Casual Festive Dining
WORDS: CHYKA KEEBAUGH
IMAGES: MARCEL AUCAR
Not all festive celebrations need to be created in a palette of green and red…
Over the years, you have seen me create quite a few Christmas looks! Like the year of the colourful pom poms or when I have laden the tree with glass decorations. I have created a Christmas table made of silver and baby blue florals and then followed it up the following year with sheets of multicoloured paper made into paper chains. We can style this celebration any way we choose, full of colour or minimal or traditional - however you choose! You are limited by your own creativity, so why not mix it up a little? The time of year is so rushed with lunches, dinners, last-minute catch-ups and pop-ins, so I thought I would create some space on my balcony for a Christmas catch up with friends. One that is simple, not obviously festive but has just enough sparkle to reflect this season of celebration.
What makes this table so special is that it gives me another opportunity to showcase a little more of my growing collections from Harris Scarfe. The Lotus range in blue is a beautiful, soft collection that works well for entertaining as well as for everyday use. Made from quality porcelain and available in three different shades, this set is made to mix and match with different pieces from the range to build the perfect setting! And the perfect setting it certainly does make - it is simple, obviously festive and inviting. The ideal setting for an afternoon with friends.
With the hero of the table being my Lotus plates - the dinner plate and soup bowl, in particular, I dressed the table in a subtle blue checked fabric I picked up from Spotlight. Buying fabric by the metre to use as a tablecloth is such an affordable way to dress your table. By choosing a metre or more of material, you can create multiple looks for entertaining by simply changing your fabrics. I have a whole cupboard filled with metres of fabric for this purpose alone - it is also a fabulous way to find the perfect tablecloth for your event because you will have so many colours and designs of fabric to choose from.
I love how all the blue tones work together to make one cohesive look. The slightly lighter shade of baby blue for the plates, a darker, more chambray blue for the napkins (coming very soon to Harris Scarfe!) all work so well with the floral centrepiece of sweet blue petals (Tweedia caerulea, AKA Blue Star Milkweed vine) Simple glassware and silver cutlery finish the table off! I couldn't help myself and HAD to add a festive decoration to the table; I chose the sweetest glittery bluefish and got ready for an afternoon on the balcony with friends.
