Seasonal Settings

This year may be a little quieter than Christmases past but we’re determined to keep up the traditions – not least when it comes to laying a beautiful festive table.

Don’t be afraid to move away from traditional colours when it comes to your Christmas table. All that’s needed is an additional bit of sparkle, in silver or gold, to turn your year-round favourite pieces festive. In this relaxed set-up, Rockett St George’s rose pink and gold Champagne coupes are teamed with a muted, dusky pink linen tablecloth, while gold decorations and ditsy starburst fairy lights reflect the glassware’s metallic accents. This is a look that’s all about understated glamour, and while it’s largely contemporary in feel, it offers a nod to art deco elegance.

£21.95 for a set of two glasses (rockettstgeorge.co.uk)

No Christmas table is complete without a beautiful centrepiece to bring it all together. Think florals and candles for a traditional look, or borrow bright decorations from the tree to create sculptural interest that’s both quirky and contemporary. As part of the brand’s comprehensive festive home styling service, Kitten Grayson Flowers provides magnificent table decorations – as well as wild and whimsical large-scale installations. In using dried flowers, the creations are both everlasting, adhering to Kitten Grayson’s commitment to sustainability, and they offer high fashion faded glamour.

The full festive home styling service starts at £1,000 +VAT (kittengrayson.com)

The art of tablescaping is enjoying quite a moment and there’s no better time of year than Christmas to get creative with our crockery – alongside our glassware, cutlery, candles and found wintry foliage. A table decorated with sculptural layers in perfect symmetry is a wholly inviting one – and that’s before you’ve presented the roast goose. Burleigh’s Palisade and Hibiscus plates are stacked for textural interest, while the classic blue and cream colourway is echoed in the roses, glassware and candle holders. We love the addition of the blue velvet cutlery bows, elevating this table setting into a regal affair.

Plates from £16 (burleigh.co.uk)

Napkin folding is a universe in itself – and that’s particularly pertinent when it comes to dressing the Christmas table. It’s one way to bring individual place settings to life, personalising our plates with a finishing flourish. But you don’t have to be an expert in origami to create a wonderfully welcoming setting – and you can’t go wrong with a focus on quality fabrics if complicated displays aren’t your thing. Proving that sometimes less is more, Chalk Pink Linen Company’s Tumbled grey linen napkins are simply folded and tied with a sprig of Gypsophilia for a lovely laid-back look, that’s no less Christmassy.

£9 each (chalkpinklinencompany.co.uk)

Create the perfect backdrop to your tablescaping masterpiece with an extra special Christmas tablecloth. Summerill & Bishop’s offering includes a collection of exquisite hand-painted linens, all of which are gilded for Christmassy glamour. Bringing a craft-driven and contemporary look to the table is the splatter tablecloth in white and gold. Created by Italian artisans, the sumptuous pure linen is covered in flecks of the richest fabric paint, making each one unique – these are textiles to treasure. A bright and busy background like this allows us to pare back the tableware. Go dark with your crockery for a striking contrast.

From £525 (summerillandbishop.com)