Nature inspires designer Rayna Larson’s Thanksgiving table. And she dishes on all her local sources.
I love to set a holiday table for company, layering different pieces I’ve found here and there to create a fun and festive tablescape.
Linens. I always start with a table cloth or placemats. I find remnant decorator fabrics at Joann Fabrics for a tablecloth and use a contrasting fabric for napkins. Or, I use placemats for a simpler effect. Mine came from Ross.
Centerpiece. For Thanksgiving, start with a pumpkin. Albertson’s often stocks wonderful Cinderella pumpkins—the more distorted and warty the better! Place a flat basket in the center of the table or even just use plastic wrap to protect the tabletop. Add to the pumpkin various colored seasonal vegetables. I love artificial produce for centerpieces and often mix them with fresh veggies in my arrangements. Add dried or artificial leaves and berries, which you can find at Michaels craft store. I tied loops of thin branches from the weeping birch tree in my back yard to add dimension to the vegetables. This gives a rustic, natural look.
Placesetting. A charger plate beneath your dinner plate adds texture and heft. It can be wicker, glass, even cardboard. In choosing a charger I take my cue from the centerpiece, mixing colors and patterns that play off each other. You can spend as little as $1 for a charger plate at thrift stores like the Pumpkin Patch or the Dollar Store.
I mix my china with different ceramic and pottery pieces to make it interesting and fresh. Find unique pieces to mix with your dishes at Poppy. I mix my sterling with flatware I picked up at a garage sale. Combining different sets of flatware creates a warm, collected setting. Mix brass or wood with black stainless and sterling. Taking a cue from the leaves in my centerpiece, I use amber and amethyst glassware, which I found at Treasures and Keepers Corner.
Sparkle. To top off the table I add sparkle and warmth with a simple votive candle at each placesetting. If using flammable dried leaves, vines, or berries, tuck battery candles into your centerpiece.
When it’s all set, the lights dimmed, and the candles lit, it becomes a magical setting for your holiday meal. Bon Appetit!
Written By Rayna Larson
