December 05, 2022

Tablescape Muses: Nicolas Fairford

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 your eyes peeled throughout the month for other instalments in this series.

Our next Muse is Youtuber and tastemaker, Nicolas Fairford. Nicolas films elegant and relaxing films that celebrate the simplicity of living beautifully every day, from his home and other places around the UK on his travels. He shares his seasonal table settings on his videos, including a beautiful recent festive tablescape featuring our tableware. For his Christmas table, Nicolas used our Clara striped linens, rattan chargers and basketweave plates, mixed in with festive foliage. Read on to discover Nicolas’s table styling tips and Christmas traditions.

Could you share your top tips for styling a Christmas Table?

When it comes to Christmas, I think a little excess is always a good idea. I really like to pack out my Christmas table with glassware, dinnerware, side plates, chargers, linens etc. You can really get away with a lot of layering in this season, so my advice is to go all out! Have a tablecloth, place mat, and even a charger - this will provide the chance to layer up your table and really have fun with all the different colour and textures. I also think it’s a good idea to have some kind of theme for your table, so it looks cohesive. With my table this year I’ve gone for a kind of natural, woodland theme. This scheme is mostly through colours and textures. I’m using lots of green and brown, as well as natural materials like rattan. To finish it off I’ve taken foliage from the garden and woven it throughout my setting for a real festive feel.

What are your favourite ways to decorate your home for Christmas?

I always think the most beautiful things come from nature, and so whichever season I’m decorating my home, I always look back to nature. As well as putting up my Christmas Tree, I also like to add a lot of nature into my home by creating garlands for fireplaces, wreaths for external doors and windows, and adding seasonal plants like potted bulbs throughout my home. There can be a lot of glitter and glamour at Christmas, but I think nothing beats a natural elegance. 

What extra little touches do you add to your table over the festive period?

I like to buy things that I can use all year round, however I will invest in little touches that I can add to my decor year after year. This year I really loved the charming Christmas napkins from Rebecca Udall. They add such a whimsical touch to the table, and I know they will be a great conversation starter. 

Do you have any family traditions at Christmas?

When I was younger, we would always celebrate Christmas in Cornwall. Something that we would do every year on Christmas Day is have a family walk on the beach after Christmas Lunch. It was such a fun way to ease the post-lunch bloat - we always laughed a lot. Fun times!

What is your favourite Festive Drink?

I absolutely love a hot chocolate with a shot of Baileys. I never drink either throughout the rest of the year, so it always feels like a very special festive treat.

Any tips for seamless entertaining?

I think the key to seamless entertaining is to prepare as much as possible. Think about the end goal, for example to be sat at the table by 3pm and be ready to eat, and then work backwards from there to get your timings in order and be super prepared.

Food is obviously going to take up a huge amount of time and energy, so everything else that needs doing should be done in advance. I always like to set my table the evening before, so the focus can then be on everything else.

My number one tip is to have a glass or two of champagne, relax, and just enjoy yourself. Even if things go awry, it will be a fun memory one day!