Thanksgiving is here, officially kicking off the holiday season and for most of us the busiest time of year. Entertain your family and friends with the wedding china, stemware and crystal you can't bring yourself to use anytime other than on special occasions.
Let your creativity flow by creating a table setting that reflects your unique personality and style. When setting a holiday table I've found what works best for me is starting with the centerpiece, which can be a floral arrangement, seasonal fruit, leaves, branches, feathers or an eclectic mix of all the above. The arrangement sets the stage and informs the color scheme for the place settings, napkins, etc.
Generally I stick to a palette of two or three colors like gold/green, green/red, white/gold/green. This is also the one time of year I use a tablecloth, reconfirming that this is indeed a full-on festive occasion. Having a solid crisp white or deep green cloth as the backdrop makes everything laid out on top really pop. Candle-light from votives and candelabras bouncing off the sparkling crystal and silverware add the final flourish.
Your guests will enjoy and appreciate all your efforts to make the occasion special for them!
Carolyne Roehm has a wonderful gift for arranging florals, creating grand tablescapes that are quite breathtaking
Carolyne Roehm's Thanksgiving table laden with an abundance of fruits and bird figurines - the intense artwork with a scene of diving birds makes for a dramatic backdrop
Carolyne Roehm
Carolyne Roehm - edible decorations
Designer Alex Papachristidis collaborates with Stacy Bewkes of Quintessence blog on a spectacular Thanksgiving Holiday Table using lots from the upcoming Christies Living with Art sale of fine and decorative arts - Coalport china mixed with Baccarat crystal stemware and florals from my favorite florist Zeze
Alex and Stacy's collaboration includes a covered Victorian warming stand with stag top - now that's a centerpiece! From one of the Christies lots...
Alex and Stacy re-imagine a small antique bench as table-side bar cart - see what items you may have around your home that can be re-purposed for an added touch of whimsy and originality to your table setting
A holiday tablescape elegantly displayed in timeless, yet dynamic gold, red and white color scheme by Aerin Home Accessories
I'm a big fan of Aerin Home Accessories - they're of exceptional quality, always chic and most important it can all be used for year-round entertaining
Helen Green Designs uses the timeless color scheme of red florals, brown acorns and green foliage framed in white to great effect
Oliver Burns - expresses classic maximalism with a pair of crystal Baccarat candelabras giving an air of formality to the place setting...the black tabletop adds to the drama
I love this nod to minimalism with the beautiful artichokes as the centerpiece on each plate - the full-on tablescape in this setting sits on the console instead of the dining table
An eclectic combination of mix and match patterns from Ralph Lauren Home - not sure how practical a velvet tablecloth is but I'm loving the look...