage with ivy, pine, or asparagus fern, which are quite inexpensive and an easy way to create a full and abundant look. Add depth and textures by placing pine cones, scattering cinnamon sticks and sprinkling star anise to create a beautifully aromatic and fresh centrepiece.

Tip: When styling the centrepiece, aim to create it no higher than 15cm – while big installations can look stunning, it’s important that your guests can still easily engage with one another across the dinner table.

To make it really special, I love placing little tea lights in vintage votives throughout the centrepiece, or if your prefer something without a live flame, try battery pack fairy lights in a warm light. Cool light can feel a little bright and clinical so I recommend avoiding this type of light and always go for “warm light.” Yellow light = warm, blue light = cool.

Thinking about the whole experience, if you’re serving canapes or drinks that will be roved to your guests make sure to style it by creating something that appeals to all of your senses with few festive aromas such as slices of oranges, star anise, cinnamon quills, rosemary, little berries, pine or ferns.

Tip: Be careful when using greenery such as holly, while it’s very traditional it can tend to be spiky so opt for softer foliage.

Christmas is the perfect time of year to get creative and create something amazing! So don’t be afraid to play around with lots of different textures & tones that fit within your colour palette, and add your personal touches through your decorations.

Happy styling!