Whether your planned holiday menus are opulent or simple, incorporating the richest colors and textures of the season on your table will make your dinner a memorable one. Business partners Cynthia Piana and Lori Souza of Piana Designs (702-9490), the creators of this inviting look for the home, were kind enough to share their tips on dressing the perfect holiday table.

Start with Great Linens

Mix and Match Place Settings

This succulent pumpkin-colored tablecloth adds texture and interest to an otherwise traditional setting. Don't be confined to using table linens made specifically for your size of furniture; bunch your cloth to create dimension and cover unsightly pedestals or boxes you may use to create height for centerpieces.

Skip traditional napkin rings and embrace craft-store-bought floral accents. These pieces were stripped of their leaves, then twisted around each napkin. The wire in the stem makes them re-usable, but their low price means that you can choose a different accent next time. Sylvie Jourdan French tablecloth and napkins courtesy of La Via Bella (222-7006).

Mix and Match Place Settings

Combining a variety of colors, textures and shapes make the room more inviting and casual. Here, the salad dish's "pie crust" edging balances well with the scalloped edge of the dinner plate. A basic but large stoneware dinner plate can multitask as a charger, and glitzy glassware boosts the elegance-quotient.

Let there be Light

Let there be Light

Adding faux fall leaves to the base of an amber hurricane brings in the texture of autumn indoors, or add nuts or cranberries for a different look. Piana and Souza are strong believers in sparkle - it brightens up the whole room. Rays of light are created here through the warm glow of the candle and the reflective nature of the craft-store jewels topping the hurricane.

Create

This elegantly crafted rooster is invisibly supported by a box hidden beneath the tablecloth. Raised just slightly above a seated guest's eye level, the fowl's presence helps create depth and dimension for the table. Rooster is homeowner's own, purchased from Blue Sage (254-6158).

Give Everyone their Space

Give Everyone their Space

A French Butter pear perched on an amber leaf declares a guest's spot at the table. Using fruit or vegetables (think apples, squash) gives Mother Nature a nod and highlights the bounty of the season.

Break Away from Traditional Florals

Bold colors and textures brighten the room. While natural flowers aren't permanent, their impact on or near your holiday table will be lasting. Center and buffet florals provided by KaBloom - have it made or choose stems in their floral market (799-7993).




A special thank you to Don and Cheri Fleming who so graciously lent out their beautiful home for this shoot.

• Photos by Ted Dayton