For our second Christmas Guest Blog, we invited the very talented Kyla Magrath of @kylamagrathinteriors to share her ideas on creating an extraordinary Christmas Table!

 

 

For as long as I can remember I’ve always loved Christmas, right from when I was a child and always asked to be Santa and hand out the presents on Christmas morning. I’d look forward to bringing out the box, with the old foxed glass baubles and decorating the tree with my Granny. Much to my family’s delight, I always insisted on the task of chief present wrapper. I would spend hours locked in a room, twirling bows, finding ways to pretty up presents and making the folds as neat as possible.

When I moved out of home, any of my friends who had not gone to visit their folks for the festive season would come to mine for Christmas dinner. We would dress up in cocktail dresses and as soon as the plates were cleared away, we would carry on drinking and dancing for hours.

Extraordinary Christmas Table Ideas With Kyla Magrath

 

 

Fast forward a couple of decades, I have acquired a few more wrinkles, 2 children and a dog, but I still always host Christmas at mine every year. I feel like it’s a time to pause our busy lives, come together as a family, make merry and sit down to spend some quality time together.

In reality, this picture of domestic harmony is often marred with the children bickering over who got the most presents, while I’m chained to the kitchen trying to work how much longer the turkey has left and when the pigs in blankets go in. By this time, I’ve consumed a bottle of wine and the kids have eaten their body weight in chocolate, so no one really cares what it all tastes like or what time it's ready. Sound familiar?...... We gobble down our meal as quickly as possible and then clear away to begin a night of games, starting
with the kids favourite, Pie Face.

Extraordinary Christmas Table Ideas With Kyla Magrath

 

It is most definitely a pretty hectic time of year for everyone, especially parents, however, whether or not your Christmas is as chaotic as mine; a beautifully styled table will set the scene and help create magical memories and traditions that will last a lifetime. Typically, I have an aversion to anything red, overly bright or garish at Christmas, well red in general really, but especially at Christmas. Instead, I use more muted colours taken from nature, combined with an abundance of foraged greenery, fairy lights and candles to dress my house.

However, coming out of the restrictions and weirdness of the last 2 years, I have an urge to embrace colour. This year you will find much bolder choices of pinks and burgundy (some might even say verging on red), adorning my table. Let’s just say Covid made me do it! So here are some of my tips on how to create an unforgettable colourful sparkly Christmas table.

 

 

Firstly, you need to decide on a colour palette and then try to limit to only using 3 tones within that palette, any more will be too busy on the eye and confusing. Plus, you need to remember that a Christmas table can get very crowded once all the tasty food is placed upon it, so a nice harmonious palette will complement rather than fight this.

Unsurprisingly (if you know my Instagram), I have chosen to use colours from the earth palette, pinks, mustard and rust. These colours to me are the perfect combination and make me think of sunsets and exotic faraway places, not an image usually associated with Christmas, but I think they work perfectly and as I said before I’m throwing away the rule book this year.

Extraordinary Christmas Table Ideas With Kyla Magrath

Beautiful linens are essential to creating an air of romance to your table. Loose weave fabric with frayed edges, like the Blush Pink Linen Tablecloth will give oodles of texture and is the perfect base for contrasting tableware. I have chosen to use the Sukura Cherry blossom dinner plates in mustard, and layered smaller plates on top. This helps to create height, but also to maximise space on your table.

I like to make a statement with napkins and choose a tone in the palette that stands out against the plates and the tablecloth. Often I loosely bunch them, tie with pretty ribbon, add flowers or greenery and finish with a handwritten name tag for the ultimate personal touch. I absolutely love these Rust coloured napkins, which look so pretty against the pink table cloth and are perfect for a rustic vibe.

 

 

One of the most important things to think about when laying a table is to play with different heights. This will draw the eye in and create excitement as it rises and falls over varying levels, rather than everything uniform and flat. Use tall candles or create an overhead hanging display from greenery, dried flowers or leaves. Dangle micro Wire Fairy Lights from the ceiling, weave over a garland on the table or twist around a wreath on the wall. The more the better for a truly magical dining scene.

 

Extraordinary Christmas Table Ideas With Kyla Magrath

 

And while we are on the subject of greenery, I love it and use it in all my styling. When I say greenery, I use that term loosely, what I really mean is flowers, fresh and dried, foliage, dried ferns, branches, twigs sprayed in metallic shades. Even faux can and MUST all be incorporated into your table. It’s the one thing that not only will add height but also bring an almost ethereal natural beauty, add texture and ground your table.

I personally love a handmade table garland; the important thing to remember is to keep this low across the table so people opposite each other can see over the top. The same goes for any floral displays, the idea is to not let them go above eye level otherwise they will hinder interaction
around the table.

For extra impact, I have used some of the Rockett St George faux gold and silver ferns and dotted them into my garland, the overhead display and the centrepieces.

 

Extraordinary Christmas Table Ideas With Kyla Magrath

 

Lay your table with your best glasses for a real wow factor when everyone walks in. I have chosen these super pretty cut glass gold rimmed high ball glasses. Obviously, you’ll be terrified of the kids elbowing one of them or a slightly inebriated Uncle knocking one over while pulling a cracker…. So, feel free to switch them with less delicate ones when no one is looking and bring out the plastic camping ones for the kids!

Lastly, why not create a gastropub vibe and serve food on wooden boards. I like to use these so people can help themselves and it encourages sharing, plus they look super rustic too.

 

 

So that’s it….. have fun with your table and try things out, you’ll be surprised how easy it is once you have built up a bit of a collection of tableware and accessories. I can honestly say I still get super excited by seeing a scheme come together.

Have a very happy Christmas x