The “more is less” holiday decor
Holidays are here and therefor its time to start thinking about the family dinner you’re going to host! But I don’t wanna talk about the stuff that goes on the plates, instead I would like to talk about the plates themselves and all that lays between.
Not here to knock anyone but isn’t everyone a little tired of these over the top tablescapes for the holidays.. or in general..? Before you shout out “Blasphemy!” hear me out. I grew up in the south and over the top holiday decor is just normal decor. Everything is bigger in Texas, right? So, I think I developed an aversion to all things cute and frilly. I love clean lines, good textures, and minimalism.
I’m all for aesthetic, as much as the next designer would be, but cant we achieve more with less? Let’s talk about the tablescape featured below. Also, i don’t even know if tablescape is a real word, but let’s pretend it is. Back to the picture. I am not going to say it’s wrong. Everyone is entitled to their style and opinion. It’s well done, but just not something I care for. Again, I shoot for clean lines, good textures, and minimalism.
Now for the next picture (below). This is surely the way to impress the in-laws that have flown a thousand miles to enjoy the holidays with you.
Simple Gorgeous
Lets all bring in the idea of minimalism to the dinner table this holiday, and all holidays to follow. Why not instead of putting a tiny village in the center of your table, in hopes that it will somehow absorb any actual conversation with relatives, and try putting just a few candles in place and bond with your family!
One thing I will say about this is tablescape is WHY do the place settings stop 5 seats down the table??? There are 3 more seats at the end. Is that where the kids sit? Did you run out of plates and say ‘to hell with it, they can eat off the table?’.. I am just so curious, but let’s not dwell on that for too long. I just had to throw that out there. Other than that tiny little thing, this is a great way to do minimal decor.
Going back to the candle holders, these are a bit of a splurge, but I am pretty obsessed with these candle holders. White marble. 16″ tall. 3 of them would look so decadent as a center piece. I looked through tons of websites for a better picture. I really did. I could not find one anywhere. If you have these in your home, will you send me a a picture. I bet they are stunning.
Add some gold candles for some real pizzazz! These are pretty affordable and would great with the marble candle holders. Knowing me, I would never light the candles. I would be the one too worries to stain the marble. Am I the only one like that?
Now for some plates. l love these Pitch Matte Black plates from CB2. They really high light the idea of less-is-more-tablescape-edition. and this can totally be used throughout the year and for any, absolutely any, occasion! Matte black in the dining room setting is such a perfect pairing. Embellishing with the gloss black chargers and cutlery really do so much for it. With a nice glass of Pinot Noir next to this setting would really make anyone feel right at home.
LAST THING…. I promise…
Everyone loves doing an Instagram worthy tablescape to really add some visual extravaganza to their “9-grid” and so do we! We ran to Crate and Barrel to pick up a set of Pedra Artisan (PA set)plates and threw somethings together. I really like the PA set, because it is simple. It can be paired with more festive pieces for the holidays or used through out the year as your every day dinnerware.
I am not the Tablescape Guru. I know what I like and go for that. Here are 2 ways 2 ways to mix and match the PA set. When I went shopping I quickly grabbed what I liked. I grabbed the Round Silver place mat, Helena Wine napkin, gold napkin ring, and the brass candle stick holders.
For this pairing I wanted something a little darker with a bit of texture. I had a navy linen table cloth, so I threw that down. I added the Carson charger , the Paxton Grey Diamond napkin, Wrap Black napkin ring, and the Matte Black candle holder. The last few items aren’t pictured, but you can head to my Instagram page here to see the full image.
Just have fun with it. Don’t stress it too much. Want to know a little secret? You can take stuff back. OK. It’s not a secret, but I don’t want you to be sitting in the store for 2 hours stressing over the mixture of the perfect plate and charger. Buy more than what you think you will need. Maybe buy two sets of flatware, so you can see which one you like more when you get home. Then just return the rest. I am sure Crate and Barrel won’t mind. Just make sure you check the return policy. And don’t tell them I sent you. lol.
Thanks for tuning in. Leave a reply and let us know your take on the ideal tablescape or send pictures of yours!
Happy Holidays to all and I will talk to you soon
–J
pacing since it’s pretty hard to hold all the items up against the wall. You can cut out pieces of paper that are the size and shape of the art pieces. Then tape them to the wall and start moving items around. I chose to lay mine out. I think it gives you a better overall picture. If you don’t have the floor space to lay them out, go with the paper option. To start the design, pick a focal point and just start working. I feel the design comes naturally. Place the items out, take a picture, then step back and examine your design. For this gallery wall, my first design was a little more symmetrical than how the finished product is. I had originally grouped all the like items together, but it felt too forced.
So, I started moving the pieces around. I mentioned to take a picture earlier and now that picture will come in handy. As you start to move things around, refer to your picture to see how the progression is. If you like a few items in a previous arrangement, move them back and see how it is. Eventually you will get the design that you will like.
piece with the dark brown frame. It’s pretty much in the middle. It’s a good starting point and it will give you a piece to anchor you the wall with. Then hang the art from top to bottom and left to right. If you are a little OCD, feel free to bust out the tape measure and pencil to start marking 
everything prior to hanging the art. It may work for you, it’s just not my style for a gallery wall like this. It doesn’t have to be 100% perfect. After you have hung the first few pieces, double check the height before you hang the entire wall and then realize that it’s all too high or too low. Move to the right and repeat. Most likely 1 or 2 items will be off and have to be adjusted. No problem, it happens.
Take a pencil and mark 2 spots on the tape where the nails would go. Take the tape off the hangers and place it on the wall. You still have to do some measuring and math, but I think it’s an easy way to help with spacing. I’m not saying you have to do this, it’s just easier for me. For the set of 3 geometric mirrors, I placed all three pieces on the floor with a 2 inch spread, then p
laced 1 long strip of tape over the eyelets. Then I marked the each eyelet on the tape. I put the tape on the wall, check the level, put the nails on the wall, and hang the art. Easy peasy. Hanging sets it always a little tougher because if one piece is slightly off, it’s very noticeable. Regardless of all the tips I give you, you still need to use a tape measure and take your time. It took me and my sister about 3 hours arrange and hang all the art. Don’t stress yourself out when you feel like it’s taking forever or if 1 piece is slightly out of place. It’s supposed to be unique, so let it be unique.
business side, I couldn’t be happier. I’ve had a couple of really awesome clients this year, I finally got to shoot the gorgeous kitchen that I renovated last year (see left), and I have really big plans for my business this year. *wink wink*. It’s on the DL, so I can’t get into it yet. The point of this post isn’t really to brag, but to let you know that I will be back to blogging. My goal is to post every Friday. SO be on the look out. I know I owe you guys bug time for my absence and I am going to make it up to you. The last post I was working on pre-wreck was the How-To on the gallery wall that I created. I know it’s a small compensation for your wait, but it’s the best I can do right now lol. If you are reading this, just give me an hour or so and I pinky promise, the next post will be up. Oh and the sneak peak of the kitchen was intentional. My next post is going to be about that renovation cause I have SOOO much to say about that. It was a hot mess.
on your wall. That’s my method at least and it has worked out well for me so far. I know some designers like to paint 20 swatches on the wall to pick the absolute perfect color and dissect every discernable shade or tint visible in 1 specific color. I feel you get way too overwhelmed and the stress far outweighs the benefits. Keep it simple, well as simple as you can.
When I went through all my steps to choose the paint color for my house, I settled on 
My life is what I consider the “new normal”. I live with my partner, Will, and our 3 cats (I didn’t intend to have 3 cats, it just happened that way lol, but I’ll cover that later). We have been together for 3 years and we recently bought a home together. I am an interior designer based in Houston, TX. He is a landscaper and potter. It’s a nice quiet life, but it can be a little stressful as we both grow our new businesses. My journey to the design world is a little different than most people. I went to University of Houston for a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology with a plan to be a doctor. I spent most of my time in a lab working with bacteria and DNA. After school I worked for TeamHealth as medical scribe. A medical is the equivalent of a paralegal to an ER physician. Working as a medical scribe was an amazing learning experience. I learned a lot and it basically showed me that I didn’t want to go into medicine. I was really lost. I had just spent 6 years of my life planning to go to medical school and then realized it wasn’t for me. So, I took a sabbatical from the science world and bartended at a restaurant while I figured things out.
