Excerpt from A Passion for Parties: Your Guide to Elegant Entertaining
by Laura Morton
and David Tutera
Thanksgiving Dinner Party Ideas
The Event:
Thanksgiving in the City
THE SETTING An
apartment in New York City on Park Avenue overlooking Central Park.
THE DESIGN The
hostess wanted to have a casual and symbolic setting for her family's
annual Thanksgiving celebration that utilized her very formal dining
table. The environment in the apartment was formal, but my clients
were rather down-to-earth, so I thought I'd balance the look of the
home with the personalities of the host and hostess. I decided to
make the design rustic, but keep it simply beautiful.
THE TABLE DESIGN
First, I covered the table with foam board, available at any art
supply store. This allowed me to set anything I liked on the top
without damaging the table. The foam board is placed over table pads
to ensure safety for the table. I covered the foam board surface with
terra-cotta-colored tumbled marble, which had an earthy look that
played into the fall foliage because of the orange and rust colors.
To fill in the spaces, I rubbed the entire table with moss, which
filled the crevices between the tiles. This gave a feeling of the
earth, symbolic of the harvest associated with Thanksgiving.
Large birch tree
logs (that would later be used for firewood) were set as the
"anchor" for the runner. Placed among the logs was a
variety of crystal bowls and canisters that held cranberries, some of
which fell onto the tabletop. Beautiful flowers and other fruit
representing the holiday were also placed in the bowls and canisters.
Hollowed-out gourds and small pumpkins served as vases for the
flowers. This really added a natural beauty designed to bring the
guests into nature, while dining on Park Avenue!
Large, chunky,
round candles lined with cinnamon sticks (purchased from Pottery
Barn) were set on small antique stands and placed directly on the
table. To add an interesting twist, the table was set with a mixture
of the hostess's fine china, crystal, and flatware. I loved that the
guests ate off expensive place settings mixed with inexpensive
decorations. The combination was rustic eleganceperfect for
Thanksgiving in the City.
THE MENU Louis
Lanza, chef and owner of Josie's and Citrus Bar and Grill in New York
City, provided the delicious catering for this fantastic Thanksgiving celebration.
Next: Christmas
Dinner Party Ideas
(Christmas in Connecticut)
Party
Planning & Easy Entertaining: