The art of laying the perfect holiday table with Kayla Jurlina

Lifestyle Tue Dec 23 2025 by Tessa Patrick

There’s a certain alchemy to a good summer table—the kind that feels as though it came together on instinct, yet holds a quiet sort of precision. For creative director Kayla Jurlina, it’s all about the balance between invitation and intention. ‘Ideally, it’s outside under the grapes with the sun shining,’ she says. ‘A long table draped in vintage tablecloths from my Baba’s collection from Croatia, or even linen fabric gathered and draped—that’s what makes it feel effortlessly inviting.’

Kayla’s advice for the perfect tablescape begins with texture. Forget the sterile symmetry of Pinterest perfection—she prefers linen with creases, mismatched plates, and glassware that tells a story. Layering, she says, creates warmth. ‘I love using an organic arrangement of different plates and bowls so it feels like there’s lots to explore. You can stack them at different levels to fit more within the space, or set them out symmetrically for a cleaner look.’ The only real mistake? Over-styling. ‘If it looks too sculptural, people don’t know where to touch or eat from,’ she laughs. And a cabbage among the flowers, she adds, never hurts.

For the creative director, personality trumps polish. She suggests small, sensory gestures that turn a setting into an experience: mismatched glasses so each guest remembers theirs; a jug of water with mint or lemon from the garden; shelled nuts with a nutcracker for guests to crack themselves. ‘It gives people something to do—it creates movement and connection.’

As it is summer, natural materials anchor everything—her favourites: vintage wooden bowls, marble fragments salvaged from skip bins, river stones from the South Island. ‘You can work with what you already have,’ she says. ‘Draw inspiration from your own heritage, your own environment.’ Seasonal produce is her secret styling weapon: lemons, tomatoes, herbs and bread all double as decoration and food.

And when it comes to the final flourish, Jurlina believes the most memorable tables linger beyond the meal. ‘I like my guests to take something from our property—a garden cutting, a bag of citrus, a tomato plant my husband’s grown. It’s a way of sharing a piece of our home.’

The philosophy is almost radical in an age of copy-and-paste aesthetics: the most beautiful tables are very rarely bought, they’re built—from memory, material, and meaning.

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