Festive table doesn't need holiday motif

You’ve dusted off the family recipes, taken inventory of the pantry and fridge and carefully mapped out where you’ll buy ingredients for the year’s big feast.
But what about the dinner table?
That vague plan you put on a back burner weeks ago needs finishing touches. Without them, the table might look like an afterthought. And we won’t even remind you about the stress that comes with a last-minute scramble.
Here’s a tip that might make it easier: Forget about seasonal color schemes and patterns, says Mollie Rowe, a tableware expert from Juliska. Instead, use what you have to create a display that makes the occasion something special.
Start by clearing the table and setting out a dish for serving each item on the menu. Those main pieces are the beginning of your theme, which you’ll need for focus – and restraint.
“Bohemian shimmer” is how Rowe describes the theme for a table she decorated for B.D. Jeffries’ SouthPark store.
“Bohemian is more of a free will,” Rowe said. “The shimmer is from the gold and platinum plates.”
Her goal was to keep it simple, also working in tones of pewter and bronze. Rowe explains each in this video.



For finishing touches, she said, add only things that energize your theme. When you’re done, don’t hesitate to take a few things away.
“Less is always more in the end,” Rowe said.
See ideas for more traditional holiday table decor in this slideshow.

Sullivan: http://homelifeclt.blogspot.com/ and @sullivan_obs on Twitter