Two ways to set the Christmas table

Here at Roost Living, not only are we looking forward to decking the halls, home (and garden!) but we're also thinking about setting the table for a season full of festive get-togethers.

Bird prints and hints of gold are top of mind for us, laying the all-too-expected red tablecloths to rest and paving the way to a more modern supper setting.

How will you be adorning your Christmas table this year?

Feathered Finery

Golden Touch

A little mood lighting goes a long way

If you’re anything like us, you’ll love nothing more than lighting a candle and slipping into the bath for a little ‘me time’ after a long, stressful day – even more so at this time of year, when overtime and the present dash all too often take their toll.

This is exactly when we turn to Sparrow & Co.’s hand-poured candles – with the strike of a match; the bathroom (or any room!) is filled with the sweet scents of coconut, wood smoke, and vanilla (Camp Fire). Notes of sandalwood, patchouli and leather permeate through the air (Drawing Room), and spicy cinnamon, cloves and orange (December) evoke time-old memories of Christmas.

Each one is wrapped in a gift box and adorned with the handwriting of illustrator Debbie Powell – making them simply too divine not to share, too.

The simplest of statements

As the saying goes, 'less', is invariably so much 'more' - our exact thoughts when we first spotted artisan Shan Valla's collection of minimalist vases.

Each mini vessel takes its inspiration from the patterns and shapes found within handcut glass and crystal decanters. Shan handcrafts them in London, specifically designing them to hold mini flowers. Try clustering them together and dropping in freshly picked blooms from a countryside stroll - we'll be doing just that.

"Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers." Jorge Luis Borges, poet.

Batty about bird prints

Fashion and homeware designers forever return to the beauty of the bird for inspiration. Sparrows decorate jewellery, pigeons rest upon cushions, and finches flutter over crockery - but what is it about these sky-wanderers that we are so drawn to?

Perhaps it’s that more often than not, our feathered friends are seen as a symbol of the soul – soaring free, high up in the sky. Doves have long since represented peace and that old fellow, the magpie, well; he certainly has a lot to answer for!

While we’re having a bit of a birdbrain moment, we thought we’d share a few of our favourite chirpy chaps – which is your favourite?