Christmas tablescaping: The expert’s guide to creating a chic festive dinner table
The key to being the host with the most this Christmas? Creating the chicest dinner table in all the land
All products are chosen independently by our editors. Luxury London may earn commission on items purchased.
Bought the turkey? Tick. Stocked the wine cabinet? Mostly (and if you haven’t, you’ll find plenty of inspiration here). Christmas party outfit? Sorted. While you may have done most of the important tasks on your hosting to-do list, chances are considering how you’re going to lay your festive table often gets left to the last minute. Which is a mistake. After all, there’s nothing very celebratory about sitting down to turkey and all the trimmings at a bare dinner table with a couple of lousy crackers. Here, we’ve tapped the creative nous of world-renowned florist – AKA the ‘UK’s Queen of Flowers’ – and award-winning designer Willow Crossley for her Christmas tablescaping tips and tricks – plus, a few of our favourite table setting essentials too.
Start with the foundations
Willow Crossley
Let’s begin with laying the table. Berry reds, plum purples, pine greens and burnt oranges are all colours synonymous with Christmas, but be more playful with your table by adding a pop of pattern and sparkle. “I very much subscribe to the idea that more is more at Christmas,” says Crossley. “Expect lots of colour, lots of layering and lots of print. I will be using a flowery tablecloth that’s very green – I always think of green as a neutral [at Christmas] and it’s so easy to layer everything with.”
Crossley suggests pairing your linen with matching – or mis-matched napkins – to tie the table together. “I want it to retain some wow-factor so I’ll keep the napkins the same print and have huge velvet bows sitting on the napkin rings.”
Level-up the essentials
Plates and cutlery are dining table necessities – so why not make them a talking point? Let Christmas mark a new chapter in your kitchen by sprucing up your festive serving dishes – and while we love the more-outlandish-the-better look during December, it doesn’t mean that something simple can’t be effective too.
Crossley adds: “I think if the cloth and napkins are printed, a plain plate is a lovely addition. I have some beautiful scalloped cream plates that are simple, but not boring, which look beautiful. For glasses, we’ve just brought out a collection of Botanica print glasses in a dark green and a white – they’re so airy and whimsical and match the linens so they’ll be coming to the party for sure.”
Incorporate flowers and centrepieces
It’s time to get stuck in. Few decorations are more charming than the ones you’ve created yourself – and for the green-fingered among us, Crossley suggests looking to your garden for some centrepiece inspiration. “I either pot up lots of paperwhites and hyacinths into beautiful different sized pots, topped off with moss splash out, or instead buy multicoloured anemones and ranunculus (buttercups) from the garden centre and dot them down the table in our petal vases.”
For final touches, scatter dried oranges, chocolate coins and walnuts in and around candle holders. “Candles play a big part in any festive dinner table,” adds Crossley. “I love a bright colour or a cream, but never go for white. I’ve just discovered an apple green colour which looks magical and very uplifting.”
Read more: The Interiors Edit – The best new buys for an instant home makeover
