Setting the Table

My mom always tried to put on a good show at Thanksgiving when we were kids. “Forks go on the left!”, she would command, “Napkins on the right.” We learned it was easier to pretend that we normally cared about those things. As she brought the food for the table, she would say (for the benefit of our guests), “Remember, pass to the LEFT”, as if that was something we ever did. But, once the food landed, she lost all control as we would all dive, forks first, towards our favorite foods. And she would roll her eyes and declare (again, for the benefit of our guests), “They are so uncivilized.”

Thanksgiving is likely to be a much smaller gathering this year. Always looking for the silver linings, I’m hoping this means more time relaxing at the table and less time in the kitchen cooking for a mob. More elbow space means more opportunity to dress the table with our most vibrant, cheerful textiles and favorite ceramics and wood accessories. We prefer our table not to be too matchy-matchy. Our go-to plates are salad-sized plates from Rainbow Gate in Santa Fe. Everyone has their favorite color (Neal pretends not to, but we all know it’s red.) And everyone chooses their favorite dinner napkin and placemat. In other words, everyone decorates their own space. (Except for Neal, who pretends not to care so we decorate for him.) Our table is an eclectic mix of color, pattern, wood and ceramics. And, of course, good food.

I have admit that I still don’t really care on which side of my plate the fork is placed – as long as it is handy when the stuffing lands.

Need some ideas for adding color and texture to your table? Shop our Kitchen and Dining collection.