Right from when I was a little girl I have always loved Christmas. Even growing up in Australia, where it was summer and it was more beach and BBQ’s, it was my favourite time of year. Besides the presents, it was a chance when all the family would get together and as an only child with a single parent, it felt special and complete.
We would all gather at my grandparents house, which was actually 4 hrs flight away, (but that is nothing in Australia) and despite the heat, my Granny would cook a turkey with all the trimmings and after a full day of playing in the pool, we would all sit down together and eat, pull crackers and tell crap jokes. My Granny was a great cook and she would prepare a lovely meal, whilst I would set the table with little handwritten nametags and foraged flowers from the garden. Looking back I think this is where my table styling obsession began.
Fast forward 35 years and this obsession is still going strong. There is something really special about styling up a table with flowers and candlelight and creating a little bit of magic, romance or nostalgia. You are enhancing the whole dining experience and setting the mood for people to share food, drink and good conversation together. Christmas Day is a time to go all out on this, it’s a time to play with your imagination, dress the table with tea lights and greenery and lay out your favourite linen and tableware.
This year I’ve had the pleasure of working with one of my favourite modern rustic brands Rowen and Wren to do just that. Rowen and Wren are one of those brands, that when you open up their website, you want EVERYTHING. They stock a range of thoughtfully sourced homeware from tableware to garden furniture and have a love of muted colours, simple functionality and traditional Artisans.
I was lucky enough to be able to choose some of the products from their Christmas range to style up on my dining room table. Everything is so beautifully styled and photographed on their website, that when you when you see them in the flesh its hard to believe they could be even more stunning, but they are. You can see the thought and craftsmanship that has gone into the design.
I wanted my table to feel dark and alluring but cozy, with a hint of deep colour and warmth from the glow of candlelight. I wanted recreate that moment just before night falls when everything feels dreamy and you can almost imagine a mystical world awakening.
I used the Rowen and Wren Aubergine Linen Table Runner, which is made from the finest quality French linen with a rough weave and is the most gorgeous rich plum colour. I already had some black stoneware plates that I put ontop of wood slices, as I love the rustic feel and height they give. Then the Aubergine Linen Napkins roughly tied in jute string with foliage and white anenomies.
Details are so obviously integral to Rowen and Wren and you can see this in the design of the Willem Brass Bells, which I have suspended over the centre of the table from my copper lampshade. Each one is engraved with a different pattern and makes the most beautiful chime and feels really Christmassy.
Every Christmas table needs greenery and I have dressed mine with Eucalyptus and Rosemary for scent and Ivy which I have entwined around the Ember Leaf Candelabra, which with its fine branch like curve almost resembles something from a forest. It is made from delicately wrapped and woven brass leaves and would look equally beautiful on a mantelpiece.
Candlelight is a must to create a dreamy magical ambience so I have dotted the Rowen and Wren Hansa Terracotta Pinch Pots filled with tealights around the table. I also made simple rosemary wreaths that I have popped around these. The Hansa Pinch Pots are also nice to put condiments in to leave on the table or even salt and pepper.
My most favourite thing from the Rowen and Wren collection and actually something I have been lusting after since the summer is this beautiful Hanging Brass Sky Lantern. It holds 5 tea lights and gives off the most pretty twinkling glow. I have suspended it from my ceiling near to the table on a chain but alternatively you could rest it on a windowsill. I absolutely adore it and will be using it in my garden in the summer too.
So that’s it and now I’m really looking forward to Christmas Day and getting all the family together around this table for some good food, laughs and creating memories. Of course I will most definitely be using these beautiful things from Rowen and Wren on the big day. I hope this has inspired you a little to play around with your table styling and create your own little bit of dreamy magic.
This blog post was in collaboration with Rowen and Wren and all the products mentioned were very kindly gifted to me, but as always all words and opinions are completely honest and are my own.