4 Unique Ingredients for a Cleverly Curated Table Setting
Creative Director, Susan Knof
Dining Room Décor Ideas for Any Seasonal Gathering
Ready, SET, Go!
When creating the perfect dining room for any seasonal gathering I like to keep it layered.
My personal aesthetic is part Natural Beauty, Part Fashionable Glam, Part Sensitive, Part Hunter Gatherer – it’s how I play with those percentages that creates the fun!
Holidays are a time of celebration and gratitude. So creating a beautiful table scape should be fun and inspiring, not stressful.
For me it’s all about the layers!
NATURAL BEAUTY
To satisfy my inner nature girl I will always incorporate some local flora from branches to flowers, even fruits and herbs.
Using a floral theme from patterned plates down to the delicate details like the gold leaf napkin rings and serving spoons from ABC Carpet and Home.
The addition of two vintage gold birds creates a setting that celebrates all the joy and wonder of life’s natural flora and fauna in all it’s splendor.
A vintage glass water jug helps ensure your guests’ glass is always more than half full!
The key thing to remember is to enjoy the process. We can so easily get wrapped up in all the holiday ‘to do’s’ that we lose sight of the priorities. Setting and Styling is a fun time to reflect on them.
Creative Director, Susan Knof, sets a Seasonal Tablescape
COSMOPOLITAN CHIC - Keep it fun and fashionable!
Leo Napkin adds pattern and punch
For a more sparkly setting - perhaps for a New Year’s gathering I like to put a little bit of my cosmopolitan chic into the setting.
I look to more playful patterns from table runners to napkins or plating – this is generally where I like to add some color, pattern, and personality.
Playful, fun, and full of color! Don’t be afraid to mix patterns and colors and add a little bling!
A punch of Pizazz is brought in with the use of crystal Tahari napkin rings set on top high contrast Leo napkins and a subtle silver tablecloth.
Bernardaud Plates sit on top of Doodle Round Placemats
For added luxe and intrigue Bernadaud never disappoints! The diversity of table settings presented throughout their collection illustrates a history of fashions, influences, and styles over more than a century.
Each piece, each service, each historic cup is an invitation to rediscover, through porcelain, a few chapters of two great histories: art and the table.
It is utterly chic!
Honor your guests. A personalised place setting helps avoid any confusion on where to sit and let’s everyone know there is always a seat at the table for them.
Adding colored glassware is a nice way to pull in some subtle colors to bring it all together. The Esme Champagne Coup and Wine Glass add soft color and texture
Have fun with florals! Large palms and purple Calla Lilies keep things exotic and interesting.
The large scale greenery demands attention and adds intrigue.
Vintage side plates add color inspiration and help tie everything together. Contrasting Black Handle Arc flatware are sophisticated, yet cool keeping the edge on the arrangement. Laser cut black circular placemats add some further depth and intrigue.
SENSITIVE SOUL - STIMULATE THE SENSES
To satisfy the senses I enjoy adding aroma from earthy scented natural herbs like sage and rosemary or eucalyptus and pine, delicately arranged throughout the setting.
It is also an opportunity for slightly scented candles - be sure not to overpower, nothing should compete with the food to be served.
Bringing in textured white plates is a simple way to add interest without dominating the tablescape.
Pomegranates offer a jewel toned accent and are cross-cultural symbols of abundance, good fortune, life and fertility -owing to their many seeds but also as a symbol of power.
To complete the look, we like to place a cute fluffy white Charlie girl under the table. She adds love, joy, and warmth to any setting!
Nature has a special way of calming us and putting one at ease. I love bringing on earthy elements to bring it all back to the basics. Good food, family, and friends.
HEIRLOOM - OLD WORLD ELEGANCE
Vintage Silver Tray and Crystal Decanters
And for the one of a kind personal touch I like to include family heirlooms to special vintage finds.
Classic white roses and a treasure trove of vintage pieces, collected items, and family heirlooms sets a chic and romantic tone. Old world Elegance and Romance.
Anything paying homage to history and heritage strikes a wonderful chord with me. Bring all those, past and present to gather around the table.
When it comes to elegant homewares, the iconic Fortnum and Mason never disappoints!
There is much to be said about the benefits of brewing loose leaf tea, so it's only right to have the proper accessories to match. from silver-plated brass, this delicate tea strainer from silver-plated brass made exclusively for Fortnum & Mason will ensure you can enjoy your favourite blend any time of day.
Antique victorian silverplated mother of pearl flatware I found in the markets of London helps to add an element of antiquity.
Nicole Miller Silver Placemats with Ruffled Edge Detail
Textured Dinner Plates
These are some of my favorite ingredients for a cleverly curated table – every holiday and every setting has a way of being unique and special in it’s own way!
With the holiday season rapidly approaching and fall in full swing, chances are you’re preparing for a seasonal gathering. Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving, a birthday, or a nice evening with someone special - it’s time to break out the fancy dining room decor and celebrate.
To help you curate the perfect fall dining room decor to welcome you and your guests, Redfin reached out to us and other design experts from Vancouver, CA, to Chicago, IL. Read on to find out additional ways you can create the perfect dining room setup that welcomes the fall season and embraces the cozy dark evenings.
With Grace and Gratitude KNOF design wishes all a season that is filled with joy, wonder and Thanksgiving.
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