The final instalment of our 2023 year of seasonal tablescapes concludes with an atmospheric, festive affair. Both Cissy and I have a love affair with Christmas. The opportunities it presents to get creative with table styling within your own home. It isn’t very often we have the opportunity to dress our tables in the finery and to make a statement and Christmas dining does just that.
This Winters table design featured a twisted branch at its centre, giving height to the display and a joyous feeling of natural imperfection. Nestled amongst its curling tendrils were branches of a silvery toned evergreen and delicate red berry twigs. They jostled and intertwined together, giving character and personality to a table. Meaning every design would be unique and no table ever the same again.
A lot of vintage pieces was used in this table design, to try and break the stigma of vintage being rustic and cutesy. We wanted it to be bold, elegant and dramatic. There is something beautifully muted about vintage silver wear, with a subtle shine it holds none of the brashness of modern mass produced pieces.
The dark and atmospheric tone of this Christmas table styling was lifted by the introduction of candle light. Left over imperfect Ester and Eric candles in dark tones were given a second chance at their burning life and sat next to a peach toned Gisella Graham twisted candle stick, sourced from a local market town. Candlelight softens a room, it is ever changing and moving and brings a feeling of warmth and comfort.
A dark velvet table runner from my hire collection, sat flat against the table and pooled onto the floor adding a sense of drama and amplifying the height of the table. One of the key trends immerging is the increase in silver and metal tones so vintage silver candle sticks nestled amongst the foraged greenery, subtly enhancing the look in an understated way that gold just can’t do. Glass Tealights housed more burning tealights and the delicate ribbing of the glass edge both blurred the flame but also helped spread the light across the table.
Place settings featured black plates to add to the tone and sense of drama, on them sat contrasting velvet napkins that provided a colour pop to lift the table design. Place names were black flat cards written with white ink. Napkins were tied with a terracotta toned velvet ribbon who’s tails dropped towards the floor. You won’t have been able to escape the rise of ribbons and bow inspiration bombarding our screens so expect to see more as we head into 2024. Sat amongst the napkins were delicate vintage baubles that further helped to bounce the light around the table and break up the bold use of colour on the napkin. Velvet is such a beautiful fabric to work with, its texture means it instantly feels warming, whilst rich and luxe in tone.
Finally cutlery and glassware were vintage and pre-loved. Cut glass is the perfect addition for a luxe vibe and these vintage glasses are some of my favourite. Height and statement came from the the delicate pink prosecco glasses as they towered over their surroundings. In theory the colour mix should be garish but in reality it works and adds intrigue to this seasonal Christmas Table Styling.
I will blog more of our seasonal tablescapes now the business of weddings and events has slowed. You can see more of them on our Instagram pages and I would love to hear what your favourite are. Next year Cissy and I hope to bring the year in seasonal tablescapes back as we continue to work and build our collaborative skills though our combined service ‘The Works’.
;The Works’ offers style savvy, environmentally conscious couples and businesses the chance to create seasonally led works of art for their wedding or event. Get in touch for more information.
- Florist – Cissy at Wild Stems
- Styling – Me – The White Emporium