An Elevated Thanksgiving: The Hosting Pieces Worth Investing In and Easy DIYs
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday to design for, because it is all about the table and the people around it. I have already shared the anatomy of the Thanksgiving tablescape. This year I am sharing the pieces I think are worth investing in for an elevated Thanksgiving table, the ones you will pull out year after year.
You will find heirloom quality pieces from Williams Sonoma, Juliska, Heather Taylor Home and Bloomist, handmade finds from small makers on Etsy, a few accessible picks, and simple projects that make the table feel personal. Nothing disposable, nothing that screams holiday aisle.
1. Start your elevated Thanksgiving table with beautiful linens
Linens set the tone for the whole table, and they are where I would spend first. Heather Taylor Home makes some of my favorite napkins: hand woven cotton in warm, layered colors. The Hudson Plaid Sienna Napkins are perfect for fall, or try the Soho Two Toned Amber Napkins if you prefer something quieter. Underneath, a tablecloth like the Williams Sonoma Foliage Jacquard Tablecloth adds texture without competing with the pattern.
If you want linens that become family heirlooms, these monogrammed linen napkins are embroidered to order by a small maker on Etsy. A single initial on crisp white linen is timeless, and they make a beautiful hostess gift.
2. A centerpiece that lasts all season
Fresh flowers are lovely, but a dried arrangement will carry you from Halloween straight through Thanksgiving. A generous bundle of natural dried wheat from a small Etsy farm looks timeless standing in a vintage silver pitcher, and the Bloomist Dried Wheat Sheaf Centerpiece is a ready made version that feels at home on a farmhouse table or a formal one.
For a longer table, the Terrain Dried Botanical Centerpiece runs down the center like a garden in late autumn. Whatever you choose, keep it low enough that guests can see each other across the table.
If you want one true statement, the Williams Sonoma Pheasant Feather Live Centerpiece layers fresh fall greenery, fruit and feathers into something that feels straight out of an English country house.
3. Serveware with heirloom quality
Thanksgiving is the one meal where everyone notices the platters. I love Juliska's Berry and Thread collection in whitewash for its soft, hand finished look that works with almost any dinnerware. The Berry and Thread Whitewash Deviled Egg Platter is a hosting favorite and a beautiful gift for whoever is hosting this year.
For a classic layer at each place setting, the Spode x Williams Sonoma English Floral Turkey Salad Plates bring in that traditional transferware look. Use them over your everyday white dinner plates and they instantly feel like Thanksgiving.
4. Glassware that glows
Colored glass catches candlelight in a way clear glass simply does not. Juliska's Ella Goblets in Amber have a beaded, vintage feel and glow next to rust and sienna linens. If you prefer a simpler shape, Estelle Colored Glass Stemless Wine Glasses in Amber Smoke are hand blown and feel substantial in your hand.
5. Place cards guests will keep
Place cards are where you can add the most personality. Juliska's Forest Walk Pumpkin Place Card Holders are little gilded pumpkins you will bring out every fall for years. For something more understated, the Verdigris Iron Place Card Holders from Anthropologie have a soft, aged patina that feels collected rather than new.
Pair them with custom handwritten calligraphy place cards from an Etsy calligrapher. There is nothing like seeing your name written by hand.
Easy DIY: Write each guest's name with a gold paint pen on a dried magnolia leaf or a large bay leaf and lay it across the napkin. Or brush a few walnuts with gold leaf and tuck a small name tag into each one. Kids love helping with this, and guests often take them home.
6. Layer your candlelight
Thanksgiving dinner usually starts as the sun goes down, so candles matter more than any other decoration. Mix brass and gilded candlesticks in different heights down the center of the table. Juliska's Forest Walk Wheat Candlestick is a showpiece worth investing in, vintage pairs from Chairish or 1stDibs give the table a collected look, and Target's Threshold designed with Studio McGee Braided Metal Taper Candle Holders are an affordable way to fill in. One rule I always follow: use unscented candles at the table, because nothing should compete with the food.
7. DIY: Velvet ribbon napkin ties
Instead of napkin rings, tie each napkin with a length of hand dyed velvet ribbon in rust, olive or chocolate brown and tuck in a sprig of fresh rosemary or olive. It takes ten minutes, costs very little, and makes every place setting feel finished.
8. Do not forget the rest of the house
The table gets all the attention, but guests move through your whole home. Dim the overhead lights and turn on lamps so every room glows. Refresh the powder room with fresh hand towels, a good hand soap and a small arrangement, and add one candle that glows, like Bloomist's Cylinder Amber Alabaster Candleholder. Clear the entry closet for coats before anyone arrives.
And keep a note on your phone of everything that frustrates you while you host. The spot where the kitchen always backs up, the room that never has enough seating, the light that is always too bright: that list is the best renovation brief you will ever write.
Hosting every year in a home that doesn't quite work?
We design kitchens and full homes across Westchester County, Fairfield County and New York City from our studio in Bedford Hills, NY, so they are as easy to host in as they are beautiful. Your first consultation is free over Zoom. Book your free consultation here.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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