TV Time: Thanksgiving Tabletop Inspiration on Marilyn Denis

Last month I had a blast presenting two different thanksgiving tablescapes on The Marilyn Denis Show. Thanksgiving holiday decor can get really hokey so my goal was to create sophisticated tablescapes that feel festive, but are still elegant.

While Thanksgiving has come and gone in Canada, I know it’s not too late for my American friends south of the border celebrating next week, so I thought I’d highlight some of my favourite finds and ideas from the segment.

I started off with a beautiful transitional wood dining table from ELTE and paired it with two different style chairs on each side for the two different looks. For the minimal and modern look, I used the Donovan chair, which is sleek yet sculptural thanks to its angular base.  For the traditional full throttle Thanksgiving side, I used these pretty Roberta winged dining chairs with a beautiful nailhead detail.

For the more spare tablescape, I took the flannel grey tones of the chair and brought them onto the table with a simple grey linen runner from crate and barrel and the Royal Doulton Gordon Ramsay breadstreet dinnerware from The Bay. The serving pieces from this collection add a lot of interest to the table, like the little pitcher with a wooden paddle- perfect for gravy! The mix of matte and sheen textures helps keep the tablescape from feeling too flat which is a great tip for any monochromatic design.

My favourite part of this look is the two-tone pumpkins I created by taping off white baby boo pumpkins and painting the bottoms in a charcoal grey acrylic paint. I turned them upside down on a wire drying rack to help them dry nicely.

The result is graphic and eye catching centrepiece which adds a festive touch without taking a modern table feel too shmaltzy.

For the more traditional Thanksgiving full throttle look, I took the more casual linen runner up a notch by replacing it with a patterned paisley cloth from Pottery Barn in pretty autumnal shades. For the dinnerware and centerpieces I mixed different metals with hits of orange stoneware and topped each setting with whimsical gold accented gourd bowls. There are more layers here with welcoming details such as chargers and place cards. The pumpkin motif is definitely present, but it’s done in tasteful materials and colours, like glass and white and gold, so you don’t feel like you’re in a literal pumpkin patch.

You can catch the segment here to get a better look at each tablescape and hopefully get some inspiring ideas for your own dinner.

Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy celebrating with your nearest and dearest!