This Year’s Tabletop: Pure Gratitude
Finding ways to be thankful, for the good, the bad, and tiny.
It’s that time of year when we take stock and give thanks. We’re so grateful for family, friends, our team, our clients, and getting to call the beautiful Hudson Valley home. It’s easy to give thanks for all the wins and the good stuff. It’s harder to show appreciation for the challenges. This year, we’re spreading our gratitude around – the big, the small, the good, the bad.
Take the studio, for example. Quite frankly, it’s waaaaaay too small. BUT we are indeed grateful for all this coziness, which has allowed us to introduce ourselves to the community in a way that’s real. We’re doing it all, and you can see us in action. Plus, its smallness pushed us to take action and expand . . . hence, the showroom – opening in the new year.
And let’s be real, the holidays themselves can be a super hectic time. But they don’t have to be. This time of year offers an opportunity to reconnect and appreciate the here and now with the ones we love. For us that means keeping it simple. It’s about the people at the table.
Oh, and it’s about the turkey, of course. See our recipe below.
We’re all about hosting an elegant, meaningful relaxed gathering with family and/or friends. Our practice has always been to get creative and be intentional about how we use what we have and involve everyone in the family.
Even the little ones can tie a bit of hemp around Grandma’s cloth napkins and tuck in a sprig of rosemary from the garden or arrange tea lights in jars on a linen sheet turned table runner. Older kids can be in charge of the name cards or offering refreshments to guests. When dinner is a great success, everyone can take credit! And if it’s not . . . well, nobody’s to blame!
Rather than lament a lack of space, embrace it. If your tabletop is small or narrow, use a cake plate as a cheese platter or a box under the tablecloth to create dimension with height. Go high and low with candles. Use sparse tapers with low tea lights so people can easily converse across the table.
For a centerpiece, arrange fresh fruits or gourds for color. Pinecones, acorns, cattails are easily found and add textural interest. All you need is a few flowers in a vase to evoke a celebratory feeling, or cut an evergreen wreath so that it becomes a garland. Weave it around pumpkins for the perfect Thankgsiving centerpiece. Later hang that same wreath with holly on your front door, and you’re ready for Santa.
If you’re working with a smaller space for a larger dinner party, embrace the chaos! Maximalism is having a moment right now so use that to your advantage. Mix and match chairs and plates, layer tablecloths, and make use of a buffet if your table is too small. Where you can, try to simplify the textures and colors so it’s not overwhelming on the whole. Using solid colored napkins and table linens can give you a color block effect instead of a more bohemian vibe.
When the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, celebrating with loved ones over a meal can be a nourishing moment of warmth, something to celebrate and look forward to in cold winter months. This year we’re thankful for all the challenges that have brought us here, brought up tough decisions and scary leaps of faith, and for all the small rooms that made us get creative.
