Stickybeak of the Week: A Beachside Christmas Lunch
Stylist Mardi Mason shares her secrets for styling a beautiful, beach-inspired Christmas lunch
While Christmas in the Northern Hemisphere conjures images of snow-covered pine trees and sipping on hot chocolate by an open fire, in Australia enjoying a summer Christmas is all about outdoor entertaining and celebrating in the sunshine. For talented interior stylist Mardi Mason, Christmas revolves around her young family of three (soon to be four), and their extended family, who fortunately live close to the Masons’ 1930s beach cottage in Mount Martha, on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.
Mardi loves to keep her Christmas decorations stylish, beach-inspired and understated by using rustic, natural themes and incorporating native flora and driftwood, both inside and outside her home. These seasonal additions complement the creative, thrifty, homemade decor seen in the family’s home tour.
Outdoor Dining Room at a Glance
Who lives here: Interior stylist Mardi Mason, with her husband Brett, 2-year-old son Max, and a new baby girl arriving at the end of December
Where: Mount Martha, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
Size: Deck area is 17.5 square metres
Mardi loves to keep her Christmas decorations stylish, beach-inspired and understated by using rustic, natural themes and incorporating native flora and driftwood, both inside and outside her home. These seasonal additions complement the creative, thrifty, homemade decor seen in the family’s home tour.
Outdoor Dining Room at a Glance
Who lives here: Interior stylist Mardi Mason, with her husband Brett, 2-year-old son Max, and a new baby girl arriving at the end of December
Where: Mount Martha, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
Size: Deck area is 17.5 square metres
Fresh florals, such as these gorgeous hydrangeas from Mardi’s mum’s garden add a pop of colour to the table settings. Blues and purples complement the colour of the quaint, rustic cottage.
“I love decorating the table for Christmas, but there’s always the dilemma of making sure there’s enough room for all the Christmas food among the decorations,” Mardi says. “That gave me the idea this year to suspend the decorations from the ceiling.”
She did this by collecting recycled glass jars (mostly from her mum’s stash) and strung them with twine from chicken wire that is screwed into the ceiling. “It was super easy to do and once they were all hung at different heights, I dropped a tea light in each of them and I had an impactful recycled jar chandelier,” she says. “It’s great for outdoor dining as the candles in the jars don’t get blown out by the wind. It’s also not specifically Christmasy, so I’ll be able to leave it there for the whole of summer to add a lovely touch to all our outdoor entertaining.”
She did this by collecting recycled glass jars (mostly from her mum’s stash) and strung them with twine from chicken wire that is screwed into the ceiling. “It was super easy to do and once they were all hung at different heights, I dropped a tea light in each of them and I had an impactful recycled jar chandelier,” she says. “It’s great for outdoor dining as the candles in the jars don’t get blown out by the wind. It’s also not specifically Christmasy, so I’ll be able to leave it there for the whole of summer to add a lovely touch to all our outdoor entertaining.”
For the Christmas meal itself, seafood is always the main component of the lunch – a mix of oysters, cold prawns, garlic prawns and scallops cooked on the barbecue in true Aussie style. Crayfish, crab, and Mardi’s favourite, Morton Bay bugs, are also main stars of the show.
The seafood is paired with gourmet salads, using fresh rocket, spinach, nectarine, grilled prosciutto, goats cheese and toasted almonds, dressed with an olive oil, lemon and balsamic glaze.
The seafood is paired with gourmet salads, using fresh rocket, spinach, nectarine, grilled prosciutto, goats cheese and toasted almonds, dressed with an olive oil, lemon and balsamic glaze.
“I always love to have a cocktail already made and ready to go,” says Mardi. “It looks impressive as guests arrive and is a great way to kick off the celebrations. This year I am pregnant so unfortunately mine will be non-alcoholic!”
Although the undercover dining area itself is only around 17.5 square metres, the deck extends out further, and looks out to the garden. The serving windows open out to provide direct access to the kitchen, making it much easier to bring the food to the outdoor table.
“I am definitely an outside person, so to be able to have such a lovely outdoor space to dine in is really special,” says Mardi. “There’s something really relaxing and casual about eating outside, it almost makes you feel like you’re on holidays. It’s also perfect with kids as we can watch them run around play, yet they can still be part of the celebrations.”
“I always use one hero piece on the table and add a few florals to tie it all in,” Mardi explains. “I saw the Bridget Bodenham vase in Scout House in St Kilda and knew it was perfect. It’s quite unusual as it’s got a rustic feel, but the gold spots add a little glamour and I knew it would work with the Christmas theme.”
To tie the whole look together, Mardi adds a few Australian florals and gumnuts down the centre of the table runner.
Mardi says she loves to use lots of layers and textures when she styles a table, as it adds dimension and interest and creates a really inviting feel to the design. “For example, using a table cloth as well as a table runner can make the table feel larger too,” she says.
“For the actual place setting I found a few little interesting pieces to decorate the plates,” says Mardi. “The birch hearts and laser-cut paper feathers were things I hadn’t seen before and I knew they’d stand out on the dark linen napkins. Fabric napkins are a must as they add a touch of elegance and make the whole look feel more special.”
A name tag adds a personal touch, and finally some foliage or florals like the gum leaves (or you could use rosemary or a single flower) keeps the setting feeling fresh.
A name tag adds a personal touch, and finally some foliage or florals like the gum leaves (or you could use rosemary or a single flower) keeps the setting feeling fresh.
While Mardi has chosen to use matching place settings this year, she often goes for mismatched plates, cutlery and glassware. “My Christmas style is relaxed, rustic and always has an Australian, ‘beachy’ feel to it,” she says.
Dessert is always a pavlova for the Masons’ Christmas, as well as Mardi’s homemade ice cream slice with cherries, pistachios, and white and dark chocolate flakes.
“Of course a pavlova is an Aussie Christmas tradition, but that doesn’t mean that the toppings need to be traditional,” says Mardi. Her recipe is topped with fresh figs, roughly chopped pistachios, and gorgeous edible flowers, which match the rustic feel and colours of the table setting.
Mardi’s mum always brings her grandma’s traditional pudding and lots of fresh fruit to complete the meal.
“Of course a pavlova is an Aussie Christmas tradition, but that doesn’t mean that the toppings need to be traditional,” says Mardi. Her recipe is topped with fresh figs, roughly chopped pistachios, and gorgeous edible flowers, which match the rustic feel and colours of the table setting.
Mardi’s mum always brings her grandma’s traditional pudding and lots of fresh fruit to complete the meal.
YOUR TURN
How do you style your Christmas dining table? Show us by posting a photo in the Comments section.
MORE
What’s Your Christmas Decorating Style?
Festive Styling That Embraces the ‘White Christmas’ Look
A Feast for the Eyes: Christmas Lunch Table Settings
How do you style your Christmas dining table? Show us by posting a photo in the Comments section.
MORE
What’s Your Christmas Decorating Style?
Festive Styling That Embraces the ‘White Christmas’ Look
A Feast for the Eyes: Christmas Lunch Table Settings
Even with her baby girl being due at the end of December, Mardi’s Christmas planning hasn’t slowed down, despite a sneaking feeling that her new daughter might just arrive in time for the celebrations. “My son Max arrived several weeks before his due date, and I have a feeling that this little one might be an early Christmas surprise!” she says.