Vivid Hue Blog: 5 Easy Tips for a Stylish Holiday Table

At Vivid Hue Home, we believe in celebrating traditions without necessarily being traditional. Many people feel overwhelmed with entertaining, especially during the holidays when there is so much hustle and bustle. There are many factors that go into hosting a party and the table is often the last priority.

Yesterday, I filmed a segment on NBC Connecticut to share a few easy tips that will help hosts set a stylish looking tablescape with very little effort. These tricks will help zhush up your table and have your guests oozing with envy. I showcased two tablescapes; one for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas.

Vivid Hue Home tablescapes as featured on NBC Connecticut, November 12, 2016

5 Easy Tips for a Stylish and Festive Holiday Table:

1. Color: Use Non-Traditional Colors

A holiday table does not need to use traditional holiday colors. For example, many think a Thanksgiving table must use shades of orange and brown and that a Christmas table must use red and green. In our tablescapes, we used blue and red tartan plaids for Thanksgiving and red and pink for Christmas. It's okay to think outside of the box and introduce colors that aren't traditionally used to represent the holiday.

2. Table Coverings: Introduce Unique Layers

Start with a tablecloth, but then add an extra layer using items that are probably readily available in your home. A swatch of fabric, a throw blanket or even wrapping paper all make terrific layers for a table. For my Christmas table, I purchased a remnant swatch of vintage silk taffeta fabric from etsy. I used this in the middle of the table for a pop of fuchsia and green. For the Thanksgiving table, I placed a wool plaid throw blanket horizontally on the table.

Another great trick is using wallpaper or gift wrap down the center of the table as a runner. It's inexpensive, readily available and an easy way to create a terrific visual interest in the center of the
table.

silk taffeta vintage fabric remnant

3. Flowers: Buy Single Blocks of Color

Most people purchase grocery store flowers that are already sorted into bunches. It's so convenient to grab a bunch and go. One tip I learned years ago, when choosing flowers is to select bunches in the same block of color. I tend to select all white flowers and look for ways to incorporate many different flower types of the same color into an arrangement. For example, all white roses mixed with all white gladiolus with a pop of green berries.

A few other simple tricks to flower arranging:

Use a floral foam brick at the bottom of your vase. This keeps flowers fed and also holds them in position.

Remove excess leaves and greenery from the stems of your flowers.

Place each flower into the arrangement one by one so you can manipulate the height and placement of the flowers appropriately.

Add additional pops of colors (blocks of green or red berries). For fun, add elements like peasant feathers to create visual interest.

4. Incorporate Unique Vessels and Containers

Use vases and containers that are unique for the centerpiece. I am always on the hunt for creative containers that can be used as a centerpiece. Often, I find a great item that can be used all year. For example, I use these elephant planters year round. I use them for flowers, ornaments, fruit and sometimes with nothing in them at all. They are tall and make quite the statement. Just having them on the table as a centerpiece sets the tone for a fun and unique table scape.

A centerpiece does not need to include flowers. For our Thanksgiving table, we created a visual by using multiple vases and containers in cobalt blue. I use cake stands to create different levels of height. Grouping similarly colored vases together creates a visual statement that makes a perfect centerpiece. This can be done with any collection of vases and any color of items.

5. Layers: Placesettings and Placemats

Of course our motto at Vivid Hue Home is to mix and match patterns and don't take yourself too seriously. We do this when it comes to placemats *and* plates. I am constantly on the hunt for plates with different patterns and find many of my festive plates from Home Goods. (When you know what to search for, you can discover Kate Spade NY, Jonathan Adler, Johnson Brothers and more).

In our Christmas tablescape, all of our plates were found on a budget. The large diner plate with the fretwork edge is Jonathan Adler, the solid green plate is Kate Spade NY. Both were bought at Home Goods for 1/3 of their original prices. The pink plate is a faux vintage salad plate from Anthropolgie. And the saucer on the very top was purchased at Goodwill for $9.00 for a set of 4 and sells on Replacements.com for about $99.00/ 4. Score!

I love using unexpected elements as plate holders. For example, our placemat in our Christmas table is actually a feathered wreath from a craft store.