Christmas Cushions & Table Runners: Festive Styling Guide

You do not need boxes of decorations to make a home feel festive. A few Christmas cushion covers on the sofa and a runner down the table change the whole mood of a room, and they pack away flat in January.

This guide covers choosing a colour scheme, picking a style, and dressing the Christmas table.

Step 1: Choose a Christmas Colour Scheme

Deciding on a scheme first makes everything else easier and stops the room looking cluttered.

Scheme	Colours	Feel
Traditional	Red, green and cream	Classic and cosy
Nordic	Red, white and soft grey, with natural wood	Simple and calm
Winter blue	Navy, teal, white and silver	Frosty and elegant
Retro	Red, mustard, teal and pink	Nostalgic and fun
Rustic	Deep red, forest green, brown and tartan	Country lodge

Look at your everyday colours too. If your curtains are blue, a winter blue scheme will look more natural than bright red and green.

Step 2: Pick a Style for Your Cushions

Tartan and plaid are timeless and suit living rooms, snugs and country kitchens.
Retro Santas and vintage trees bring a nostalgic, 50s and 60s Christmas card feel.
Nordic winter scenes with snowy houses, reindeer and pine trees are calm and grown up.
Playful designs with puppies, snowmen and reindeer are perfect for family rooms and children's bedrooms.

Browse our Christmas cushion covers to find your style.

Step 3: Mix Festive and Everyday Cushions

You do not have to replace every cushion. A mix looks more considered.

Keep two plain or neutral cushions from your everyday set.
Add one or two festive cushions as the stars.
Add one cushion in a supporting pattern, such as a tartan or a simple check, that shares a colour with the festive ones.

This follows the same idea as our 3-pattern cushion rule: one lead pattern, one supporting pattern and something plain.

Step 4: Dress the Christmas Table

A runner is the easiest way to make the table feel special from Advent to New Year.

Length: for the classic look, choose a runner 30 to 60 cm longer than your table so it hangs over each end. Our table runner size guide has a chart for every table.
Width: 45 cm suits most dining tables and leaves room for a centrepiece; 30 cm suits narrower tables and sideboards.
Centrepiece: keep it low so guests can see each other. Pine sprigs, pine cones, candles in glass holders and a few baubles are enough.
Layering: a patterned runner looks best on a plain table or a plain white tablecloth.
Beyond the dining table: a runner on the sideboard, mantelpiece or a console in the hall carries the festive look through the house.

See our Christmas table runners.

Step 5: Link the Rooms

Repeat the same two or three colours on the sofa, the table and the tree. A red and green tartan cushion, a red runner and red baubles feel planned; five different colour stories do not.

Plan Ahead

Our cushion covers and table runners are printed to order, so order in good time before the date you need them, especially for December delivery. After Christmas, wash the covers and runners, make sure they are fully dry and store them flat until next year. See our care guide.