Thanksgiving dinner: Make the most of your table setting
(KMSP) - When the holidays inch closer, there are those of us who begin to plan out our holiday table weeks in advance. If you are tabletop obsessed like myself, it's also an excuse to become familiar with what's trending to possibly pull something fresh and current into the mix. I'm not a table setting traditionalist usually, unless the dinner requires formality. What's nice about the trends I am seeing is that they are pulling in a more casual, relaxed feeling - which I believe will connect with the younger demographic and hopefully inspire them to actually entertain.
The trends you find on this table pull in the following design aesthetics
Monochromatic - cooler colors are known to be calming, and with a monochromatic scheme, the eye can rest and not become distracted - which promotes more meaningful engagement at the table. Calm guests will be more pleasant to be around (hopefully).
Handmade/Shopping Local - Being connected to the product has become important to people as we attempt to own less and more meaningful things - products with stories that we connect with. I met Monya, owner of Plush Pumpkin - www.PlushPumpkin.com several years ago by freak coincidence and we have been friends ever since. She is based in Minneapolis and although she started out with pumpkins, has branched out to mushrooms and acorns. Each piece is handmade, the stems are all hand-harvested. From traditional fall colors to vivid pinks, lambskin and more. I thought her pumpkins, acorns and mushrooms would be perfect since she is local, parts of the finished product are harvested locally and her connection to home design allows each person to pick the specific items, sized and fabric to make their table truly there own. Connecting with Monya and being inspired by her story, caused me to want to connect with her product - which is hard not to. Her products are available at many stores across the country for those who want to hand pick each one themselves - like going pumpkin hunting, only with ones you can keep forever.
There may be a misperception with this table since you see pumpkins, acorns and mushrooms that this is Thanksgiving only - not in the least. This table can easily be used for Christmas or New Year's due to color palate, and let's not forget #Friendsgiving or #Friendsmas! Obviously you can use them as home decor when not being sitting main stage at your table.
Organic - Believe it or not, organic does not only represent your garden or chickens. Organic in the design world represents things that actually have variation - plates that are not exactly round or edges of bowls slightly relaxed in certain areas. Using pieces such as this communicates a relaxed lifestyle, which is more calming to your guests. This trend also plays into textures and fabrics, such as the tablecloth which is rustic, natural-colored linen fabric with weave variations all over. The linen brings in a textural element that plays off the smooth surface of the dinnerware and the softness of the velvet pumpkins. The antlers, although faux (you can easily use found pieces in this case) pull in an organic element of nature, and the variation of coloring on each one - no two are alike.
The Wilder dinnerware, which includes serving pieces, copper platter and linen tablecloth are all available at Crate and Barrel - www.CrateAndBarrel.com
Faux antlers are found at www.EvolutionStore.com