Top Tips for Christmas Table-scaping

December 5th, 2023
DesignProduct

If you are hosting a Christmas dinner party for work colleagues or friends or it’s your turn to entertain family this year, there is nothing more to put you in the Christmas mood than having a beautifully decorated dinner table. However, trying to come up with an inspiring design can sometimes be very overwhelming on top of decorating the rest of the house and the present shopping. Alle Interiors are here to help with some of the trends for Christmas 2023 and share our top tips for Christmas table-scaping to make your festive celebrations go off with a bang.

Planning is key when it comes to Christmas preparations and the earlier you get things ready, the more time you have to relax and enjoy a glass of baileys or mulled wine. Gone are the days when you plonked a Christmas table-cloth and some crackers on the table and it now adds to the festive ambience to theme your table in with the rest of your home. Table-setting or table-scaping as it is known, has grown in popularity especially on social media and is basically the art of dressing a table for social events. Traditionally it was just seen at a big formal event or at a wedding; but has now moved into everyday life. However, if you just don’t know where to even start; here are our top tips:-

Choose a theme/colour scheme
This is your overall starting point and is often influenced by how you have decorated the rest of your home. Try and keep it to 2 main colours and you can then add splashes of other colours as you go along. Traditionally Christmas colours tend to be reds, silvers and golds, but nowadays anything goes and people are starting to decorate their houses earlier each year to get in the festive mood. If you are looking to update your decorations this year, here are some of our favourite trends for Christmas 2023.

Polar Planet – this theme has a very Scandi feel about it and combines cosy, calming neutral tones with natural-feeling materials such as wood and faux foliage.

Natural Christmas – using natural, fragrant foliage is another trend for 2023 and as well as greenery, you can use pampas grass, other dried grasses, flowers, fruits, and spices in your festive display. One table-scaping trend is to create a living runner of sprigs and branches all along the length of the table, which can look stunning; but just make sure you keep it low.
Earthy Tones – this is similar to the natural Christmas theme, but has more woodland vibes and features earthy tones of brown and green as well as warm rich rust, terracotta, and copper. You could also feature mushrooms and mythical woodland creatures in your display. House of Alchemy offer some beautiful candles and diffusers which really fit in with this theme and smell amazing.

Winter Fairytale – this theme uses a warming colour palette of traditional red and green tones and is ideal for a country or cottage style set up or if you prefer a classic decor.
Luxe Gold – If you love a bit of glitz and glamour at Christmas, this one is for you and features gold paired with black. It’s perfect to team with crystals or white and cream for a softer feel. Alternatively, you can add shades of green to give it more of a natural aesthetic. This is one trend we particularly love and we have many gold accessories in our Christmas Collection including this Gold Decorative Christmas Tree and our stunning Gold deer Christmas decoration
Festive Brights – This trend has been growing in popularity since the pandemic and is all about having your decorations as bright and colourful as possible. It radiates a fun vibe and features teal, orange, lime green, bright pink and purple and brings a party vibe to all ages.

Decide on your tableware
This can greatly influence your overall theme and the colours that you choose. If you want to make a statement and use bright tableware, it’s therefore, better to tone down the rest of your decorations. Or you could pick a particular feature colour out from your plates, napkins or placemats. If you decide to just use plain white crockery, it gives you more room to play around with colours and textures and we have some beautiful Artisan tableware including dinner plates, side plates and serving plates in our Christmas Collection.

Decide on your centrepiece
It is always advisable to start with your centrepiece for the table as this is your focal point. You could opt for a floral display in two main colours (real flowers or artificial) and Christmas opens up all kinds of creative opportunities with flowers, berries, fir cones, holly and ivy. Or you could go for a candle or a family photo; if it is significant to the occasion. Check out our Luxe Flickering flame LED wax dinner candles if you don’t want a real flame. Babbles can also look stunning in either a floral display or in a bowl and these white glass pine cone Christmas decorations really look stunning either in a bowl or on your Christmas tree.

Don’t forget the small details
It helps to consider the importance of your glassware and cutlery as these make a big difference to the overall finished result. Don’t worry about mixing patterns and textures as this can bring depth to it. You could also add little gifts to the table and other thoughtful touches like handmade name cards, fairy lights, folded napkins and matching placemats.

Size does matter
Although you do want to impress your guests, unless you have a separate table to move the display to, it’s best to allow enough room for your guests to be able to move around. Make sure that it is low enough to talk over and if you add candles; try and keep them to the centrepiece and always avoid seating people central to it.

Remember it’s all about being creative and having fun and no-one will judge your efforts, so, be brave and create something you are really proud of and as we always say practice makes perfect! Christmas is about family and friends and spending time together, not what you spend. So, do what you are comfortable with and if you can be sustainable and reuse existing items in your home that’s even better!

We hope these tips have helped give you some ideas for your Christmas table-scaping and if you need some ideas for Christmas home items, please check out our Christmas Collection on our website. Alternatively, if you would like some advice on a particular room or perhaps the whole style of your home; this is where Alle Interiors can really help you make your house feel like a home. Please go to www.alle-interiors.co.uk to check out our products and collections and the services we offer.

Notes: –
Alle Interiors is an independent interior design and styling company who provide a one-stop-shop for all your interior design and soft furnishing requirements with customer service their utmost priority. They are also a member of the Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers (AMUSF).

Image Credits: Luxe deco, Paul Raeside, Anders Schonnemann, John Lewis, Madeline Harper, Alle Interiors