New Orleans is so full of traditions that it must
be a challenge for residents to determine which ones they'll continue
and which they'll let slide. Kerry Moody, manager and stylist for the
shop Lucullus in New Orleans, brings plenty of holiday color to his table
with a collection of 19th-century green-bordered gumbo bowls. Paired with
winter colors during the holidays, they look as though they were made
for the season but Moody can bring them back out in March and set a table
with purple, green, and yellow, and they'll be the perfect accent on a
spring table top. He also uses simple elements like oranges and boxwood
branches to create stunning arrangements on his mantel and even on his
candlelit chandelier. Collections, like the decanters that line the mantel,
take on greater color and importance when filled with colorful libations
like sherry and brandy. Ideas for a simple, but dramatic, table:
*A
collection of ceramics with color provides a cornerstone for a table setting. You need
not have a full set. Painted dessert plates, bread plates, gumbo or soup bowls all provide
a necessary shot of color on a holiday tabletop.
*The holidays are the time to bring out the colored candlesticks. On
Moody's table, a simple white soup tureen functions as a centerpiece,
accented by colorful plates and candles.
*Small tables, particularly round ones, make for an intimate, convivial dining experience.
Drape a table in the dining room with a crisp white linen tablecloth and begin your
arrangement.
*Red and green may be the traditional colors of the season, but nothing says that the
flowers you choose have to be traditional poinsettias or holly. Red tulips are a great
alternative to the predictable.
*This
is the time to bring out personal collections. Decanters or glasses lining
a mantel and filled with flowers provide a great shot of color.
*Bring the outdoors in: greenery from the outdoors can be a terrific
basis for a few decorations. Boxwood, magnolia leaves, nandina, holly,
bay leaves, and eucalyptus are all wonderful accents on a mantel. Be careful
that greenery is not so fragrant that it mars your meal.
*Citrus is a wonderful accent in a holiday arrangement. It lasts, it's a large punch
of color, and the contrast with greenery is beautiful.
