Sure, the food and company are important, but…let’s make it look pretty, too!
So this Thanksgiving, I issued a little challenge to my
friends and family: in the midst of guests coming and going, turkeys roasting
and potatoes mashing, while everyone in the living room is hopefully minimizing
the holiday drama, take a few moments and snap a shot or two of your table
centerpiece, then forward your fabulousness along to yours truly.
This may sound like a simple task, but considering all of
the hubbub a holiday can involve, I wasn’t sure how many would actually have a
chance to honor my request, but I will say, the responses I did receive made me
pretty impressed with the company I keep (if I do say so myself!). One of the great things about what I have to
share with you is that the lessons learned from these creations do not only
apply to the lovely holiday of Thanksgiving, but also can be used as we prepare
for the many decorating challenges found in the month of December. So without further ado…a few things to keep
in mind when staging a special occasion table that sparkles…
Form versus function…maintaining the balance. Ever attend a formal event and gasp at the
humongously gorgeous centerpieces found at each table, then spend the rest of
the night unable to talk to the guest seated across from you because you can’t
even see who it is? Centerpieces can be
lovely and creative, but if they hinder conversation or do not leave you with
enough room for, I dunno, food on your table, they aren’t successful. The solution is either to go high but
clear/transparent so everyone can still converse, low so no one’s view is
obstructed (perfectly exemplified with my brother and sister-in-law’s colorful
mini vases), or, the way I usually choose, do something big and bodacious, then
remove part of it for the actual meal. A
bit of the best of both worlds!
Give tradition a twist.
These days, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to holiday
decorating. Open any home magazine currently being sold by the checkout counter
and you will find holiday design that reaches far beyond the limits of
tradition décor…Thanksgiving isn’t confined to mums and pumpkins, just like
Christmas beauty can go well past red and green, and sometimes a simple twist
on tradition is just what’s needed to keep your celebration fresh and
interesting. My fab friend Heidi proves
this with her centerpiece, which doesn’t involve any rust or orange, but
instead pulls on different shades of olive green and dusty pink to create a
Fall feel. Not sure you want to completely
throw tradition aside this year? There’s
no need to…just introduce one new color or texture and see how everything
evolves.
Reflect who you are in what you create. This is of course the addendum to trying
something new…while that philosophy is all well and good, don’t go so far in
one direction that your decorating no longer reflects who you are and how you live. One year I decided to try completely changing
my look, table and beyond, for Christmas, and went strictly with a blue, cream,
and brown color scheme, with ocean and seashell accents. I boxed up half my holiday décor, and even
went religiously through the ornaments and picked out only the ones that made
the cut with my new plan. What did I end
up with? A lovely design, but also small
children crying over their red reindeer ornaments being banned from the tree
and a house that didn’t really look like ours.
So, what was the solution? The next year my dining room was a beautiful
sea of brown and blue, while the rest of the house was a compromise of old and
new…think red shiny balls next to white starfish–and it still changed things
up, looked great and most importantly, no one cried.
Take a chance and visit the world beyond flowers. What are some of the most memorable table
displays you have ever seen? Chances are
they involved something other than flowers.
My creative friend Lori had a flowery wreath surrounding her main
display this year, but the items that really catch your eye are the mason jars
filled with candy corn and candles, which completely suit her vintage, cottagey
style. In the same way, this year I went
for rectangular plates of moss and fruit, metallic cups filled with berries and
herbs, and in the center, a matted frame surrounding a quote from Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving special. Different? Sure. Something that made me smile that I will do
again? Definitely!
So hopefully this little sharing lesson gives you a chance
to think about your own tablescapes for the coming season. Once you consider your needs, have a little
fun within your comfort zone, and introduce some unique materials to your
holiday décor. With a little ingenuity,
you too can have a show-and-tell-worthy display to call your own. J
