Christmas hosting looks different in every home, which is exactly what makes it interesting. This season, we asked four designers to share how they approach the table from minimal neutrals to layered botanicals, crisp linens to joyful colour. Their perspectives are distinct, but their ethos is the same: thoughtful details, clever styling, and creating a table guests genuinely want to gather around.
Naturalist Maximalism
Inspired by Rapture and Wright
There’s a very particular magic to Rapture & Wright’s table settings – a kind of naturalist maximalism where more is more, but only if it’s rooted in nature. Their look isn’t about loud colour or theatrical volume; it’s about layering tactile textures, subtle patterns repeated, and a palette drawn from the natural world.
“We tend towards using natural decorations,” says Rebecca Aird, director of Rapture and Wright. “We love to collect ivy, holly and fir cones on our dog walks in the days before Christmas and have these on the table, around the fire and hanging from lights… We don’t decorate until Christmas Eve and it is a family activity. Guests help when they arrive so everyone feels included.”
The linens themselves are rich with pattern and colour, offering a stage for foraged centrepieces, brass candlesticks, or handmade ceramics. Different prints: florals, geometrics, subtle repeats are stacked together. The effect is richly patterned, yet wonderfully calming, because the palette remains controlled It looks effortless, but only because everything is speaking the same botanical language.
Get the Look
Set-of-Four Wisteria Embroidered Linen Coasters/Tiffany & Co £264
Versatility is Chic
Inspired by Nina Litchfield
Some tables can multitask. Nina Litchfield’s can practically earn a living doing it. Her secret? Napkins that moonlight as cocktail companions, bread-basket warmers, and traditional place settings – all in one.
“These napkins are incredibly versatile,” she says. “You can use them as cocktail napkins, pop them in a breadbasket to keep the bread warm, or lay them traditionally on the table.”
Start the day with a playful brunch: soft ruffled linens and checked patterns set the stage, paired with bold, contemporary ceramics painterly, Picasso-esque pieces that bring colour, whimsy, and a splash of chaos that somehow feels entirely curated. Cutlery is eclectically old-school, mixing silver, brass and vintage pieces for character. Bud vases, fruit bowls, and small candles add lightness and movement.
By evening, the same napkins can pivot effortlessly into a richer, more maximalist mood. Layered patterns, deeper colours, and sculptural accents take the table into something theatrical yet fun, think moody tones, a few extra textures, and a sense of joyous abundance. What was lighthearted and sunlit becomes textured, considered, and undeniably social. Versatility is the understated luxury here, and the napkins are the unsung heroes.
Her signature square cotton napkin features a crisp white centre framed by a forest green or red gingham ruffle and natural twill trim. Woven to order in a family-run weaver in the South East of Ireland and finished in a small North London workshop, the napkins are sustainable right down to their threads – proof that a table can work hard and behave responsibly.
Get the Look
Moss Green Gingham Ruffle Napkin Set of 2, £ 50
Earthen Minimalism
Inspired by Simon Mayhew, TXTURED
There’s a particular kind of host who doesn’t need theatrics to make an impression – the sort who lets linen, stoneware and a well-chosen candle do the talking. This is Simon Mayhew’s territory. His idea of the perfect table is a study in edited ease, the kind of stripped-back styling that feels refreshingly grown-up in a season prone to over-decorating.
“Start with a neutral base – a linen or cotton tablecloth,” he advises. From there, it’s all about tactility: stoneware plates with real heft, natural textures, and linen napkins that feel as good as they look and a tightly controlled palette, “two to three tones max“. Simon isn’t anti-decoration, he’s just pro-intention. “Limit clutter. Fewer pieces, stronger impact,” he says.
For the host who prefers calm over chaos and atmosphere over excess, this is your cue…
Get the Look
Sanee Table Cloth, Nkuku £95
Washed Linen Napkin, TOAST £12 each
Ben Hall Slipware Plate, TOAST £36
In Full Colour
inspired by Susi Bellamy
Some tables whisper; others sing. Susi Bellamy’s leans convincingly toward the latter. “This year, we’ve been gravitating towards a softer, more romantic palette,” she says, citing pastel pinks, duck-egg blues, gentle greens and warm neutrals. It’s the sort of colour story that flatters both the food and the guests – a diplomatic table, if you will.
Interior design Susi Bellamy x Pandora Taylor Photography by James Balston
For Susi, layering is where the magic happens: “I love to layer pattern, colour and texture to create a look that feels considered yet effortless.” Start with a subtly patterned tablecloth, then introduce a runner in a complementary print for depth. Add rattan placemats for warmth, bamboo cutlery for natural elegance, and bud vases for movement.
Florals are sculptural rather than showy, arranged in bud vases at varying heights to create movement. Her favourite stems – lisianthus, alliums and hydrangeas – offer rounded shapes and generous colour, anchored by airy greenery. “For foliage, asparagus fern and eucalyptus add softness and a hint of wild garden charm.” (And yes, for those wondering: actual asparagus spears do behave rather beautifully amongst the table too- a quiet insider trick that brings a smile for that farm to-table feel.)
Then comes the atmosphere. “A beautifully styled table isn’t complete without candles. Scent has the power to shape the atmosphere of a gathering just as much as colour or lighting.” She uses her own Susi Bellamy candles to complement the theme, pairing them with slender dinner tapers dotted along the table – a little height, a little warmth, and that flicker of ambience that accompanies the natter.
Get the look
Tableware and Tassels by Re Found Objects
Scalloped Border by Ottoline
Faux Bamboo Chairs by Forwood Design
Washed Oak Extendable Table by Jonathan Adler
Tamarind Plumes Linen Fabric by Susi Bellamy
Susi Bellamy/Il Giorno Candle £65.00
If there’s one thing our designers agree on, it’s this: the table should never feel like homework. Keep it tactile, keep it tonal, layer your heart out or strip it back – just commit to the story you’re telling. Hosting isn’t always about theatrics; it’s about setting the stage for people to make notable memories. And if your centrepiece happens to be foraged, hand-painted, or simply whatever was nearest at the time, it will feel yours. So if the candles burn unevenly and the roast threatens to follow suit, don’t panic. Style can outshine even the most enthusiastic oven.