Your perfectly browned turkey shouldn’t steal the spotlight this Thanksgiving.
Consider anchoring your table with a statement centerpiece — and not just one that stands out for its bold look.
“Using colors, textures and sentimental pieces, you can express … your own personal tradition,” says Maggie Baisch Hollingsworth — a partner and designer at Blackfoot Hospitality, which operates NYC restaurants Little Owl, Market Table and the Clam, as well as a pair of event spaces.
Whether you prefer formal settings or minimal monochromatic design, there are plenty of ways to share your flair.
Baisch Hollingsworth shares different ways to create an eye-catching centerpiece.
Traditional Tamara Beckwith/NY Post
A traditional centerpiece best lends itself to a full palette of fall hues.
“Green, yellow, burnt oranges, browns and burgundy,” Baisch Hollingsworth says.
For that, she recommends heading to the Flower District (West 28th Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues) to source seasonal blooms: roses, end-of-season dahlias and chocolate cosmos among them. And for a nice autumnal touch, browse the market for maple branches. It doesn’t matter if the leaves look wilted.
“This is the one season you can get away with using things that are at their end,” she says.
(Warning: Don’t head to city parks to clip branches off maple trees. That’s a misdemeanor offense punishable up to six months in prison and/or up to a $15,000 fine, according to the city parks department.)
In-season fruits and vegetables — such as persimmons, pomegranates and pears — add extra color. Baisch Hollingsworth says that it’s best to find them at your local farmers market.
“Give yourself two or three hours” to finish the arrangement, she says. And when you’re done, break out some tapered candles and your special-occasion china for the table’s finishing touches.
Rustic Tamara Beckwith/NY Post
Just because it’s Thanksgiving doesn’t mean you need seasonal tones in a centerpiece.
“Bright colors can be fun,” Baisch Hollingsworth says, so consider not-so-typical fall flowers — like yellow billy balls and yellow-dotted feverfew.
They also don’t have to be expensive. You can head to your local bodega to buy them. (Baisch Hollingsworth is a fan of Bethel Gourmet Food, at 79 Greenwich Ave.)
The centerpiece itself doesn’t have to be grand. For this style, all you need are the flowers arranged in a Ball Mason jar — available at any grocery or hardware store.
“I think it’s fun and understated, but still special,” the designer says.
This simple centerpiece is best complemented with other crafty items. Make a menu using stamps from the Ink Pad (37 Seventh Ave.), which sells a variety in fun fonts. You also don’t need candles.
“Use battery-operated string lights on the table instead,” she says. The result still glows.
Minimalist Tamara Beckwith/NY Post
You may be dreaming of a white Christmas, but have you ever dreamed of a white Thanksgiving?
Your table can also benefit from muted neutral tones — think layering whites and creams — to create a clean, sophisticated look.
“Find gourds and foliage in these tones to add texture,” Baisch Hollingsworth says, at the flower market or your preferred farmers market.
And in the middle of those ornaments, place a just-as-simple centerpiece whose colors blend with the theme. Try a vase stuffed with foliage — because, in this case, less is more.
