Seven Christmas Table Styling Ideas by Rebecca Udall
It’s time to begin thinking about your Christmas table styling. Whether you’re hosting an intimate gathering or entertaining the whole family, the festive season offers the opportunity to make a statement with your tablescaping to create a beautiful and memorable Christmas table that your guests will delight in. This is, after all, the time of year when you can pull out all the bells and whistles; where the decorations on your table are just as important as the food.
Personally, my Christmas table is the one I look forward to all year, and I love to adapt how I style the table every year, taking beloved pieces I’ve owned for years and giving them a new twist. There are a few treasured pieces that I use year after year, but I also like to treat myself to a couple of new additions to add to my collection of festive tableware. Many of my Christmas tablescaping tricks are tried and tested, but I do find joy in discovering new ideas. Read on to discover my advice for elevating your own Christmas table this year – plus my tips on colours and centrepieces, and a little inspiration from the tables we styled from this year’s festive photoshoot.
Rebecca’s tips to elevate your Christmas table
I have acquired several tips and tricks for styling a Christmas table over the years. Truthfully, building up a considered collection of tableware alongside a few exceptional pieces makes it easier to style a Christmas table. I like to keep the following items in my own collection, which can be mixed and matched for a variety of occasions (not just for Christmas): a selection of beautiful tablecloths, an array of textured pieces, and a lovely mixture of glassware and plates. I then add seasonal accessories such as flowers, ribbons and different coloured dinner candles to transform my table. If you’re in need of further advice, here are a selection of ideas for how to make your table feel that little bit more special this Christmas …
Add something unexpected
I like adding something unexpected or possibly clashing to the table. As I feel is the case broadly with anything from a design point of view, anything too considered can feel contrived and doesn’t offer the atmosphere I want to create at mealtimes. This could be the addition of a vibrant pattern (such as our marbled napkins or a small, exquisitely wrapped gift placed on each setting) or perhaps an innovative way to display your napkins (try loosely tying them with a silk or velvet ribbon). At our festive photoshoot at Charlotte’s Folly, the dining room had a wonderful dried flower installation hanging on one wall, which was an unexpected twist on a traditional floral centrepiece or garland. I also love the idea of using a selection of our miniature bronze sculptures to add seasonality and interest to centrepieces or place settings – bronze-cast walnuts, pears and figs are all unexpected additions that will elevate your table.
Use seasonal flowers
I try not to be overly precious when considering the colours of the flowers that I use for tablescapes – mostly because the availability of flowers in the north of England tends to be more limited (I realised this after visiting both London and Leeds flower markets), but also because I like the table to feel slightly eclectic. To me, it’s more important that the flowers are seasonal and have a whimsical, loose style. At this time of year, I especially love hellebores, which are sometimes referred to as ‘Christmas roses’. Pots of paperwhites are also beautiful, and you can introduce more texture by adding moss to the base of the plants. They will also last for longer, and can be displayed around your home following your meal.
Add different layers to your table
I like a table to feel layered, whether that’s through different textures, patterns or colours. Velvet ribbons or small gifts wrapped in marbled paper are a great addition to add interest to a Christmas table. Equally, coloured or optical/rippled glassware is unexpected and adds an extra touch. Rattan is generally more of an informal texture, but our rattan chargers can be used for any occasion – including Christmas – to add height, texture and a more relaxed element to each place setting. I used them for my wedding tables, and love how they soften a more formal table setting. You can also add texture through your choice of napkin rings, cutlery and candleholders.
What should (and shouldn't) be on a table at Christmas
There are things, in my view, that are must haves on a Christmas table. The base of every table begins with your tablecloth, which sets the tone for the rest of your tablescape. A classic white hemstitch tablecloth could easily be styled for the festive season, but I personally prefer to add a bold, seasonal colour or an eye-catching print such as our marbled linen designs. I love to use jewel-like colours at this time of year: warming and glowing amber, botanical and rich fir green, and festive and decadent burgundy.
Once you’ve decided on your choice of tablecloth, all the other elements of your table will follow. From a functional point of view, you need to consider crockery (dinner plates, side plates and bowls), cutlery, glassware, placemats and/or chargers, and napkins. To create more of an atmosphere and dress your table, you should also consider adding vases for flowers, candles and candle holders, napkin rings (or ribbon to tie them with), platters and serveware, salt and pepper shakers, and decorative accessories such as our bronze-cast decorations, Christmas baubles or gold-sprayed peppercorn branches. Instead of, or as well as Christmas crackers, I like to add a small token (such as a beautifully wrapped gift) to each plate. Name cards and menu cards are also a lovely touch (I like to order mine from Romeo & Jules and hand write them, but it would be a considered touch to make your own).
What is more important than anything is to be true to your own style, family traditions and preferred way of dining. For some of us, that is very formal and for others, less so. I don’t think there’s anything you ‘shouldn’t’ include on your Christmas table, but personally I stay clear of prints that are too obviously festive, and I make sure I don’t use anything too tall for a centrepiece that would obscure my guest’s line of sight across the table.
How to decorate a table centrepiece for Christmas
As aforementioned, my main consideration when decorating a table centrepiece for any occasion (not just for Christmas) is to ensure its height doesn’t block the view across the table. You want your guests to be able to speak freely without having to move gigantic vases of flowers out of their way. Personally, I tend not to create one central focus to my table for both this reason and that my dining table is rectangular – I want each of my guests to enjoy the decorations in front of them, not just those seated in the middle. I tend to scatter smaller vases of seasonal flowers or lower planter-style arrangements with dinner candles all along the centre of the table, creating a more intimate dining experience. This allows for warm candlelight to envelope the entire table, and also leaves space for placing platters or ice buckets.
I like to use whimsical flowers that are in season, and usually source these from a local florist. Small vessels such as our Elizabeth, Pandora and Emily vases are ideal for smaller displays – while our new brass basket planters offer something a little bit different. I would then place larger arrangements of flowers in one of our Flora or Beatrice urns on a sideboard, to decorate the whole room, not just the table.
Christmas table setting: colour considerations
As with all other elements of your Christmas table, there are no ‘rules’ as such. Your tablescape is down to your personal preference. However, it is observed that warmer, richer colours conjure up more of a festive atmosphere. This year, we have focused our tableware collections around three decadent colour palettes: amber, fir green and burgundy. These hues all feel elegant, cosy and suitably festive – especially when paired with elements such as gold and brass touches, rattan accessories, and the soft glow of candlelight. These colour palettes aren’t solely reserved for Christmas, however – they are all seasonless tones that work just as well for moments beyond the festive season.
Within these three collections, you can find key pieces for your table such as tablecloths, napkins, crockery and dinner candles, alongside complementary items like rattan chargers, cutlery and wine glasses. The colour collections can be mixed and matched with each other, rather than being rigid guides for how to style your table. Dark green is a lovely accent to burgundy, for example, as is burgundy to amber. A subtle touch, such as gold filet detailing on a plate or coloured embroidered trim or cording on a napkin can add a refined edge to your tablescape.
Christmas Table Styles
For our festive photoshoot, we created three distinct tablescapes based around our seasonal tones for inspiration. All of these colour palettes can be refined to your own taste, to be given a more contemporary or traditional twist dependent on your choice of styling and accessories. For example, our braided fir green napkin rings add a more modern twist to your place settings, whereas using a thick green velvet ribbon would give a more classic spin to the table.
Winter Warming Ambers
Rich amber, tobacco and mustard hues take inspiration from apricity, the warming glow of the winter sun. For this table, we began with our tobacco classic linen tablecloth, softening the bold colour with a combination of our natural Francesca waxed linen placemats laid beneath natural rattan chargers. The gold trim of our Madeleine dinner plates adds an elegant touch, which is mirrored with the addition of brass hellebore candlesticks. For napkins, we chose our new Georgiana design with chocolate ladder stitch detailing, loosely tied with rich brown velvet ribbons. Ivory cutlery, Murano glass tumblers and optic crystal wine glasses complete the tablescape.
Everlasting Fir Greens
Botanical and festive tones of fir green give a natural, organic look to your Christmas table. For a simple yet effective Christmas tablescape, we paired our forest green linen tablecloth with matching napkins, forgoing placemats and placing brown rattan chargers directly onto the cloth. Again, elegant hints of brass and gold are introduced to the table through the trim of our Madeleine plates and hellebore candlesticks. Soft white dinner candles, glass bud vases and natural wooden cutlery provide a contrast to the dark tones of the linens, balancing the tablescape. A beautifully wrapped gift in marbled paper and silk ribbon is placed on each plate, showcasing a simple way to add a festive touch to your table.
Bold & Decadent Burgundies
Decadent and warming hues of burgundy, plum and raspberry create an elegant ambiance, offering an alternative take on the traditional red tones of the festive season. For this tablescape, deep red dinner candles and red flowers complement our black cherry linen tablecloth, creating a suitably festive palette. Touches of brass accentuate the elegance of this table through our hellebore candlesticks, the trim of our Madeleine plates and our new basket planters, plus ornaments added to the napkin styling. Georgiana placemats with a burgundy ladder stitch trim, brown rattan chargers and black cherry linen napkins create each place setting, alongside our Julia twisted cut crystal wine glasses and tumblers. Tortoiseshell cutlery adds a more contemporary and textured flourish to the tablescape.
Takeaways: Our top christmas table styling tips
In summary, my advice would always be to focus on your personal preferences and traditions when planning your Christmas table styling. If you have beloved tableware or decorations from previous years, include these while adding new elements that will elevate your festive tablescapes for years to come. A beautiful new tablecloth can completely transform your table, but could be paired with your favourite antique candlesticks, for example.
When it comes to styling your Christmas tables, to me, the tablecloth is the most important element along with accent colours and textures. Build up layers, considering each individual element and how you can elevate them. Don’t be afraid to go a little bit further than how you might style a day-to-day table, adding both a placemat and a charger or thinking of innovative ways to style your napkins. Avoid blocking the view across your table with an oversized centrepiece, instead spreading smaller vases of flowers and candlesticks along the entire table to delight each and everyone of your guests.
Feeling inspired? Discover our Christmas table collection, including our Amber, Fir Green and Burgundy table edits.
