Looking Back: Centerpieces

The most important thing, for me, about centerpieces is that they need to provide a sense of drama. I think of creating a centerpiece like creating a piece of art on a table.  Centerpieces fit into two categories: low & high.

For low centerpieces, I always like using a profusion of flowers. Use flowers that work together in the same color family, all purples or all reds for example, as opposed to too many colors in one arrangement, which can be distracting and less dramatic.

The benefit of a low centerpiece is that it enables guests to see each other across the table and allows an intimate experience. The benefit of a high centerpiece is that it serves as additional room decor and provides high drama.

Here are some tips for creating your own centerpieces: 

• Think beyond flowers. In the picture above, using a tall black rod as a candleholder made the illusion that the candle was floating in the room. If you pair this with a beautiful low centerpiece, it brings a balance to the table. 
• Flowers can have opposing fragrances. Be careful that the flowers you use don’t have a scent that could conflict with the food.  Some examples of strong fragrant flowers are: gardenias, tuber roses, Casablanca lilies, and paper whites (narcissus). But just because you can’t use them at the table doesn’t mean you can’t use them in arrangements around the rest of the room. Certain clients request their favorite fragrances, so it’s always something we need to balance and pay attention to. 
• I suggest using some low and some high centerpieces--it gives the room more of a flow across the space and it can be more cost-effective (lowers centerpieces are less expensive). The correct height of an average low centerpiece is when it’s low enough that you can see the person sitting across from you at the table. For an average high centerpiece, there are no rules (sky’s the limit). 

Do you have any tips or tricks for creating a dramatic centerpieces? Please share in the comments.

Choosing Your Color Story For The Holidays

There’s more to life than red or green—especially when it comes to holiday decorating. I was thinking today of past holiday celebrations I’ve designed and while we have used some of the traditional red and green colors we’ve also used some surprising colors that are non-traditional but feel and look classic all on their own.

It’s amazing what a little color can do to transform a space. Below are two pictures from the same space from different years:

As you plan your own holiday celebration, why not try and pick one color and stick with it throughout the whole event? It can be your favorite color, your partner’s favorite color, or even a color picked by one of your kids (just be ready to end up with a neon blue holiday party)! Carry it throughout all the accessories—for example, royal purple tablecloths, napkins, cutlery and centerpieces. If you’re feeling especially ambitious, you can even use that color for all your gift wrapping paper, gift tags and bows. 

You might be surprised at how dramatic a table can look like when you combine different shades of just one color. If you’re color shy, you could try using metallic colors like silver or gold to dress up your event.

Mostly, I think it’s important to be adventurous with what colors you choose and don’t be afraid to break tradition to get the look you want. Besides, how else would new traditions ever begin?

Here’s a couple more close-ups of centerpieces from the green color story for you to be inspired by:

On Inspiration and Finding a Color Scheme

I wanted to take some time to talk about one of the most important first steps in designing: choosing a color.

A few weeks ago when I was at Ivanka’s wedding, I was surveying the room. Everyone was dressed in gorgeous gowns and suits and there was a sea of colors all around the room. But one stood out. The stunning Melania Trump was dressed in a deep purple gown that instantly drew my eye. It was so beautiful that it completely inspired my whole Thanksgiving table. Yes, the color scheme for this year’s holiday will be a magnificent, vibrant purple.

One wonderful thing about this color scheme is the complementary accents that can be used to enhance this hue. I’m thinking gold will do the trick. What do you think? What’s your favorite color?

Update: We received requests for pictures of Melania's dress, so here it is. Enjoy! Photo credit: Brain Marcus