Season’s eating: Latest Interiors finds the perfect dining accessories for the holiday season

What are you doing for Christmas? If you’re not relaxing on a tropical beach, or skiing down a mountain, then chances are you will be having a proper Christmas dinner somewhere – with friends, family, or even just with you, at home. And with Christmas comes the chance to dress the table, get out the glitter and polish your best glasses – whether you’re cooking for 12 or having Christmas dinner a deux. This week, Latest Interiors surveys the very best seasonal spreads, and cracks open the Port.

The basics
If you’re entertaining this Christmas, especially if it’s your first time, then make sure you’ve got the right furniture. You don’t need to spend a fortune but you do need enough reasonably comfy seats so that Granny doesn’t end up on the floor, and a table big enough to hold both plates and food. If what you’ve currently got doesn’t pass muster, don’t panic, there are hundreds of bargains to be had as the high street struggles to get your pre-Christmas business. A simple folding table can be opened out and dressed up with a cloth and decorations over Christmas and simply folded away in the new year.

Christmas cheer
Despite the austere economic climate, Christmas is the time for glitter and sparkle. If you’re planning a feast this yuletide then you could wow them all with gold, silver and a great big helping of festive luxury.

If you have them, bring out the fine tablecloth and purple silk runner, the beautifully pressed napkins, the crystal, and the silver. If not, then dress up whatever you’ve got; this is definitely a a good time to forget all our troubles for a day or two. Light some tall church candles, and add a vase or two of beautiful, pure white flowers.

Simple white bone china dinnerware is a classic, but seeing as it’s Christmas we will also turn a blind eye to the odd understated gold or silver stripe, a splash of purple or red, and midnight blue china. We also love coloured glass this year – there’s something very satisfying about drinking our Christmas morning Buck’s Fizz from a tall, golden-hued champagne glass. Dress your table with gold, crimson or plum napkins, and as many flowers, candles and crackers as you can fit. As for crackers, they’re always disappointing if you scrimp, so check the contents list and go for quality if you can or buy a make-your-own kit and add whatever takes your fancy.

How to party
If you’re hosting a party, don’t fuss too much about the food. If there’s time to prepare enough canapés, mince pies and roast chestnuts, great. But if slow food isn’t fast enough, bring in the chiller cabinet canapés, or you could even get it catered. It’s not as expensive as you might think; many supermarkets and local providers offer finger foods from as little as £3 or £4 per person. Likewise, if you haven’t got the kit, you can always hire it – many off-licences will hire out wineglasses and tumblers, as will local catering companies. And for the super-organised – after your pre (or post-) Christmas party, book a cleaning company for a one-off deep clean for the next day, so you won’t need to worry about the tidying up. Cheers!