Matilda Goad on how to deck the halls this party season

Think about all the little details. It’s nice to have elements that are revealed throughout the evening which guests don’t notice immediately.

Once I made paper brassiere-style place mats with an illustration of the host’s initials, which were only properly revealed when the plates were cleared away.

I never like matchy-matchy colour schemes. A bit of clashing or an unpredictable print will give more depth: serve your pudding in coloured glasses or throw in a vivid candlestick.

I used hand-marbled paper place mats for an event this year — marbling’s very on-trend.

Lara Pilkington is a really talented illustrator with whom I work on a lot of events. She designs everything from invitations to place holders in a way that is unique and personal.

The most memorable party I’ve done this year was with Shrimps for LFW in September. I created an intimate dinner for the guests in a disused gallery space at Sotheby’s; the table was lined with diamanté- and pearl-embellished giant shells sitting among faux fur-covered potted orchids, which created a beautiful silhouette against the pink tinted lighting.