Are you planning a holiday table for a special dinner? Whether a gourmet feast or a pot luck, setting the mood for the gathering can be achieved with a table that says “I’m excited you are here!” From table linens, china, centerpieces, even chairs, the key is color! Repetition of color is what you notice first! It gives the setting continuity. Not enough dinner plates from your china pattern? Every other place setting can be from two different sets or every other one can be a totally unique plate. Once you have used coordinating dishes for a unique look, matched dishes will look boring! The challenge is using variety while maintaining the color theme. The personal details on the table can lead through family history, travels or collections. Adding a garland of fresh greens is aromatic. Candlelight is flattering. If children are coming, provide a craft activity and extend the table to include them! Have appetizers ready before guests arrive and a use a simple menu to enable the hostess to enjoy the guests. Many dishes are fine at room temperature. Here’s to a happy holiday season! #Champagneforall #HolidayDining

Recently I was working with clients with an insurance claim who were starting over with furniture! It was a similar situation to many home owners when they move here without the baggage of past homes! Over numerous years working for a design studio that was within a furniture store, it was quite interesting to see the continuity achieved when we weren’t dealing with existing furniture.

Whether you are replacing or starting over, some consider key furniture pieces as keepsakes to treasure forever! Others in today’s world, consider everything disposable and just want a fit for the current location! Therein lies the challenge of acquiring dining room furniture. During the holidays we’re looking for family dining areas. After the holidays, we’re looking for free space.

After a lot of entertaining, designing custom homes and working on spacing issues in remodels, my favorite solution is the least expensive and easiest! I combine light weight outdoor tables or folding tables (not necessarily the same size and width but square or rectangular) into as long of a table as we need usually in adjoining spaces. Matching or coordinating tablecloths are added for unity. Use whatever you have in abundance for the centerpieces – candles, fruits, pumpkins, squashes, small limbs with foliage or flowers to create a one-of-a-kind table. It is more flexible than a big table that never accommodates the exact number of spaces we need for a given group. Sometimes existing furniture has to be moved for the day but it is always festive and inclusive. #FriendsfortheHolidays! #HolidayDining