Five stylish women dress up their tables - and themselves - for Christmas. By Deirdre McQuillan.
LAURA HICKEY
Former NCAD fashion student and owner of Dublin city centre boutique Tulle, Laura Hickey (above left) freely admits to loving "loads of colour" on festive tables. This is her second Christmas in her tiny, well-organised artisan cottage in Dublin 8, which, despite its size, is well used to welcoming many guests. "Christmas is all about a relaxed table that's not too formal," she says, and her choice of decorations reflects her approach to the clothes in her shop, a mix of precious and inexpensive items.
The oval dining table, for example, which seats four people, can be folded up and stowed away holding its four chairs; she bought it in Bargaintown. It is covered with a bright orange cotton tablecloth from Habitat and a centrepiece wooden Christmas tree from the same place, which she painted green.
Gifts abound: the blue and white china is a present from her grandparents, the glasses are from her parents and the Thai placemats from her friend, Gráinne. Glass candleholders and Christmas baubles are from Avoca, crackers from Dunnes Stores and ribbons from LM Ruban. Simple wooden chairs have been given a cheery uplift with beaded silk cushions from Omdiva, a neighbouring shop in the George's Street Arcade in Dublin.
Laura's printed skirt is by Christian Lacroix, the twinset is by Marlene Birger, both from Tulle. Her make-up is by Gráinne Goan
CATHY WHITE
Cathy White, who can turn vintage fabric such as patchwork into covetable bags and scarves, is a co partner in Dalkey Design with knitter Glynis Robins. Her lovely, rambling house overlooking the sea was originally built as a hunting lodge for Lord Dorset in 1760, with additions by architects Woodward and Deane in 1830. The dining room table is an old Irish hunting table covered in antique drawn threadwork linen bedspreads and coloured silk voile. It is used for Sunday lunch every week. Each year it is dressed differently for Christmas, though the magnificent antique French chandelier remains the same, its only concession to extra decoration some twists of ivy from the garden and tiny angels from the Conran shop in London. The Georgian silver cutlery was a wedding present from Cathy's late father, who collected silver, and the china, different pieces of Royal Doulton. "We like to put together a lot of things that go together but are not matching," she says. The glasses in different shapes, united by a similar shade of amethyst, come from Whitefriars, a glass-making company in the UK. Two hand-blown French girandoles from the 1920s are lit with candles and the whole table is scattered with pieces of dried hydrangea from the garden - "they are wonderful because of the way the colour changes."
Cathy is wearing an amethyst silk velvet bolero and hand-embroidered silk dress by Glynis Robins from Dalkey Design, 20 Railway Road, Dalkey, Co Dublin
PAT WHYTE
Dublin businesswoman and accessories specialist Pat Whyte has a sharp eye for detail, both for jewellery and interior décor, and a very creative hand. She once decorated a Christmas tree with white organza bows and crystal drops salvaged from an old chandelier and surrounded the base with candles. "It looked magical, like a fairytale," she says. From Clonakilty in Co Cork, she has childhood memories of her mother's "full and plenty" groaning table at Christmas, always ready for visitors and any unexpected guests.
Her own elegant dining room, with its hand-painted antiqued gold and burgundy wallpaper and lovely old mahogany table, is where she can entertain up to 14 friends at a time and it's an excuse for displays on a grand scale. For Christmas, candles are lit on the marble mantelpiece and on the Empire chandelier, and she brings out her collection of red and white Wedgwood china and pink Venetian etched glass, a present from her mother. Cutlery, another passion, is inlaid bone-handled silver and table napkins are white embroidered line. Pride of place on the table is given to a huge silver bowl found in an antique shop in Capetown. It is a racing trophy from the 1970s, which she fills with seasonal fruit and nuts. A Christmas angel on the mantelpiece and gold crackers from Brown Thomas add further festive touches.
Pat is wearing a black velvet coat with marabou collar by Betsey Johnson bought in the US, and a vintage Givenchy brooch found in a street stall in Paris
BETH HAUGHTON
"Christmas for me is about memories and tradition," says Beth Haughton, owner of Beth's Boutique in Douglas, Cork. For this mother of three children under five years old, her Christmas Day is a small, family affair "with just the five of us around the table", although friends and family call around for drinks beforehand. Her round table, bought with memories of her grandparents' round table in mind, is "communal and cosy" and works, she says, even when not decorated. Putting old and new together is part of her style. She adores silver, always wanted a candelabra, and found this one in Cork for under €100.
"I think it is fabulous, it is very traditional and you don't necessarily have to spend a huge amount of money to get the look." Colourful Moroccan glasses add colour "and give a little bit of red Christmas glow". Simple, classic cutlery, napkins with little twisted wire flowers and candleholders decorated with ivy give final touches of texture and height.
Beth is wearing a feathered suede wrap found in Paris and she says "no matter how bad you look, you feel great the moment you wear it and everybody wants to touch it".
LOUISE GALLAGHER
"A table can be dressed in different ways, taking on a different character each time, a bit like a person," says Dublin mother and businesswoman Louise Gallagher (below right), who imports contemporary handcrafted Moroccan furniture and accessories. She believes that these typically Moroccan tiled ironwork tables called zellij are both beautiful and practical, perfect for informal dining inside or out, and great for a family Christmas dinner.
"My lifestyle doesn't suit formal dining, but although these tables veer away from formality, they can still be very elegant, and the idea is to mix elegant and casual together," she says. She has given her table, with its glazed green tiled top, a real Christmas look with the addition of white Villeroy & Boch plates and wine coloured napkins (from Meadows and Byrne), decorated with jewelled dragonflies.
"I love the use of colour and light, and getting the lighting right creates atmosphere. A few candles, low glasses and suddenly a table looks inviting," she says. Heavy bunches of crystal grapes, scattered rose petals and an antique silver potato ring filled with red roses add further dash to an essentially simple, but highly effective tabletop. Her favourite piece is a striking silver Art Deco fruit basket made in London in 1913, bought from Jimmy Weldon in Dublin, which can be used either as a formal centrepiece or informally with red fruit tumbling from it. "If you keep it simple, it works."
At Louise Gallagher's current sale, a rectangular tiled top table with two consoles, eight chairs and two carvers is reduced from €3,900 to €l,950. Prices start at €35 for leather cushions, €60 for plant stands and from €200 for square tables. Contact Louise Gallagher at 087-2369338 or Joan Hoey 086-2744742.