Interior Design Decor to Bring your Family Together for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and you know what that means – it's time for gratitude, reflection, and most importantly, gathering with loved ones! While the focus of the holiday is on the delicious food and cherished moments shared with family and friends, the ambiance created by your interior design can significantly enhance the overall experience. In this blog post, we'll share our expert designer tips to use creatively interior decor to bring your family together for Thanksgiving. As Elle Decor reminds us, Thanksgiving decor doesn’t have to be all browns, oranges, and golds. This joyful family holiday is a good opportunity to get creative so let’s spice things up a bit!

Now, we get it – you've got a lot on your plate (literally) with planning that delicious feast, coordinating travel plans, and navigating with family dynamics. So we’re here to make the decorating part as fun and easy as possible. We've thoughtfully included links to some of our favorite holiday decor items so you can craft an elevated holiday ambiance within the walls of your own home. We want you to get much more than just aesthetic inspiration from these affiliate links. When your well-appointed holiday haven warmly welcomes your family's gathering, the small commission we receive (at no additional cost to you) is a gesture of shared joy in celebrating this special season.

1. Stay Light and Bright

One of the most common home design elements that clients ask for is a “light and airy” vibe. Bring this trend into your thanksgiving decor by brightening your color pallet from a deeper orange to include peach, blush, and a heavy dose of white. It's like a breath of fresh air for your decor! Check out these subtly tinted glasses for a classy touch. This elevated look feels feminine and welcoming.

2. Make it Moody

Feeling a bit adventurous? Let's go moody this Thanksgiving! Start with a darker tablecloth like this grey linen one and layer in some dark flatware or candle sticks. We love the way light oranges, peach, or ochre are set off in contrast to the dark backdrop.

3. Bring in Floral Patterns

Granny-chic floral prints are all the rage and we’re loving this nostalgic trend! Layer your place settings with a variety of charming floral napkins (we love both these and these together as shown in the photo below) to bring the perfect cozy warmth to your fall-themed thanksgiving table. Complete the look with these sunflower napkin holders. Blooms all around!

4. Feel the Fuschia

Magenta, purple, hot pink – yes, please! In the wake of the Barbie movie, these saturated tones will give your holiday table the perfect pop this season. These khaki linen napkins with hot pink scalloped trim are the perfect addition to a fun holiday dinner table.

5. Stand out with Unique Dishware

If you’re into an eclectic look, unique dishware is the perfect way way to jazz up the setting of the main event: your dining room table. We love this Morris & Co. Cotswold Dinnerware Collection. It's all about making a statement!

6. Bring in Texture with Boucle

Pulling in warm textures is the perfect way to get your home feeling cozy for the holiday season. These boucle pumpkins add a soft neutral touch to your table or mantle decor. 

7. Soften Things Up with Velvet

Create a cozy haven by adding some velvet throw pillows to your sofa and a velvet table runner to the dinner table. Soft, snuggly, and perfect for the season!

8. Keep it Simple

Sometimes less is more. This oversized table cloth, check napkins, and a simple flower arrangement paired with white dishware would be just enough to set the stage for your family gathering if you’re going for a more minimal chic vibe.

9. Add orange and spice and everything nice

If you're feeling more of a traditional vibe this year, play up the orange with this lovely garland or orange napkins. Try keeping the palette more monochromatic for a modern look, or pull some red in with your orange decor for a look that can seamlessly transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas to save you time, money, and even storage space.

10. Weave in Natural Materials

Bringing in natural elements like woven placemats or even these woven pumpkins creates a casual vibe that feels grounded and earthy yet refined.

11. Bring in Seasonal Blooms

Whether you drape a garland of greenery, spread out small vases across the table, or opt for a dramatic large arrangement, fresh flowers are a must! We especially love bringing in seasonal blooms like dahlias, mums, or even sunflowers.  Don’t forget to decorate the buffet table, your entryway, and even guest bathrooms with floral arrangements to give greet guests wherever they turn.

12. Gather Outside

And hey, if you're in sunny southern California like us, you know the weather's usually on your side. Take the party outside! Light up the space with candle sand string lights if you can. And if the forecast looks a little chilly, consider adding blankets to each chair to keep your guest comfortable. It's a fantastic alternative, especially if you're short on indoor space!

So, there you have it – our tips for decking out your home in style this Thanksgiving! We hope you find these ideas as exciting as we do. And remember, it's not just about aesthetics; it's about creating a warm and inviting space where your loved ones can come together and make cherished memories.

If you love these holiday design tips be sure to sign up for our newsletter to get home decor and interior design tips for every season and all the days in between. Have a fantastic Thanksgiving, everyone!

How to Design Your Fall Tablescape in 8 Easy Steps

After this extreme heat wave in Newport Beach, California, I am more excited than usual for fall to arrive! Not only does fall bring cooler weather, beautiful autumn leaves, and pumpkin spice lattes, but it also is the perfect excuse to get out my favorite fall decor (and shop for some new items). What’s the first place I start my little seasonal home makeover? My dining room table.

A beautiful fall tablescape can really transform the look and feel of your home. It’s especially fun to decorate your table for big events like Halloween or Thanksgiving, or even an intimate dinner party. We’ve put together 8 easy steps to help you design the perfect fall tablescape. While these tips may be tailored for fall, these 8 easy steps can help you design a beautiful tablescape for any occasion or season!

1. Determine your color palette

The first step in designing your fall tablescape is to choose your color palette. You can opt for a theme like traditional fall colors (orange, neutrals, maroon, navy, ivory, gold) or nature-themed colors (variations of greens, browns, rusty orange)...

…or you can choose a more bold and moody option like deep, darker shades of purple, green, black, and orange.

Alternatively, you can pick a modern and simplified color palette—think black and white with a pop of color, or an all-white and gold table. 

Whichever design style you decide to go with, make sure to choose colors that complement each other. We’ve included a design color wheel to help remind you of what colors go well together.

2. Choose your main focal point

While beautiful centerpieces are guaranteed to steal the show at your next event, you don’t always have to make a big centerpiece the main focal point of your fall tablescape. In fact, something more simple like a patterned napkin, seasonal pumpkin, or single-stem flowers could do the trick. The best way to decide is to think about the vibe you want to create. Is it a soothing, simplified, modern look that you’re going for? Or an all-out “more is more” show stopping display? We love looks on all ends of the spectrum, so choose what speaks to you. Here are a few designs to help inspire you!

3. Go for a layered look 

How do you create that high-class designer fall tablescape? Layers! Start with a tablecloth, and then continue to add more layers—table runners, placemats, and a variety of dinnerware. Then add napkins, place cards, gifts for guests, and get creative with other decor items like cutting boards, themed tchotchkes or twinkle lights for a unique touch.

We’re swooning over this Thanksgiving tablescape by Denby Pottery. Notice how a pop of blue is layered with neutral colors. And then they topped the layered dinnerware with a mini cutting board and miniature pumpkin for each place setting—adorable!

We also love this totally eclectic table design that layers…well, everything! Check out Leaf Home Blooms fall collection of fabric pieces, candles, dinnerware, glassware, and much more. We love how they added layers and varying heights with a cake pedestal.

4. Mix and match 

We use this tip in almost every design blog we write—and that’s because it works. To avoid looking matchy-matchy or worse, outdated, try mixing and matching types of dinnerware, flatware, fabrics, patterns and materials. It’s easy to create balance in a tablescape because of the repetition of items so mix up those materials with wood, copper, glass, and various textures, sizes, heights, etc. We love the way these two fall tablescapes came out!

5. Bring in a little nature

During fall, pumpkins are everywhere! While we absolutely love decorating with all different varieties, colors and sizes of pumpkins during fall, there are a ton of other ways you can bring a little nature into your fall tablescape. Decorate with traditional flower centerpieces or consider lengthier pieces of garland, eucalyptus, or even a mixture of plants, flowers and pinecones for long tables. 

For something more out-of-the box, try decorating with fall fruits!

Depending on the mood of the occasion, we recommend adding sprigs, leaves and/or other fresh or dried plants on top of plates instead of decorating with huge centerpieces.

6. Use items of varying heights

Tip number six is one of our favorite decorating tips—and it’s especially helpful when decorating your table or other smaller spaces. Choosing decor items with varying heights helps move your eye, adds interest, and most importantly, makes your table look and feel less busy. In other words, you can fit more on your table without compromising your design style. 

Picking candles and glassware with varying heights is not your only option. In fact, one of our favorite ways of adding height variety is through floral arrangements! An airy arrangement can add the verticality you’re looking for without blocking the view of the person across the table.

7. Choose your glassware

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it's important to remember to always set out a water goblet and a wine glass for your guests. If you are planning a dinner party, you may even want to consider a third glass or cup for cocktails, mocktails or coffee. The glassware can really add a little glamor to the table. Personally, we love pairing glassware with copper cups in the fall (moscow mule anyone?) and mixing and matching the style of glassware itself. 

8. Incorporate candles

Nothing creates that fall feeling as much as a cinnamon-scented or pumpkin-scented candle—at least for me! And candles on a fall tablescape can completely change the mood of the room. Decorative candles create ambiance and warmth, relieve stress, and signify a celebration or romance. Bonus: candles also help add layers, depth and varying heights to your table!

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Turn Your Orange County Living Room into a Winter Wonderland

[Insert instrumentals] “Sleigh bells ring, are you listenin'? In the lane, snow is glistenin', a beautiful sight, we’re happy tonight, walking in a winter wonderland...” (If singing in your head is not enough, here’s a link to Michael Bublé’s version of “Winter Wonderland” 😉)

A lot of people dream of having a white winter—but living in Orange County, California, means a white winter is next to impossible. Unless...you bring your winter wonderland inside your home...

With the help of our interior design tips, you can easily turn your Orange County living room into an elegant winter wonderland this season! 

Here are our 5 tips to turn your Orange County living room into a winter wonderland:

1. Change your Colors for the Season

If you want to achieve that classy look of a winter wonderland, add as much white as possible into your living room. To accent, add splashes of cream, gold and silver. These colors help to and depth and dimension and elevate the interior design of your living room for the entire winter season. You can also opt for clear, shiny and/or sparkly accent pieces. 

Start by giving your sofa a makeover. Throw on a slipcover, change your throw pillows, and add a new cozy blanket. In fact, we found beautiful white throws and pillows at west elm. We also recommend warming up cold toes by adding a furry white rug this winter season. For more tips on how to make your home feel cozy this season, check out or blog. 

2. Make Use of Your Fireplace & Furniture

There is nothing like a roaring fire to help bring the outdoors inside, so be sure to make good use of your fireplace this winter. Display extra wood by the fireplace for both functionality and style. Decorate your mantle with frosted greenery or snow-dusted pine cones, or a collection of white candles on light wood, silver or gold candlestick holders and fake white trees. 

Bottom line: have fun! Decorate your coffee table, side tables, and entertainment units with pieces that you really love. This time of year, you shouldn’t have a hard time finding decorations that fit within the winter wonderland color palette. So, shop around. We love to incorporate winter animal figurines in gold or silver like these cute but classy 9" Silver Reindeer from Crate & Barrel to help bring the feeling of a winter wonderland inside.

3. Create a Snowy Space

To make your home feel like a true winter wonderland, create a snowy space. Use cotton batting or other artificial snow products for your tables, mantels and other areas in your living room. For a shimmering effect, spray your fake snow with a glitter spray. You can also frost your windows with spray snow for an extra wintery touch. 

For this tip, we’ve included a couple specific ideas. Lay down a sheet of fake snow and create a snowy village by placing white, ceramic homes down. You can put your village in the entryway of your home or across the mantel. Handmade Ceramic Christmas Village Houses from Pottery Barn could be exactly what your winter wonderland is missing. 

We got our next suggestion from eHow: “An option for centerpieces or vases is to use floral gel crystals. Look for them in the floral section of a craft store. Water mixed with the crystals turns it into a snowlike texture. Place it in a shallow bowl and arrange candles or glass Christmas ornaments in it for a festive centerpiece.” 

4. Dress Up a Fake Tree 

While we love the smell of a real douglas fir, our next tip for turning your Orange County living room into a winter wonderland is this: consider purchasing a fake tree that is white or snow-dusted.

Then, dress your tree to the nines! Remember, to keep with the winter wonderland theme, choose white, cream, gold and/or silver ornaments. You can also decorate with clear glass, shiny or sparkly ornaments to make your tree the real star of the show! Ornaments can also be snow-themed such as snowmen, snowballs, or snowflakes. We recommend these beautiful Hammond Ornaments from Anthropology. For your tree topper, consider either a silver or gold star.

Lastly, swap out your traditional-colored tree skirt for a solid cream or white, or consider one with gold or silver accents.

5. Add Twinkly Lights Everywhere

For the final touch, add twinkly lights anywhere and everywhere in your living room during the winter season. This will bring your winter wonderland to life and light up decorations so they really stand out. Sprinkle some glittering lights on the mantle in between your decorations, throughout your holiday tree, and inside the snow you have placed throughout your home. The Electric LED String Lights from West Elm will work perfectly to enhance your winter wonderland, especially if used throughout the snow.

If you’re looking to stage your home for the winter season, or a special occasion, we’d love to help! To get started, set up a consultation with Viève Interiors today. 

15 Interior Design Elements to Make Your Home Feel Cozy for the Holidays

Picture this: you’re snuggled up on your sofa under a warm blanket, drinking a cup of hot cocoa, surrounded by beautiful greenery, your favorite scented candles, and a warm fire! What do you feel? Cozy! Now that winter is coming, you’re probably getting ready to dress up your home for the holiday season. To help, we’ve put together our favorite 15 interior design elements to make your home feel cozy for the holidays.

1. INCORPORATE TEXTURE 

Texture as an interior design element can enhance your home with the use of baskets, wood bead garland, or a soft rug or blanket that draws attention to different details throughout your home. Rougher textures like warm rustic wood help make a space more lived in and homey while soft fabrics and furs are inviting and intimate.

2. ADJUST YOUR LIGHTING 

The light fixtures and light bulbs you use in your home have a profound effect on the mood and tone of your house. The whiter and brighter the light bulb, the more stark and harsh the lighting will feel, leaving your home about as uninviting as a cold hospital room. For winter time, try using “soft white” light bulbs (2700 Kelvin or lower) to give off a warm and inviting glow.

3. Fill Your Home with Candles

Candles are a great interior design element that bring tranquility and a cozy feel to your home. Candlesticks with golden accents can be used as center pieces on the dining room table and as an additional décor element on mantles or coffee tables. Choose earthy and spiced candles to bring the enticing aroma of winter into your home.

4. USE EARTHY TONES 

Earthy tones provide an inviting, warm and friendly feeling during winter time. Since earth tones are inspired by mother nature, you can easily incorporate earth tone colors by bringing nature into your home—add house plants, pine cones, real wood and other interior design décor that uses natural elements. This season, focus on warm camel or deep brown tones, rusty red-oranges of fallen leaves, or golden yellow-orange like the sun to warm things up in your home.

5. ADD THROW BLANKETS

Adding throw blankets throughout your house is an easy way to make your home feel warm and inviting. We recommend either a faux fur or knit blanket to create the warm feeling that you crave on a cold winter's eve. Throw blankets can be added to accent chairs, your living room sofa, family room ottoman, in a woven basket, or draped at the foot of your bed. During the holiday season, you can find throw blankets just about anywhere. Personally, I love Amber Lewis' collection at Anthropologie, but you can also find great deals at your local HomeGoods, Wayfair and Amazon.

6. INCORPORATE THROW PILLOWS 

Throw pillows are an interior design element that can be easily switched out to add warmth and holiday cheer to your home. Try adding throw pillows in warm winter hues like a deep rusty red and dark emerald green, or cool icy blues balanced with cozy soft cream to sofas, chairs, or on your bed.

7. Get a Winter-Themed Front Doormat

A winter-themed front doormat serves several purposes. First, a door mat keeps the dirt on your snazzy winter boots from entering your home. Second, it reduces the possibility of slipping, especially if you have hardwood floors or tile. Last but not least, you can express yourself and welcome your guests to your home with a cheeky holiday message or a more formal and classy holiday cheer. If you love a good DIY project for the holidays, you can also design a DIY winter welcome mat.

8. ADD ACCENT & AREA RUGS

Do not be afraid to add accent and area rugs to your home. Hardwood and tile flooring can make your home feel cold and sterile. Area rugs can anchor a furniture arrangement or add color to a blank hallway all while adding cozy warmth to cold toes. Another designer secret—it is okay to use multiple rugs in one room! To save on cost, layer a smaller one-of-a-kind vintage rug over a larger inexpensive woven rug. Or add a faux fur accent rug to add warmth. Doubling up on the rugs can add to the cozy feeling of the room.

9. INCLUDE WINTER GREENERY 

The addition of holly, spruce and pine can bring in the aroma and memory of your favorite ski trip or picking out your first Christmas tree. This winter greenery is an interior design element that can be used to create beautiful centerpieces, on stair railings, or on your mantel above the fireplace. And a bed of greenery is also the perfect place to nestle in some of those fragrant winter candles!

10. HIGHTLIGHT YOUR FIREPLACE

Decorate the mantel above your fireplace with candles, greenery and pine cones to highlight your fireplace. Display firewood next to your fireplace to inspire people to use it (another way to incorporate earthy tones into your home), and position furniture around the fireplace to encourage gatherings. This is also a great place for that cozy basket of blankets!

11. Bring in Some Sparkle and Shine

Metal accents in different finishes add a magical sparkle to your holiday decor. Try incorporating some shiny silver candlesticks on your dining room table or buffet. Antique gold bells hung on a coat rack or door will also help bring in those festive feelings and holiday cheer.

12. CREATE A COFFEE & COCOA STATION 

A coffee and hot cocoa station is a creative interior design element that can easily be added to the kitchen of your home. This station says to guests, “stay a while and get comfortable!” We encourage you to place marshmallows, candies and peppermint inside the station to elevate your coffee and hot chocolate beverages. And because, let’s face it, now is the time to let loose on that diet plan, and enjoy yourself and your company!

13. SPRUCE UP WITH A SLIPCOVER 

A slipcover is a simple interior design element that can make a major difference to your overall decor. To fit in with your winter theme, consider changing the color of your sofa or dining room chairs with a slipcover. Choose a plush and soft sofa cover to increase comfortability or a velvet dining chair slipcover to add a little luxe.

14. ADD COFFEE TABLE BOOKS 

We encourage the use of coffee table books year-round, but this is an interior design element that can be easily updated to match the season. These books can inspire conversation, give people an idea of who you are and what you like, as well as invoke positive emotions. In the winter time, find coffee table books with a winter or holiday theme to get your family and your guests in the holiday spirit

15. DEDICATE A PLACE FOR HOLIDAY CARDS OR PHOTOS

There are so many creative and cozy ways to display your holiday cards—from decorative card holders, to DIY projects you can do with your kids or family (like turning cards into ornaments), to more elegant displays like hanging holiday cards over your mantle. Whatever you decide, dedicate a special space in your home to sentimental holiday cards for an extra cozy interior design feel.  

Themed photo collages are another beautiful reminder of the holiday season with family and friends. Bring out old photos from holidays throughout the years and design a holiday gallery wall. To bring even more comfort, put these photo collages in a rugged wooden frame to add texture to the walls. 

Need a little extra help beyond our 15 interior design elements to make your home feel cozy for the holidays?

We’d love to help. Set up a consultation with Viève Interiors today.