Dressed for dinner: how to style your Christmas table

From folksy to noir, here are five themes to style your Christmas table this year — and each one is sure to impress. 

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Barbara Chandler15 December 2017

WHITE

A white-and-silver Christmas table is always dreamy. Clear glassware and stainless steel or silver cutlery are useful year round. A roll of wrapping paper can become a silvered runner. Add silver-coloured charger plates and cut out white star or snowflake place mats using online templates. Spray-frost greenery from the garden and finish with a lavish sprinkling of silver baubles.

Zinc-finish jug, £12 and charger plate, £6; four fizz flutes, £18; four wine-glasses, £20; 16-piece dinner set, £23; four napkin rings, £8; four snowflake place mats, £5; four napkins, £5; 10 crackers, £10; all at Dunelm.

NOIR

I’m dreaming of a black Christmas… channel your dark side with a table laid with inky fabric. You could use John Lewis curtain lining in navy, black or grey, £6.50 a metre. Add your usual white china. Or go for glossy dark grey Vardagen dinner plates, recently reduced to £1.50, side plate, £1.25; all at Ikea. Add gold or silver accents for that festive touch.

“Aim for midnight sky, with hammered metals and layered china on a dramatic backdrop.” says Lois Vincent of home design at House of Fraser. Pictured are navy and gold marbled crackers, £15.40 for six; Clairmont dinnerware, from £8; copper-coloured cutlery, £60 for a 16-piece set; metal charger plate, £14.40; baubles, £6. All at House of Fraser (318 Oxford St, W1 and 101 Victoria St, SW1; 0141 404 3747; houseoffraser.co.uk).

FOLKSY

Tapping into familiar wintry stories and motifs, translated into red and white, this charming theme will please young and old alike. Think hearts, stags, berries and all-over prints.

For the table: Festive Folklore embossed platter, £8; tree platter, £10; tree bowl, £4; cutlery, 16 pieces, £26; gold wreath, £18; four red felt place mats, £6; four red-and-grey napkins, £8. All from Sainsbury’s.

FUN

Out with the old and in with the new — shades of pink, turquoise, lime, scarlet and orange. “The more colour the better,” says Amy Rich, creative manager at Habitat, where Christmas is very bright this year. “Have candles for that warm glow, and vases with eucalyptus and spruce for Christmas scents.” Don’t worry about taste — just have a happy “Kitschmas”.

Pictured is the multicoloured sequin two-metre garland, £10; facet baubles, £8 for six; mini crackers, £6 for eight; crackers, £20 for six; robot bauble, £20 for three. All habitat.co.uk or at the big store in Tottenham Court Road and mini Habitats in Nine Elms and Wandsworth.

Fresh Christmas selections: greenery from flowerbe.co.uk
Jason Ingram

FRESH

Grace your Christmas table with flowers and greenery for a natural informal look. Lisa Roberts of FlowerBe suggests a long table runner. “Cut side shoots off a large pine branch, and snake these down the centre of the table. Add cinnamon sticks, nuts, berries and pine cones and gold touches – stars, say, and finish with touches of moss. Leave space for candles and tealights.” Repeat on your mantelpiece and/or sideboard. Or cheat with fakes from OKA (oka.com).

FlowerBe is a friendly family-run company (founded by brother and sister Lisa Roberts and Sean Millard), offering Christmas selections delivered in a box for you to arrange. Prices are: tall selection: £30; short selection, £26; market special, £22, all available until December 31.