Fall centerpieces celebrate the earth's bounty
The table where guests and family gather for food and conversation truly is the center of holiday entertaining, local designers and florists say.
And this year, keeping your decorations simple, natural, warm and cozy is the key, they said, whether it’s fresh evergreens as a centerpiece, strands of berries wrapped around napkins or even a bowl of red flowers.
“No plastic, no sparkle and much less glitzy,” said Brian Morley, owner of Bergamot & Ivy floral designers in Westport.
“Things are going to be a bit more traditional this year,” he said. “When you decorate a table, it’s going to be more about childhood memories, textures and smells. Fresh greenery and organic will be big.”
Angela Spurlock, a decorator for Nell Hill’s in Atchison, Kan., also said natural is the way to go. Last year’s holiday decorations for the tabletop were all about sparkle and massiveness, she said, but this year, when guests sit down for dinner, it’s all about warmth and simple elegance.
“Everyone’s downgrading this year,” she said. “We want the table to be a homey, quiet place to sit and have a conversation. It should be decorated in a way so that your guests feel warm and want to sit there for hours.”
Dan Meiners, owner of Studio Dan Meiners, said his clients usually want a more contemporary look. But wild colors and lots of gold and silver are out, replaced by natural flowers in traditional reds and greens.
“Take a glass bowl and fill it with flowers and berries that are three different shades of red,” Meiners said. “Fuchsia, red and deep burgundy. It will look great for a centerpiece.”
Spurlock and others suggest gathering several varieties of evergreens from trees in your neighborhood, as well as berries, hedge apples and acorns.
Centerpieces made from fresh foliage arrangements — whether spare or lush — make a dramatic statement but at the same time are soft and cozy, designers said. Vines, moss and cedar chips in a glass bowl all are great ideas to start with.
And for Morley, there’s nothing better around the holidays than a big glass bowl of great-smelling clementines.
“And please eat the fruit,” he said. “Don’t just let it sit. Have people dig in.”
Designers also encourage clients to ? take a second look at their gardens and gather the last of the herbs such as rosemary and thyme to make a small bouquet for each place setting or create a natural napkin ring.
“In Kansas City, it’s usually not brutally cold around the holidays, so go out to your garden and see what’s there,” Morley said. “You can still find some things that not only will look great but make your house smell wonderful.”
And don’t forget about the lighting when it comes to decorating the table. Take branches from your backyard or a nearby park, some vines or small wreaths and wind them through the chandelier to make the “holiday up above come down to your table,” Spurlock said.
Elegant and chic: Dan Meiners, owner of Studio Dan Meiners, creates an elegant and chic table setting for the holidays that’s heavy on the crystal (as in huge hunks of natural quartz) and silver (as in chunky silvered candles) but still keeps the overall look clean, light and natural for guests. Shot at Studio Dan Meiners by Talbott L. Wilson; styling by Cindy Hoedel
Cozy at Nell Hill's: Mary Carol Garrity, owner of Nell Hill’s in Atchison, Kan., creates a warm, masculine mood at her dining room table for holiday dinners. The subdued decorations are cozy, not overwhelming; they entice family and friends to linger long after dinner is served.
A purple twist: Bergamot & Ivy designer Shana Vaughn gives traditional red and green a twist by mixing in purple. This large centerpiece for a client’s Kansas City dining table is full of items found in backyards and florist shops: holly, eucalyptus berries, white pine and juniper.
Take-home scents: Treat guests with a bundle of holiday scent to take home by laying a nosegay at each setting.
Keep it simple: Garrity keeps place settings simple by layering coordinating plate patterns and placing a small gift/place card in the middle, securing it with a feather.