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There are few places I feel as at ease and comforted as around an enormous table laden with jewel-toned dishes of food, bright crystal shades of local wines and a crowded circle of family and friends.

Having taken inspiration from these lunches, I’ve adjusted the look with cheeky contemporary styling combined with a hint at the traditional white Christmas and, an all-time favourite, sultry and generous rubies.

All of the elements can be recreated at home with a little imagination and a personal touch:

For the flowers, I believe in adding from your garden. It’s more personal and way more fun to pick than to buy.

The big and bold bougainvillea, always demanding an audience, has a very tricky demeanor when it comes to picking, but the trick is to cut it low on the stem and immediately plunge it in water to avoid droopy heads. Then add some softer, more delicate blooms for texture.

Napkins are such an important element. For larger parties, contact us to hire, but for a smaller Christmas table my advice would be to source some good quality linen napkins if you don’t own any. For this look, I dipped a fresh white muslin cloth in watered down acrylic ink.

I found the cloth with crushed flowers in my travels on Pinterest, and brought it to life using whatever I had in my garden with a hammer and some leftover muslin cloth. All it took was a joyous gentle crush and the result is visibly a colourful reward.

*Note: these cloth pieces could also be great for wrapping gifts or tied into tree decorations.

Gather what you can, trust your instincts and have a joyous time!

Xandri

SHOPPING LIST:

Velvet fabric, Muslin/Cheese cloth – Chamdor or The Oriental Plaza.

Dala acrylic ink – available at most art shops

Plates, Glasses, Underplates – Hire Society

Cutlery – available for hire through Hire Society or for sale at Robert Thomson for R1 699.00 for a 16 piece set.

For more festive table inspiration: Meadowland | Neon Christmas