When it comes to the Thanksgiving table, the food could be considered half of the experience. Other key ingredients include the table setting itself, family, and friends. On the eve of the big meal, event stylist (Jeune Amour Events) and interior designer (Twelve Chairs) Courtney Webster shows us some easy, non-traditional ways to dress the table for the event. (Next week we also took a look at the loft she shares with her husband in Providence, Rhode Island.) But first, she has some rules of thumb that help her navigate the tablescape landscape.
Let the environment, not the holiday trappings, inspire your table setting
Webster says that many people let the holiday rather than their surroundings dictate the decor. "You don?t have to take the theme too literally," she says. "Thanksgiving doesn?t have to be pumpkins and cornucopias?that color scheme might not work with your place." Draw inspiration from what you have
"If you begin with things you already have, it saves a lot of time and energy," Webster says. "It?s a lot harder starting from scratch." She suggests using something you own as a the base or keystone of a tablescape. "Anything can be built upon," she says. "You might start with an antique vase or a beautiful tray and go from there. I always say that if you have one thing you really love, you probably have 18 other things that match."
The biggest meal of the year doesn?t need to be the fanciest
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