November 09, 2022

Tablescape Muses: Carrie Santana da Silva

To celebrate the start of the festive season, we’ve collaborated with a handful of tastemakers for our inaugural Tablescape Muses series. Our Muses have styled a dining table in their own homes for Christmas using their selection of our festive tableware, interpreted in their own way. Keep you r eyes peeled throughout the month for other instalments in this series.

Our first Muse is Carrie Santana da Silva, the woman behind popular lifestyle blog WishWishWish. Carrie is a talented photographer and videographer who creates content for other brands alongside her own channels. She’s recently relocated back to her home county of Somerset after 13 years in London and is sharing beautiful photographs of her new life in the country on her Instagram. Carrie styled a beautiful festive table using our Clara striped linens for her first Christmas in her new home. Read on to discover Carrie’s table styling tips and how she decorates her home for the festive season.

Could you share your top tips for styling a Christmas table?
I think in the past I’ve gone a little overboard with decor, and then when it comes to actually using the table rather than photographing it, everything gets a little too tight! Of course, if you have the tabletop space, a garland down the middle or multiple floral arrangements are always very welcome, but my focus is on making the table a practical space too. When I host friends, I prefer to do big sharing plates, so making sure they fit is important.

What are your favourite ways to decorate your home for Christmas?
Over the past few years, I’ve been slowly switching out old, tired decorations and making my own instead with either natural materials or things I’ve found around the house. Not only is it a particularly relaxing Sunday afternoon activity to sit and make your own tissue paper baubles, but it feels all the more special when they go up. It’s amazing what you’re able to create with some paper and gold paint!

What extra little touches to you add to your table over the festive period?
A couple of Christmases ago I embarked on another of my festive DIY projects. I collected oak leaves that had fallen from a nearby tree (only a handful of funny looks from strangers for harvesting my Christmas decorations from the floor!) and took them home to give them a quick clean before ‘gilding’ them, painting them with a metallic gold paint. Surprisingly, they are standing the test of time, and make the loveliest addition dotted around the table.

Do you have any family traditions at Christmas?
I’m not sure our December 25th is particularly unique- lots of food, presents and boardgames! But we’ve just moved to Somerset, and I think it may be the beginning of our household hosting Christmas rather than cramming in at mum and dad’s, so no doubt that a few new traditions will be born this year.

Any tips for seamless entertaining?
Hosting friends for a Christmas meal is one of my favourite things to do at this time of year but spending the entire evening in the kitchen and away from guests is less appealing. But I think I’ve cracked it! I bought a couple of fondue sets- melting a big pot of cheese doesn’t take too long, and the majority of accompaniments don’t require any cooking at all, so you can prep them on platters ahead of time and crack them all out as soon as it’s mealtime. And who doesn’t love melted cheese?