Step away from the novelty Christmas-tree tablecloth. This season’s most fashion-forward hosts are embracing festive florals — rich, artful, and unexpectedly contemporary. Think of it as the couture approach to holiday decorating: colour-driven, craft-focused, and quietly extravagant.
Discover our guide to styling festive florals with elegance, ease and season-spanning versatility.
1. Let the print speak
A bold floral tablecloth sets the tone instantly. Go for painterly blooms, layered colour, and a hand-crafted feel. The beauty of a floral print during the festive season is its duality: celebratory and warm now, fresh for spring summer.
2. Build a considered colour story
Instead of defaulting to “Christmas colours,” create a palette that feels curated.
Think soft burgundy, regal emerald green with touches of caramel, olive and gold that catch candlelight. Harmony is key; balance over matching.
3. Layer textures like a stylist
Texture is the shortcut to quiet luxury. Pair your floral print with:
- Sculptural glassware
- Rattan placemats
-
Bamboo cutlery
The contrast creates a tablescape that feels collected, not contrived.
4. Go bold with your flowers
Florals on florals? Absolutely. Choose arrangements that echo your palette — Rich crimson hypericum, scented rosehip, Red Naomi roses, delicate carnations and seasonal skimmia, in a palette of abundant deep red tones. Keep them loose, editorial, a little undone. Think “holiday romance” not “hotel lobby.”
5. Elevate with thoughtful details
This is where the magic is. Mix tapered with spiral candles at different heights. Bowls of glossy pomegranates. A scattering of figs or clementines. Handwritten place cards. Scatter walnuts, cinnamon sticks and gold chocolate coins along the centre of the table. Add pinecones, red berries, or star anise for aroma.
6. Make it seasonless
The beauty of a floral tablescape? It isn’t confined to December. Swap out holly for pale pink peonies, introduce summer glassware or ceramics, and your festive table becomes spring-ready. Versatility is the new luxury.
At Clio & Clover, colour and craft are at the heart of every table. Festive florals capture that spirit — expressive, joyful, and enduring long after the tree comes down.
