How to Style a Coastal Table Setting for Christmas

Hello festive season! Christmas is around the corner, but thankfully there is still plenty of time to plan your table setting for the big day. Styling a Christmas table is all about creating a festive atmosphere that looks beautiful and feels comfortable, and we know styling a table for such an important day with your family and friends can get a little overwhelming. That’s why we asked Noosa local Jaharn from Smør Kitchen to share her tips and tricks for how to style a beautiful coastal table setting for Christmas that wows.

Choose You Colour Palette

There is nothing more gorgeous than a coastal table setting for Christmas, and there are a few different beautiful colour palettes to choose from. A coastal palette can consist of different shades and tones of blues, neutrals and whites, or beige, green and neutrals, or all white. Depending on your personal preference, pick one. This will guide all the choices – from plates to centrepieces – for the rest of the Christmas table.

Start with the Tablecloth

Choosing the tablecloth first will influence the rest of the table aesthetic and for a festive coastal table setting, you can’t go wrong with a bright white, a soft blue or a minimalist neutral tablecloth. When choosing the tablecloth, remember to take note of the fabric. I love using natural materials like linen or textured cotton to create a beautiful base that feels cosy and looks beautiful.

Build Layers

You’ve now chosen the tablecloth and it’s now time to start layering with placemats, plates, bowls, glassware, cutlery and napkins. Creating a beautiful coastal Christmas tablescape is about layering in different textures and tones in your colour palette of choice. Look for natural materials and interesting finishes – seagrass, woven, hammered, palm trees and organic coastal shapes. Stick to a similar colour palette for the plates and bowls, but don’t be afraid to mix and match, and look for different patterns, speckles and prints on the plates and bowls for that extra “wow” factor. Add more depth to the coastal table setting by adding a white wine glass, a champagne flute and a water glass in differing heights and choose different finishes for the glassware to make the table aesthetic more interesting. Add cutlery and create even more coastal texture with napkins. Use woven napkin rings and give your guests a little gift, such as a coastal Christmas tree ornament.

Design The Centrepiece

Bring all the coastal vibes by designing a gorgeous centrepiece for the table. Thankfully, this need not be complicated. Look for vases, Christmas decorations, table stands and organic coastal elements in wood, whites and neutral tones. Wooden beads, seashells, raffia decorations, earthy candles, wooden beads, coral and seaside decorative pieces work beautifully in a coastal theme. Start from the ends of the table and work your way into the middle. Place objects in, take them out. Move things around, take a step back and adjust until you’re happy. Don’t overthink it, just go with the flow and enjoy creating a beautiful coastal centrepiece. And remember to stick with the colours of your coastal palette and get creative! An extra tip from me: I like to style pieces in groups of 3. I find this helps create an organic table setting that looks natural and effortless.

Add Greenery

Christmas would not be Christmas without greenery and of course, a Christmas tree. You don’t need to decorate a full-scale Christmas tree and place it next to your table but get creative and create a moment at the side of the table with a small Christmas tree for that extra “wow” factor. Decorate the tree with coastal ornaments in your chosen colour theme. Add organic warmth to the table by adding greenery. It doesn’t matter if it’s faux greenery or if you have foraged your garden for palm leaves, native or olive branches to finish off the coastal table setting. The more the better! You could even head down to the beach a few days before Christmas Day to see if you can find some pieces of pale driftwood to place on the table.