Styling your Thanksgiving Table with Diane Rath

We love Thanksgiving. Beyond the fabulous food and special family moments, we can use this fabulous fall holiday as a canvas to show-off our unique style. So whether you're hosting or helping the host, BRG is here to help inspire your inner stylist with Diane Rath (the Rath Project) as she provides some simple and creative ideas on setting fun, festive, and stylish fall holiday tablescapes using the furniture, accessories, and other merchandise found in our consignment showroom, Black Rock Interiors.

Designer, Diane Rath, showcases one of her unique Thanksgiving tablescape
designs featuring bird and fowls, vintage candlesticks and fresh fruit

Anyone who has wandered through our expansive showroom or browsed our auction catalogs can attest that there is a wealth of eclectic estate merchandise available at any given time. Spanning from fine and rustic antiques to ultra modern Italian design pieces and decorative accessories, shoppers can find unique and interesting items that suit their styles, tastes, and budgets.

Their challenge is discovering how they can style those pieces into a cohesive collection or tablescape. So we thought it would be both helpful and fun for our customers to discover how to achieve their style from a seasoned pro!

Diane uses a rich blue teal runner and deep jewel tones on this luxurious tablescape

BRG recently partnered with Diane to explore a variety of ways to style your fall holiday table. Diane used several BRG vignettes as the backdrop. She styled these areas for the fall holidays using pieces that range from 'rustic harvest' to 'contemporary mod'. She walked attendees through her thought process, providing tips along the way and answering their questions. Here are some useful and relevant tricks of the trade.

Take stock of what you already have (inside and out)

The obvious is the furniture in your home, but you might be surprised to find that basic home staples can be repurposed to create a stunning tablescape.

Things such as fresh fruit and produce, vintage linens, and even blankets can be used in unusual ways to accent your tabletop or buffet.

Diane uses a brightly colored afghan style wool throw blanket
as the base for her contemporary centerpiece

Also, venture outside. Brightly colored fallen leaves and a sharpie can create pretty and unique placecards at each setting.

Diane uses a petit pumpkin and an autumn leaf
as a placecard in this stylish placesetting.

Mix and match

Don't be afraid to mix and match patterns and textures. As long as there is a common underlying theme (such as a color) and some repetition, it'll come together beautifully.

Think outside the box

Use a role of heavy wrapping paper with a pattern you love to create a table runner. Use a wool afghan throw blanket that has your favorite colors in it to ground your centerpiece. The holiday season is a great time to be creative.

Diane uses a role of heavy striped wrapping paper to create a table runner.
She adds a grouping of blue and white porcelains, fresh oranges and
tangerines for pops of color, and muted striped vintage linens.

The Rath Project & Portfolio

Diane Rath's design aesthetic is fun, fresh, and current. Here a sampling of some of her more recent projects...

Diane Rath, an interior designer whose projects are sure to include color, a fun mix of patterns, a healthy dose of texture and always some unique art, is the founder of The Rath Project, a residential firm based in Fairfield. Diane likes to encourage her clients to live big through decorating, but also believes that you can get a high end look at many different price points. She is of the mindset that each home is as individual as the people who live in it; therefore every homeowner's needs, wants, likes, personality and lifestyle are carefully considered, as are the style and design that make up the personality of the home itself.

Since Diane’s motto has always been to see a design “challenge” as an opportunity for creativity, in between client projects, she adds d.i.y.s and home décor tutorials to her blog. And most recently, The Rath Project has started a new side to the business: The Rath Project Flips.

You can tune into the website, blog and Instagram (@TheRathProject) to watch the Rath’s navigate the buying, designing, renovating and the selling process of older homes that need a little extra love.

Finding everything but the food and drinks themselves ...

(We've got things for serving them!)

If you're searching for furniture, decorative accessories, serving pieces, or unique accents for your holiday festivities, check out our designer consignment showroom or current auctions. You can shop online anytime. But in order to 'see it all' make an appointment to visit the showroom (open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

In the Showroom

Dining Tables & Chairs
Sideboards / Servers
Serving Accessories
Glassware
Dishes

Keywords: The Rath Project, Diane Rath, fall entertaining, holiday, tablescape, set the table, holiday design, ideas, tips and tricks, Black Rock Interiors, BRG