Thanksgiving is a time for family and food. We eat, we give thanks, and we look forward to post-turkey naps. And while food is definitely the highlight, it’s easy to forget about the presentation. If you’re hosting Thanksgiving this year, these tips will help you create a rustic dining table setting so beautiful your guests will find something other than food to be thankful for!
Begin With The Basics
The use of the elements as they naturally occur — such as stone tiles, exposed wooden beams, and warmly stained, rich wood — creates an environment that echoes the beauty of the wilderness without sacrificing any of the modern comforts of home.
If you happen to already have a rustic theme throughout your home, all you need to do is bring the western style to your dining table. The rustic furniture peppering your house — possibly in the form of the leather sofa in your family room, or the antler-crafted light fixtures in your entry hall — can inspire your place settings with less effort than you’d think. If you’re looking for a year-round rustic table setting, get your hands on a set of leather-topped rustic style chairs. Guests will enjoy a full rustic experience when they sit down for any meal you serve.
Setting Your Table With The Right Tones
The heart of a rustic dining table setting is its color palette. If the rest of your home is warmly-toned, you might want to choose gold and orange tones for your dining table. However, if you’re looking for a more subtle approach, you could set your table with neutral and white tones.
When decorating your table, keep in mind that a color palette is incomplete without a few statement pieces. For Thanksgiving, pumpkins are an excellent choice. While best known for their bright orange hue, pumpkins can be found in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. If you’re crafting a warm and bright rustic setting, you may want to consider adding traditional orange pumpkins. In contrast, white pumpkins could be perfect for your neutral-toned settings. You’re free to choose any color palette you’d like, but the key to arranging a sophisticated rustic dining table is that you stick to the color palette.
Rustic Thanksgiving Table Accessories
Time for the fun part! Since Thanksgiving exists at the brink of winter, you’re not going to want a summery floral arrangement as your centerpiece. Instead, stack a few of the pumpkins you’ve selected in the middle of your table and surround them with natural embellishments: pinecones, walnuts, and — for a splash of color — some evergreen boughs.
Keeping nature in mind, use slices of birch branches as coasters or candle bases, and add a few expertly placed antler candlestick holders — you can even pass around an antler-handled bottle opener for your guests who prefer beer to wine. If you appreciate the atmosphere created by antlers, consider using antler handled silverware. Finally, depending on personal preference, neutral linen or burlap napkins can bring that outdoor feeling indoors.
If you have an overhanging light fixture, you may consider decorating it as well, but try to continue using the same materials as are being used on your table. Draping evergreen boughs in, around, and through the fixture can extend the aesthetic upwards.
Enjoy Your Hard-Earned Meal
Once you’ve finished your dining room preparations, it’s time to enjoy your guests’ company. You’ve created a stunning environment that inspires an innate connection to nature while maintaining modern comforts.