Our tips for styling a beautiful Christmas table

Whatever the theme at Christmas, it’s crucial that the final table delivers an atmosphere because sitting down for Christmas lunch is, without doubt, the highlight of the festive season for most, and it’s a time to indulge those we love. In spring and summer, a special occasion tablescape can be impactful - beautiful – and a sight to behold – but for a winter dark occasion, it does need to feel a little bit more special. Here are our favourite Christmas table decorating ideas.

Always plan a theme for the table that complements your festive home, and consider what you can achieve with the space you have. Ask what works for your table. Is it small, large, round or rectangular? The surface available will help you choose the right decoration for a stylish Christmas tablescape. Gather your ingredients well ahead so as not to feel the pressure on the day, maintaining the same Christmas colour scheme as the rest of your home as you go. Stock up on matching or coordinating ribbons and similarly themed Christmas baubles to enrich the table and fill gaps. If practical, dressing the Christmas table the night before is a great option, at least with the table cloth and a Christmas table runner and napkins to get ahead.

‌“The main ingredients for delivering the atmosphere with your festive tablescape are the tableware you choose, the centrepiece and the lighting. These elements are often dictated by the space and furniture available.”

Before making plans for an elaborate Christmas centrepiece, calculate the space each guest will need. At Christmas, this might mean considering more than plates and cutlery. Will you be using Christmas table mats, serving dishes and more than one form of drinking glass? Once you have your allocated space in mind, assess the dimensions of your Christmas dinner table. A small round table may benefit from an above-the-table display to maximise the surface space for guests – or a small central wreath combined with a candle or a circular centrepiece. For a long rectangular table, garlands work really well to fill the length, as do our brush tree forests, which are pre-lit, so they deliver decoration and lighting all in one.

Candlelight is a must for a festive table. Combining contrasting sizes of pre-lit accessories and candles to add height and interest is the perfect way to bring festive light to your table. With Nordic Lodge, we have styled the table with our pre-lit willow garland to bring the outside in and our matte black candlesticks in three sizes for a striking addition that adds a modern touch and height contrast. And for our Elegance Era table, a statement, opulent brass candle holders and our brass candelabra creates a table that invites warmth and luxurious depth. Choose LED candles if you have small guests around the table and a combination of tall candles and small tealights to ensure your table is illuminated well enough for only an additional table lamp to light the rest of the room.

‌“We have styled many hero tablescapes over the years and one thing they always have in common is that they are generously decorated with candlelight and pre-lit accessories.”

Although tempting, it’s not essential to use completely matching or dedicated Christmas tableware sets. Simply maintain a single shade when selecting your Christmas tableware and weave in some unique pieces. Our Ilana dinnerware is simple in style, adding a luxurious finish that will elevate any Christmas tablescape, and our Ruffled Serving Platter, because of its ruffled edge, gives white china a fresh and interesting look. For an elegant table display, choose fluted glassware to provide more for the eye to behold and opt for tall stems to add interest at height, and remember that if your wine glasses pair with your water glasses, it elevates the style stakes of your tablescape. Or for something with a touch of modern charm, our olive glassware adds some beautiful colour to your display. Vintage cutlery is a nice to touch when mixing material finishes for interest, and metallic pieces will reflect the light on the table. Remember to consider your serveware alongside your tableware - if it complements the table, it will elevate your occasion.

‌“We enjoy gold accents on the festive table because they work beautifully against the candlelight to enhance the look and because one of the best ways to create a bit of drama on your table is to use contrasting materials. Our Four Gold Leaf Champagne Coupes feel special, and the gold decorative rim shimmers in the low light.”

When laying your festive table, begin with the linens and a complete set of dinnerware for the table’s foundation. Place Christmas napkins beneath your special occasion cutlery, add your glassware, and set your centrepiece in place. Finally, style with festive accessories and pretty wrapped parcels (wrapping paper is an affordable way to tie the colours of your Christmas home to the table). Nestle in tall candle holders for height at this point, and fill empty voids with complementing baubles and decorations. If you don’t have space for the traditional placement of your Christmas napkins, why not incorporate them into your Christmas table decorating ideas? Look at festive napkin folding ideas or decorate simply with ribbon bows and name tags and place them onto your tableware. Consider alleviating some of the demands on your table space by storing wine bottles in a standing champagne bucket or a wine cooler placed on the sideboard. 

Our Glistening Glass trend features a compact dining space and a small round table with an above-the-table display to maximise the surface space for dining. This look aims to show how using simple pieces and a starlit atmosphere to make a small space feel like a magical wonderland using hanging pre-lit ornaments. Our feature lights halo the compact festive table, providing a focus that leads the eye to the dining scene and offers a breathtaking look.  Alternatively, hang paper Christmas decorations in an arrangement for a simple, neutral Christmas look. Our Retro Luxe trends encapsulates minimalist sophistication in an earthy and neutral palette for a vintage statement which will add a festive atmosphere to your home, without taking over your space.

Since we pair our wrap and ribbon with our trends, we style our tables with wrapped parcels and gift bags - it’s such an easy way to complement the table, connect to the rest of the festive home and create a place setting. With our Classic Christmas table, we have introduced sweet little house parcels as a place setting to add a beautiful addition to your table. You could even place a little gift in them for your guests for an extra touch of magic. The appearance of the parcels makes a visual connection to the tree for a cohesive look - which will always make for a more impressive festive home. A cute way to fill empty voids is also by using beautiful, decorated glass baubles. If you don’t own pre-lit accessories, Christmas string lights (our “naked wire lights”) are easy to disguise and bring a charming twinkle to everything, from festive table centres to Christmas wreaths. T’is also the season for mismatched seating. When guests outnumber dining chairs, create a united feel by adding posies of fragrant winter herbs tied with sumptuous velvet ribbon bows to the backs of the chairs you find for the table.

“Glassware is as effective as a wall mirror for reflecting light. Ribbed wine glasses or champagne flutes will accentuate the sparkling glow from candles or fairy lights even more efficiently and our champagne coupes with their beautiful gold leaf pattern bring an extra sparkle of their own to the table.”

With so much expectation and emotion attached to lunch on the big day, we hope you’ll find inspiration and reassurance in these stylish but achievable Christmas table decoration ideas.