Florals? For Fall? Christie Brinkley's Thanksgiving Table Setting is a Groundbreaking Study in Using Flowers All Year
Burgundy flowers and a red tablecloth transform the model's table into a welcoming seasonal display for Thanksgiving and Christmas
Flowers are an essential part of any tablescape – but they can be much harder to choose, and style in the colder months. Rather than their light and airy spring counter-parts, autumn florals must be rich and cocooning. So, what's the best way to achieve this balance?
Christie Brinkley's Thanksgiving table offers a masterclass in using flowers to elevate a cold-weather table setting.
Her display is full of burgundy. From the burgundy tablecloth to the burgundy wineglasses to the reddish chrysanthemums in the center, this one color ties the look together. Her napkins and plates are alive with red blooms. It incorporates florals throughout while feeling completely seasonally appropriate.
If you're hoping to decorate with flowers this holiday season, Christie's design is the perfect place to start.
No matter the season, flowers work on every tablescape because of their subtle nod to nature. A centerpiece of fresh blooms, as we see on Christie's fall table, is the ideal way to bring this in.
'A small touch that can make a big difference is flowers,' explains Georgia Metcalfe, interior design expert at French Bedroom.
'Fresh flowers really make a guest feel special: the fact that they must have been recently picked or bought to be fresh for their arrival suggests a level of thoughtfulness that can make a guest feel instantly welcome – not to mention they look and smell rather lovely too.'
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Using burgundy, orange, and yellow flowers helps to tie the look back to the time of year.
Recreate Christie's Look This Thanksgiving
Florals don't have to be for spring. These are our favorite burgundy pieces for recreating Christie's flowery red look in style this season.
There are many different ways to incorporate flowers into your tablescape, but a vase of fresh blooms in the middle of the table is an easy place to start. It helps create a clear centerpiece.
Rikke Blaeside, Design and Range Manager at JYSK explains: 'A centrepiece is a grouping of flowers or candles at varying heights that serves as a focal point on the dining table. The right centrepiece can enhance the overall look of your Christmas gathering and help create the perfect ambience, without getting in the way of conversation.'
'Focus on the whole room and not just on the dinner table,' Rikke advises. 'Place lanterns and candles in the room so they function as a backdrop for the table setting. When including the entire room in your decoration, that’s where the truly magical atmosphere emerges.' We see this technique in action with the various floral elements on Christie's table.
The most important element to making a floral scheme look autumn appropriate is the color scheme. As Christie demonstrates, burgundy is a wonderful anchor shade for this time of year.
Shelley Cochrane, design expert at Furniture Village recommends: 'Mulled wine shades bring a wonderfully rich and atmospheric feel to holiday decorating, especially when paired with deep pine greens and plenty of lush greenery. Think burgundy, oxblood, plum and ruby tones layered with plush velvets, soft textiles and tactile finishes to create a sense of warmth and luxury.'
Flowers needn't be reserved for a single time of year. With the right treatment, they can elevate your table even in the depths of winter.
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Sophie is a writer and News Editor on the Celebrity Style team at Homes & Gardens. She is fascinated by the intersection of design and popular culture and is particularly passionate about researching trends and interior history. She is an avid pop culture fan and has interviewed Martha Stewart and Hillary Duff.
In her free time, Sophie freelances on design news for Westport Magazine and Livingetc. She also has a newsletter, My Friend's Art, in which she covers music, culture, and fine art through a personal lens. Her fiction has appeared in Love & Squalor and The Isis Magazine.
Before joining Future, Sophie worked in editorial at Fig Linens and Home, a boutique luxury linens brand. She has an MSc from Oxford University and a BA in Creative Writing and Sociology from Sarah Lawrence College.