I don’t know about you but I’m thinking that Thanksgiving centerpieces are a bit of problem. Unless you happen to have a ginormous table, or just plan on keeping every bit of food on a sideboard (or have wait staff – right) piling a mountain of veggies and flowers into the middle of the table is usually at first pretty, then a problem.
In my family someone will sit down and immediately either remove the lovely floral display (as I grit my teeth) – or gaze at it uncomfortably as it either blocks someones view across the table or encroaches on their eating area. Could be the solution is a bigger table, bigger dining room – not sure, but I love these ideas I rounded up from some of the magazines.
Above and below are a couple looks from Country Living’s slideshow of ideas. I must say I love the colors and the easy notion of plunking a pillar candle into a bowl of nuts. Pinning a place card to a pear is pretty too.
Thinking about holiday decorating and not checking in with Martha Stewart is, of course, an outrage! Below are some ideas – just adore the casual grapes and simple colors. Beautiful.
I’m thinking maybe setting up a side table with a brilliant display is a good bet – this pottery from Pottery Barn (they *do* sell pottery after all 
) looks so perfect casually decked out for the season. I could also see the green color transitioning into Christmas as well. Have some ideas? Let me know!
OK – I’ll admit it…I’m a dish-aholic. I just adore tabletop prettiness of all types, vintage, ceramic, fine china, melamine … I can look and be enthralled with patterns for hours. As far as I’m concerned most designs are true works of art suitable for framing or at least hanging. If I had room I’d have dish sets by the hundreds. I’m seriously not exaggerating.
I think the prettiest tables have gobs of different patterns all mixed and matched with just the right touch. I’m indulging my fetish with the virtual table above made up of some of the prettiest autumn themed patterns: clockwise from upper right: Quail Plates – Pottery Barn; from ‘Winter House’ by Charlotte Moss; Tracy Porter ‘Vivre’; Baroque Salad Plates – Pottery Barn; from ‘Winter House’ by Charlotte Moss.
I came across this photo of this dramatic dining room over the weekend browsing through New England Home Magazine. The house is in Chappquiddick and belongs to an artist – so it’s no wonder that the brilliant shade of blue mixed with white and black has such a unique pop art look. It’s both reverential and modern – a look that’s fairly difficult to come by.
Whenever I think of Thanksgiving and Fall dinners, I always go straight to images of orange and brown – but really this palette has a classic china plate look that’s both current and traditional. (that’s Wedgewood’s Johnson Brother’s Pattern below). And being such a primary color, brilliant blue seems to play well with so many moods that it just looks gorgeous time and again in the dining room. Below are some more ideas.
photos from top: michael partineo photographer/new england home magazine; wedgewood; california home and design; architectural digest
