7 steps to the perfect festive table

First things first: ask yourself what atmosphere you want to create at the table. A birthday breakfast calls for a different presentation than a Christmas dinner. Determine your table theme by thinking about colours and materials: maybe sage green and purple? Or how about a very festive black and gold combo? You could include rugged natural elements, or go for a sleek, polished look. The shape of your tableware, cutlery and glasses will also determine the atmosphere of the table. Use the same tones and materials in your styling for a harmonious result.

A table has a length, a width and a height. Utilise all three dimensions to make your table styling more dynamic. For instance, you could opt to spread out decorations along the longitudinal axis of the table, or to combine candles and candlesticks with different heights.

Every festive table has different layers. Start with your table linen and build up from there, with underplates, plates, napkins and glasses. If you don't have underplates, you can use round placemats, or rectangular ones that you drape about 10 cm over the edge of the table for an elegant effect. Underplates clearly show the place of each guest, even in between courses. They ensure that your guests never have an empty table in front of them.

Inviting tables set the tone for memorable dinners. Is the table setting causing you too much stress? Then keep it simple. A relaxed host is much more important than how the table ends up looking. Because in the end, having a great time together is really all that matters.