The art of entertaining

A top tablescaper shows us how to create a show-stopping display that captures the spirit of the season

- BECKY DONALDSON

Festive table settings have come a long way since the tinselled opulence of years past. Before the word tablescape entered our vocabulary, decorations were often plastic, jewel-toned and unapologetically over the top.

Today, our approach is far more considered – and our appetite for beautiful, imaginative displays only continues to grow, thanks to social media and the abundance of design-led options now at our fingertips.

In 2009, Louisa Preskett Mobbs founded the event-design and production company Polar Black Events, winning an impressive list of clients including Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Dom Pérignon.

A decade later, she co-founded the luxury British homeware brand Maison Margaux, a tableware platform that rents out entire collections (so no two tables need ever look the same) and also offers an edit of pieces to buy.