Your go-to guide to laying the perfect Christmas table
gets top expert tips on how to lay and decorate a glorious Christmas dinner table, creating a festive but stylish look to wow your visitors.
There's something about a gorgeously laid table which can absolve any shortcomings in the host’s culinary efforts.
If the turkey comes out of the oven erring on the wrong side of crispy, and the Brussels sprouts look like they’ve been boiled for three days, don’t worry: presentation is everything, and just keep the drink flowing.
Like everything else in interiors, table- laying falls victim to the vagaries of trends, but who doesn’t like to freshen things up and maybe add just a touch of something different to traditional looks?
Julie Donovan, buyer and stylist with Meadows & Byrne, says:
“You can’t go wrong with red. It’s not a trend so you can invest in tableware and linens. Our Christmas Classic look is traditionally red and gold, but this year we’re using silver.
"It’s sophisticated and modern. Midnight Christmas is our second look which is dark blue with gold accents.
This one is elegant and grown-up, and more of a nod to Christmas. It would be perfect for a New Year’s Eve dinner.
Merry and Bright is our third. It mixes silver and gold with touches of green.
To pull it all together whichever look you opt for, or maybe you already have a look which has become a tradition, Julie has four organisational tips.
PLANNING
Get everything together a week before to make sure you have enough plates, cutlery and glasses, and lay the table on Christmas Eve so you’re not stressing while trying to manhandle the turkey in the oven.
A table plan makes seating much easier if you have a crowd, and it makes life easier too for the guests, especially if some don’t get on.
Use a wash-off marker pen in gold or silver to write names on glasses or side plates.
LAYERING
Use a placemat, charger, dinner plate, side plate and soup bowl, depending on what you’re serving.
Try things like a cutlery stuffer, maybe a little Santa’s boot which the children can put the cutlery in. It makes them feel involved and can become a job they do every year.
LINENS
Runners show off your nice table. They’re better with children around as they can’t pull the tablecloth off. Always use real napkins. They’re better for the environment and you only have to invest once,so you save in the long run and they look wonderful.
Tie them with a ribbon and insert a sprig of rosemary, a candy cane or a little Christmas tree.
It will look like you’ve made a big effort but it’s all really easy.
CENTREPIECES
These are a dilemma: You don’t want it to look like a wall of installation, so go for something with tall slim candles where you can see who’s sitting across from you.
If you need to put serving bowls on the table, lift the centrepiece out and place it on a mantle or console table and put the turkey in its place. Low pillar candles could also be used and still have a full view across the table.
Add in little touches like Christmas trees, cinnamon sticks, clippings of foliage and dried slices of orange.
Of course, most of us will already have plenty of tableware and linens and won’t necessarily want to buy more, but what do you do if you don’t have a full set of plates or glassware for the number of guests?
Julie maintains it doesn’t matter, but there is a method to making mismatched work so the table doesn’t look messy and thrown together.
“If you have matching dinner plates, use mismatched side plates or vice versa, but make sure all your glasses match. You can even use tumblers rather than wine glasses like the Italians if you don’t have enough stemware.
“Bring nature in with little sprigs from the Christmas tree and rosemary from the garden for some natural decoration.
“When it comes to serving up, old and chipped serving ware can ruin a table,so serve food from the kitchen or from a console table and then it doesn’t spoil the visual,” she says.
TOP TIP
Dinner candles don’t all have to be brand new. Varying heights look interesting and you’re not wasting what you have.
The important thing is to make memories which will last a lifetime.
Light your candles 20 minutes before guests arrive so the wax pools, and to make sure you don’t have any wick problems.
