Home Decor

5 Tips for Setting the Perfect Holiday Table

0 · Nov 18, 2016 ·

I can hardly believe Thanksgiving is less than a week away and Christmas will soon follow. 2016 will be gone in the blink of an eye. I’m starting to get myself in to the holiday frame of mind and am always thinking ahead to the next big gathering. I won’t be playing host to any big parties this year, but I’m still starting to dig out some of my holiday décor and I can’t help but think about the perfect tablescape for any occasion.

Designing a tabletop has always been pretty natural for me. But I’ve started to pay more attention to the why and the theory that’s behind all of these natural behaviors I have. So today I’m sharing 5 of my personal tips for making your next dinner (or breakfast or brunch) party the best ever. Or at least slightly more function, beautiful and fun.

Set the Mood

Think about the overall tone you’d like to set for the meal. How will it be lit? Candlelight adds some romance and charm while overhead lighting allows for Dad “to be able to see what he’s eating”. Taper candles are more formal and while pillars and votives are slightly more casual but still very warm and inviting. Adding varying heights to your candles will add glow all around (and dimension, which we’ll talk about later).

The types of plates, glassware and napkins will also play a big role in this tone. Delicate, gold rimmed bone china will be fancier than pottery or more simple ceramic plates. Stemmed glassware is generally more elegant than a ball glass.

Then consider your guests. Who will be attending? Is this adults only or should you make the table more fun for kids (or pets!?) who might show up for the party?

Pay Attention to the Shapes & Lines of the Table

I personally love to mix up shapes. I think it adds another level of interest. Round plates are a predictable element on a tabletop. However, mixing it up by adding square gives the design a modern, unexpected twist. I also love rectangular dining tables for this reason.

There are also some less obvious lines to pay attention to. Think of the row that your table runner is creating. There’s a curved lined created by the arch of the taper candles. Smooth and steady lines create a more calming environment. Arched lines feel more elegant. And a lack of lines all together will feel a bit chaotic and not give your eye a place to rest.

A general rule: round feels more feminine and romantic, softer. Straight is clean, simple and more modern feeling.

Make sure the Design is Functional

This one is huge. You can put all the beautiful things in the world on your table, but if it doesn’t have a function or purpose, then it’s just clutter. Start with the items you actually need for your meal – glasses, plates, silverware, napkins. You can play with the patterns and layouts of these things and make them really beautiful. Choose platters and cutting boards that can decorate as well as be used as serving pieces. Add bread baskets or domes for service of pastries and rolls.

And please don’t try to tell me that centerpieces don’t have a function because I highly disagree. They serve as a focal and anchor point for the table. They can be a conversation starter and an extra piece of pretty for the day – just make sure they’re not disrupting your view across the table because no one enjoys that.

Add Layers for Extra Interest

Stacks of dishes on a table add an extra element of dimension. Keeping all items on the same horizontal plane can feel rather dull but varying heights keep your eyes roaming the table and looking for more (and then they can rest on your lovely centerpiece J).

But again, make sure there’s function to the pieces you choose. If you don’t need an extra plate on the table, don’t use it. Or if you really have your heart set on displaying some gorgeous porcelain bowls, serve soup. Napkins can easily be folded to add height and napkin rings are a fun way to add extra, non-intrusive décor.

Smaller Pieces are Easier to Move

We’ve all been there. You set the most beautiful holiday table with glittering ornaments, flickering candles and the most gorgeous floral centerpiece. There’s only one problem, there’s no place the set the food. Using petite budvases, miniature votive holders and other small scale items makes it easier to tweak the table setup as plates are being passed and food is served.

Have other tips or tricks? I’d love to hear them! I’ll be sharing my full Thanksgiving tabletop design next week. Have a great weekend!

Autumn Mantle Decor

0 · Nov 3, 2016 ·

I almost began this post with fall is underway… but quickly realized that it’ November 3rd and fall is almost over. We’ve already seen an inch of snow here in Big Rapids, winter will be here at any moment. In Michigan, we see lots of “transition” months – month’s that aren’t sure what season they truly belong too and November is one of those. Some years, it’s more like winter – bitter, blustery and cold – while other months it stays mild, bidding autumn to stick around a little longer.

But regardless of the weather, I start getting into the holiday spirit around this time each year. I hold back on my urges to rush out and buy a Christmas tree but it’s time to kick the jack-o-lanterns and black cats to the curb.

The next major holiday gathering is Thanksgiving so I’m starting to mentally think of how décor should seamlessly flow from autumn to December. And I finally have a mantle of my own and it seems like the perfect place to start.

So I went into the woods and started gathering. I have loved the abundance of autumn olive around our property this year and the silvery green color is the perfect complement to my living room. I had some leftover plumes grasses hanging out from an October wedding and then grabbed some crumpled autumn leaves. I threw together a quick arrangement that would not only add a little interest to my fireplace but also stand up to the threat of kids and cats (translation: I won’t be heartbroken if something should happen to it since it’s just a bundle of gathered ingredients from my yard). I can easily keep this base if I chose when December rolls around, replacing the leaves with some cedar and various other evergreens.

Happy November!!

Touring Our 1950’s Ranch :: The Dining Room aka The Flower Studio

0 · Feb 3, 2016 ·

Had I known what I know now, I might have thought about things a touch differently when we purchased a home. However, at that time I had no intention of starting my own business, much less a business that involved schlepping around beautiful blooms for a living. I might have looked for a house with more space, an extra room or perhaps an outbuilding. I might have wanted a workspace near a water source. Air-conditioning or cooler space potential would have been of the upmost importance. I looked for none of those things.

Instead, I remodeled what once was an extra family room and turned it into a formal dining room. We love to entertain and host dinner parties whenever possible, so it seemed like a room to accommodate that would be much more useful than a second living area. We ripped up the berber carpet, tore out the built-ins and opened up the space making it perfect to fulfill my childhood dream of owning a crystal chandelier. And until I just found these old pictures, I had completely forgotten that we also added french doors and had to level the floor (that door in the corner originally didn’t even open all the way they were so uneven – and an absolute nightmare!) It’s amazing to go see all the progress over time, it hardly looks like the same home. Of course it also doesn’t help that the previous owners had a little different taste in furnishings than I do 😉

Perhaps had I realized this room would ultimately be used as my floral studio I may have left the shelving. Hindsight is 20/20. They sure would have come in handy this summer. As flowers came in and each wedding order progressively got larger, I moved out of my kitchen and into the dining room. That shelf there in the corner held binders and flower books and was never beautifully styled. Boxes and trinkets for each one of my brides made it nearly impossible to walk though at times. And the buckets and buckets overflowing with blooms made me happier than you can ever imagine.

Photography: Hetler Photography

If you missed the beginning of the tour, you can see the living room here and the kitchen here. Welcome to our little home!

Touring Our 1950’s Ranch :: Into the Kitchen

0 · Jan 15, 2016 ·

I’m married to a chef, so naturally having a nice kitchen was pretty high up on our wish list. But nice isn’t the way that I would describe our kitchen when we first moved in. It boasted the original 1950’s cabinets that had been refaced, laminate counter tops and an awkward cabinet that hung down making conversations between the eating area and main space nearly impossible.

When we purchased the house, we were naive enough to think that little paint and new appliances would be all needed to make the space livable. It didn’t take long for us to realize our mistake. The upper cabinets were so low a coffee maker couldn’t even sit on the counter, that awkward dividing cabinet loomed over valuable counter space. There weren’t enough outlets, the stove wasn’t in a very convenient position being stuck in the way and the dishwasher was across from the sink.

We lived a couple of years like this before finally tackling the project. This was the biggest renovation to our house and we did almost the entire thing ourselves. Soon the entire space was gutted down to the studs. A far cry from the new coat of paint we had originally planned on. I’ve always dreamed of a white kitchen but our pocket books said otherwise. So we purchased semi-custom, unfinished cabinets and painted them ourselves. We were fortunate enough to find a leftover piece of granite clearanced out making the upgrade to solid surface a bit more reasonable.

The idea of adding classic and cottage style was especially appealing to me. We used leftover pine flooring from our dining room and hung it horizontally on the walls. Thick crown modeling made the cabinets feel really high end. I then a took a little chance and painted my ceiling aqua, adding just a touch of color to the space. And the corner breakfast nook with new windows might just be my favorite part.

Photography: Hetler Photography

In case you missed the first part of my home tour, you can see the living room here. And that little tidbit from Monday’s post about putting an offer in on a house, our offer was not accepted and their counter was not acceptable to us. We’re still searching!

Touring Our 1950’s Ranch :: The Living Room

1 · Dec 29, 2015 ·

Visiting someone’s house can give you some major insight about a person. You can realize their passions, their priorities and it’s a glimpse into how they live. Style, favorite colors, personal tastes, preferences other and hidden secrets can all be discovered, even if it’s in a subtle, subconscious way. It’s not just a house but a home.

I’ve always had this vision of sharing a home tour on this little blogging space. We bought a 1950’s ranch from a sweet little lady who had lived here for over 40 + years. She raised her babies, watched them graduate and move on to have families of her own. She was only the second owner of the house. It soon became time for her to move on to a new piece of her life as well and share what was once her home with someone else. I can still remember her pointing out how lovely the rose colored wallpaper in the kitchen was and telling how she admired her 1980’s drapes. I certainly did not have the heart to tell her that these things she cherished didn’t hold the same sentiment to me. While I would surely take care of her house, it was to become something that would now tell our story and reflect who we are.

Over the past 6 years we have poured so much time, energy and savings into the space making it our own. While from the beginning I realized how interesting it would be to see the before and afters, I’ve never come to the point where I thought it was finished. There’s always something to tweak, rearrange or redecorate. The updating and remodeling seems never ending and there’s forever been a project sitting on deck. However, seeing as our house is officially on the market and we’ve even accepted an offer, it seems like my remodeling story of 123 Ivanhoe may be finally reaching its end.

Today’s tour will begin with the living room which each December hosts a large Christmas tree with as many gaps in it as I can possibly find. Those tree farmers have yet to realize that people like me exist – those of us who want trees that looks airy and spacious, as though they had just been trimmed from the side of the highway or plucked straight out of the woods – but that’ a story for another time. When we moved in, the living room boasted worn blue carpet and white walls. There was nothing particularly special about the living space and in fact, I scarcely remembered what it looked like then until digging out these old photos.

We removed the beams between the two rooms, lifted the carpet to reveal the original hardwood floors and added our own furniture to the space.

I quickly realized how strange the lighting in my house was. For the walls, I wanted a very soft and neutral green hue which would play off of the sage of my sofa. But every paint swatch seemed to glow as soon as the color hit the wall. It was as if I was choosing a florescent colors, even though the swatch itself was a pale and muted tone. After countless trips to the hardware store, I finally settled on a color with a bit more intensity than I had originally envisioned but at least it would have enough depth and not glow.

I soon realized this green too had a neon radiance around 4:00pm each afternoon when the sun shone though the picture window just right. But I really didn’t have the energy to change it so that’s how it stayed for the first couple of years.

You may recall the story of the giant ice hole in my ceiling and if not, you can relive it all here and here. It was a blessing and a curse all at the same time and allowed us to revamp the space even more and I finally got the paint I love and brand new windows to match.

My accessories and décor are switched throughout the year, my furniture is often rearranged and the artwork and family photos ever changing on my walls. I have winter and summer throw pillows and more seasonal décor than I care to admit. But right now, it feels like home and I’m so glad Kellie was able to capture it during my favorite holiday of the year.

I’m not going to bombard you with lots of details and pictures of the space as I am hardly an interior designer. However, this is just a small glimpse of what my world looks like {when the house is clean and the toys are all put away}.

Professional photos are courtesy of Hetler Photography, the icky “befores” are my handy work and the reason that I strongly recommend hiring the pros.