The Thanksgiving table is set 48 hours ahead of time – too soon? Considering Christmas and Chanukah decorations are already going up around town, I think not! I was just so excited to set the table – and the mood – for our intimate Thanksgiving meal in our new city of Denver, it had to be done. Sometimes when you collect or buy home goods at different times with different trends, they don’t always go together. I’m pretty excited about how neutrals can jive, how contrast can be cohesive, and how simplicity can make a statement.

Place Settings

This year’s table is all about warmth from the charcoal hue of our Pottery Barn Mason dinnerware and almost matching napkins from Cost Plus World Market. It’s about mixed metals, including Chilewich Metallic Lace Placemats in Gold that add a little shimmery textured background for sleek silver Villeroy & Boch New Wave Flatware with thin stems and a little twist at the top, providing dimension and structure so you don’t lose your grip when digging into that turkey or sweet potatoes! The last touches include the modern, slim, single line etched Vera Wang Wedgwood Bande collection glassware. Their simplicity doesn’t take away from the other elements of the table, and instead, add a light, airy sipping vehicle with just enough charm for the dining experience. I just love these glasses!

Centerpiece

I’m usually a sucker for fresh flowers. And, how can you resist some luscious petals adorning the Thanksgiving table? Well, whether you’re saving space or looking for a simpler, more streamlined look to leave more room for the real stars of the show – the tasty dishes – centering your table around seasonal produce can still add that freshness, life, vibrancy, fragrance, color, and design to make your table inviting and exciting!

Recently, I’ve found that adding elements of life (like we did in our kitchen console design in this year’s One Room Challenge) to design bring in dimension, breath, texture, and some down-to-earthiness that’s just simply a necessity. Similar to adding fresh herbs or uncooked vegetables to a warm recipe, it brings freshness that’s also comforting and reminds us of where our meal came from. This year, we added a leaf collected from our street as the trees shed this Fall, a fresh cranberry for color, and well – because Thanksgiving, and Satsuma oranges (Japanese tangerines – aren’t the color and stems delightful?) nestled next to each other on a simple Noritake Kona Wood Rectangular Platter.

Monochromatic design with pops of color might just be my thing!

A little cranberry on top never hurt anyone!

Here’s the view so you can imagine being at our table.

A couple more views for fun!

We’ll end here on a shot that captures layers of texture, color, still design and elements of life, and of course, a little sparkle.

I hope this inspires you to make special out of simple, bring the outdoors inside, marry textures and metals, add pops of color, and find ways to express yourself through dining and food with loved ones this Thanksgiving! Happy Turkey Day, y’all!