Holiday settings
By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer
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A gorgeous holiday table setting sets the tone for the entire party. With a little panache and an ounce of creativity, you can make a table come alive.
The theme can be elegant and sophisticated, fun and funky or homey and nostalgic. It can be inspired by a recent vacation, a favorite ornament, an au courant color — anything at all.
Hey, there's an added benefit to setting a special table: Dazzling the diner can draw attention away from lumpy mashed potatoes or a less-than-perfect turkey.
EN VOGUE FOR HOLIDAYS
We visited C.S. Wo Gallery to see how visual merchandising genius Doug Jago and his team of artists from Neiman Marcus designed eight spectacular tables for C.S. Wo's "At Home for the Holidays."
Table settings are often influenced by fashion, said Lucy Chelini, merchandise manager for Neiman Marcus. With green and metallics coming on strong, these colors will freshen up even the old and dusty family heirloom holiday ornaments and accoutrements.
While Jago has access to all the beautiful dishes, silver, stemware, linens and table accessories available in Neiman Marcus, he likes to mix it up with everyday items such as fruits, plants and even grass.
On the holiday table pictured above, Jago featured beaded mats by Kim Seybert ($120) at the head and foot of the table. The other two place "mats" are trays of grass from Home Depot ($5) which he tied with a band of maroon grosgrain ribbon and embellished with a single red anthurium for an island touch. A border of shiny red apples creates a bold visual surprise.
Among Jago's favorite centerpieces of the moment are flower balls, which he uses to liven up a table. He chooses any flowers that strike his fancy and complement other elements of the tabletop.
In line with this year's fashions, he used mums in acid green and deep maroon. (See our instructions for creating your own flower ball on page E1.)
Another clever idea is to tie a Christmas ornament with a pretty ribbon and drape it around the stem of a glass. This can be a party favor each guest can take home to hang on the tree. Jago also likes to tie several ornaments or tassels to the back of each chair for added drama.
"At Home for the Holidays" is free and open to the public during C.S. Wo's store hours. We hope these elegant tables will give you some ideas you can use to liven up your holiday home.
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HOW TO CREATE A HOLIDAY FLOWER BALL
for a festive, sophisticated touch for your table |
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| 1. Here's all you need to create a festive flower ball: • Long pins, preferably with decorative heads (Flora-Dec). You can find pin heads in a variety of colors. Look for pins that will complement your flowers. • A pair of junk old scissors to cut the stems. • An Oasis ball of any size, soaked in water for half an hour or so (Flora-Dec). • Flowers that will not fall apart when a pin is stuck through the middle — mums, daisies, plumeria, roses or miniature anthuriums to name a few. Even berries can be stuck into the ball. |
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| 2. Cut the stems of the flowers to about one inch. Poke a pin through the middle of the flower to attach it to the ball. Experiment with how far apart you want the flowers. The ball will have a different look if the flowers are closer together or farther apart. Just make sure none of the Oasis ball shows through the flowers. |
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| 3. The ball can be placed in a martini glass or bowl, on top of a tall vase or simply laid on the table, depending on the height you want to achieve. You can use one kind of flower or mix two or more colors. You can get really creative and add some berries or tiny ornaments or pipe cleaners. |
Reach Paula Rath at paularath@aol.com.
