The Holly Jolly Christmas Table

Once the presents are opened, the real highlight of Christmas is gathering around the table - a warm, festive space where everyone comes together to celebrate. Some families bring out treasured heirlooms as part of a cherished yearly tradition, while others like to refresh their Christmas styling with new themes to keep things feeling festive and original. We’ve decided to take ‘Jolly’ as our concept this year, using bold colour and a touch of whimsy to ensure everyone stays smiling.

Eye catching, with its striking red stripes and playful graphics, the Italian ‘Hands On’ Christmas tablecloth sets the scene, with a festive palette of red, white and green. This colourway is echoed through the candles and napkins, which have been chosen in a solid block colour to allow the tablecloth to take centre stage. Both napkins and tablecloth are made from natural linen, which will become beautifully well-worn over time, adding a sophisticated elegance to the setting. A tree decoration as napkin ring adds a magical shimmer and a touch of whimsy.

Texture is employed through ribbons and bows – soft velvet ribbon is handmade into a chain, gently woven across tree or furniture, and large, glamorous bows are affixed to candles for bold impact. Glossy serving bowls in various shapes and sizes from Bordallo Pinheiro draw the eye, piled with mince pies or a decadent Figgy’s Christmas pudding, while a glass hobnail jug simply cries out to be touched. Glasses are etched with tiny stars, perfect for sipping spiced apple lemonade or something stronger!

Alongside the Christmas tree, decorated with simple paper garlands and ribbon chains, a red wax amaryllis adds a natural touch. It needs no watering, making it ideal for a wooden surface or for brightening a dark corner. Homemade dried oranges offer colour and fragrance, a nostalgic nod to Christmases past, and the fruitfulness of the years ahead.

Stripes are central to the design. Bursting with energy and colour, they call to mind life’s joyful moments, whether it’s a circus tent or a deckchair on a sunny beach, they instantly evoke happiness. Here, stripes grace more than the tablecloth edge; they continue across the Zaffarano dinner plates and Christmas crackers, while a tall dressing bottle stands at the centre like a jaunty helter-skelter, ready for action.

Full of colour and joy, this table setting befits any sort of Christmas gathering, from small and funky, to large and boisterous. Candles and napkins are useful year-round, while the tablecloth can be washed and folded away for a future Christmas, its exuberant spirit remaining undimmed from year to year. Here’s to a jolly good Christmas!