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Last updated: November 06. 2006 10:23AM
HOME DECOR
As the seasons change, so should your table décor. A look at our classy holiday hints.
Designing holiday arrangements depends on a number of factors: your home’s décor, the planned placement of the arrangements, guests who will attend your holiday events, thoughtful gift giving and creating festive memories.
Roberta Danford with Verzaal’s Flo-rists and Gifts says it is “very important that you have the right centerpiece or mantelpiece. If you have the right pieces, you are going to enjoy the holiday more and to feel comfortable inviting people into your home.”
Danford advises thinking of your home’s décor when creating or ordering a holiday arrangement. For example, she says, there are colors people associate with Thanksgiving, such as the yellows, reds, oranges, coppers and bronzes. How can these colors be complementary to your home’s décor? “For Christmas, (my clients) want something that goes along with what already goes on in their house for this holiday. Some use greens, peaches, reds and purples. They lean toward those colors because they decorate with those colors.”
Decorative colors shift from holiday to holiday to reflect the changing of the seasons and Mother Nature’s prismatic palette. Some of the Christmas color trends this year include deep purples, reds, silvers, golds and the traditional red-and-green coupling. The more adventurous will find some holiday accents highlighted by a bold chartreuse, notes Danford. If you’re feeling daring, you could complement that choice with a bottle of the French liquor that gives the harlequin hue its name.
Bonnie Burney, co-owner of Ikebana Design and Accessories, suggests using harvest colors for Thanksgiving. “Think of corn, wheat, pumpkins – the first Thanksgiving,” she says. Burney and her business partner of 25 years, Ruth Lees, both have studied Ikebana and are assistant professors of the Ikenobo School of Ikebana.
The Japanese art of floral arranging pays particular attention to balance, harmony and form. Though Ikebana is a main focus of their work, the women are gifted at creating any type of arrangement incorporating English, French, contemporary, continental and other major schools of floral design.
And it is the variety of floral design that can inspire those ordering their festive arrangements. Some of Verzaal’s clients do something different every year, Danford says, so that it fits with their décor or their tastes. Choose what mood you want to create, especially if entertaining, since arrangements are a standard accessory for those who have frequent guests over the holidays. Some customers hire the florists to decorate their homes for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Just as the colors vary, so do the types of arrangements. Don’t anticipate seeing duplicate arrangements for each holiday. For instance, says Danford, “many do not decorate the mantelpiece for Thanksgiving, but just for Christmas,” whereas some have table arrangements for both holiday meals. Naturally in these instances, according to Danford, another aspect to keep in mind is the table size, number of seated guests and the color or feeling that is sought.
“If I know they have guests coming, I try to treat it like a wedding,” Danford says. An example of this style is using accents placed on the china, such as imitation grapes and real flowers. The designers find it helpful to know colors and measurements before creating a centerpiece or mantelpiece. “We need to see the space where we are going to put it in,” Ikebana’s Lees says.
As in her own home, Verzaal’s Danford decides on a theme, as well as seeing the big picture: the color of the dishes and the placemats and the colors of the food you will be serving.
Hiring a professional florist to create your holiday arrangements can be like inviting a friend into your home. “I look at the home and get a feel from the person. I get an idea of what they like,” Danford says. “I want to give them something that is trendy, that is up-to-date and easy to care for.” Sometimes that means incorporating artificial elements, as well as fresh or dried leaves and flowers.
Part of Danford’s method includes integrating her client’s existing pieces, such as a Santa Claus painting, instead of hanging a traditional Christmas wreath.
Some clients request particular arrangements with very specific themes. Danford says one client wanted to incorporate seashells for Christmas so Verzaal’s used artificial snow and iridescent glitter.
Ikebana’s Burney has had some special requests as well. “We did a turkey with purple and one that was all white. It’s up to the individual and what would look better in the home. Most of our work is red, white and then golds and silvers. Chartreuses – limey green – are really popular. When we know what colors the customer likes, we can make suggestions.”
Lees suggests customers place their orders a week or 10 days before the holiday. The designers at Ikebana suggest clients stop in or call so they can discuss what flowers and other accents are available this time of year.
Because holiday meals become a centerpiece and tradition in their own right, with turkeys, hams and roasts taking center stage, table decorations have a few extra guidelines.
Burney says clients should keep in mind the purpose of the arrangement and the occasion. “Where the design is going to be used; whether a traditional or more eclectic arrangement; the size of the space and colors they prefer. Not everybody is into red and green.” When considering an idea for a floral arrangement, a festive party is different from a family gathering with children, for instance. The whimsical figures of the snowman made of white mums and greenery or the turkey, also made with mums and greenery, are sure to create a memory in children of all ages. Though perfect for family gatherings, such pieces might not be something you would use to impress an important client.
In the season of gift giving, Lees suggests floral designs around November and December can make great presents. ‘There are flower people, there are plant people and there are the permanent people. Permanent could be used to create any of them. There are the people who love to create ornaments.
“Christmas is the collector kind of holiday. We’ll combine one of these Mark Roberts fairies with a plant or a wreath. It’s not totally traditional. We can always add a little extra flair to give it some interest.”
Burney believes holiday arrangements can help create memories. “I think a lot of people have them because of family tradition. It’s tradition; it’s giving back memories.” She says flowers and ornaments establish a history and, importantly, a personal family tradition. They can help bring back memories of your own childhood that you then pass on to your children. Burney and Lees welcome their clients to bring in personal containers for any arrangement.
If your busy holiday schedule prevents you from getting an early order in, Burney suggests creating a simple holiday memory. “Have a bowl of oranges
(stuck with) cloves and children can participate in that.” A hint of evergreen bows, wreaths or accents help create a Christmasy scent without much work.
There’s no better time than the present to start making your floral holiday memories.
The mantle
Letting your designer know just what you want and what they have to work with are key factors in creating the perfect holiday mood. ‘We need to see the space where we are going to put it,’ says Ruth Lees, co-owner of Ikebana Design and Accessories in The Forum on Military Cutoff Road. Being prepared is the best tack to take when hiring designers to create centerpieces and mantel displays. Some clients collaborate with their designers, says Roberta Danford of Verzaal’s Florists and Gifts (which designed the mantle above), while others hire the florist to decorate their home for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
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