With Christmas around the corner, the minds of the nation are inevitably turning to gifts, an intimidating prospect if you list of nearest and dearest is plentiful.
The main concern is always giving someone something that they can actually use, but still retains a certain specialness about them (for instance, toothbrushes are useful but lack the required panache of a decent Christmas present).
If you have an avid host among your friends who delights in entertaining, the best gift you can hope to give is one that will make their home a little easier, or at least more beautiful, when they come to share it with you. After all, there's very little that brings more joy to those who love an ordered home than a perfectly-laid table, with one or two quirky objects which tell a story – even if that story is 'my friend saw it on the Country Life website and decided it would be a perfect fit for my home'.
To aid you in your quest, Amelia Thorpe has collated a list of beautiful table decorations, all of which can be wrapped up and handed to a special someone. Or, if you're not feeling quite as altruistic as the season may wish you to, self-care is important and you're well within your right to give yourself a present for surviving Christmas right through to New Years beyond.
Happy shopping.
Jute Wave placemat in Indigo, £9.95, Birdie Fortescue, www.birdiefortescue.co.uk
Zsuzsanna Nyul large Florette bowl, £250, Liberty, www.libertylondon.com
Lani table cloth, £70, Molly Mahon, www.mollymahon.com
Red and White Ripples small tumbler, £25, Nina Campbell, www.ninacampbell.com
Marble dinner plate, £24, Designers Guild, www.designersguild.com
Shellfish Lobster large oval platter, £115, Emma Bridgewater, www.emmabridgewater.co.uk
Artichoke serving bowl, £65, OKA, www.oka.com
Hobnail pitcher in Beryl, £85, Pentreath & Hall, www.pentreath-hall.com
Indie Gingko salad server set of two, £38, Liberty, www.libertylondon.com
Poppy tablecloth, £65, The Mews Fabrics & Furnishings, www.themewsfurnishings.com
Compiled by Amelia Thorpe, words by Alexandra Fraser.
Credit: The Fabric Collective
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