We’re staying in for Thanksgiving this year and holding more intimate, littler gatherings with those in our households. But that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t still be special—starting with setting the table with just as much care as we would if the extended clan were coming. Maybe even more so.
For inspiration, we asked Missi Pawlecki and Brian Caviness, the couple behind the newly launched block-print company The Imaginary House (they run it out of their Joseph Eichler-designed home in Orange, CA) for a few tabletop ideas, drawn from the duo’s belief in the space between “precision and handmade imperfection.”
From gathering dried flowers to shopping your own cabinets for serveware, here are the couple’s tips for a table setting that is staying-in approved.
Photography courtesy of The Imaginary House.
![The couple\2\17;s Thanksgiving table setting this year.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/the-imaginary-house-thanksgiving-table-3-733x485.jpeg)
1. Gather dried flowers.
![\2\20;Instead of buying a fresh flower centerpiece that will end up in the trash, arrange a variety of dried plants, like eucalyptus, lavender, and globe thistle,\2\2\1; advise Missi and Brian. \2\20;We display them year-round, and remixing them is always a fun DIY project.\2\2\1;](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/the-imaginary-house-thanksgiving-table-1-733x485.jpeg)
2. Pile on patterns.
![\2\20;Don’t be afraid to mix patterns, like stylized botanicals with geometrics in varying scales,\2\2\1; says the couple. \2\20;We paired a Danish Södahl Designs runner we picked up at an estate sale with a few different napkins from our new block-printed collection.\2\2\1; To take a look at the collection of napkins, pillows, and more, head to The Imaginary House.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/the-imaginary-house-thanksgiving-table-2-733x1107.jpeg)
3. Shop the house.
![\2\20;Use items you collect and love to add character to your table. We gathered midcentury-modern ceramics from around our house to display the flowers and pour the wine.\2\2\1;](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/the-imaginary-house-thanksgiving-table-7-733x1107.jpeg)
4. Embrace texture.
![\2\20;Use a variety of textures to help create the natural vibe. Think soft napkins on a nubby runner and a lava glaze vase next to a smooth carafe.\2\2\1;](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/the-imaginary-house-thanksgiving-table-5-733x485.jpeg)
5. Send a note.
![\2\20;Like many others this year, we’re keeping our Thanksgiving gathering small and casual,\2\2\1; say Missi and Brian. \2\20;Instead of more formal place cards, we tucked homemade stamped postcards into each place setting so that our guests can send a note to someone they miss.\2\2\1;](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/the-imaginary-house-thanksgiving-table-notecard-733x1107.jpeg)
Sending a good old-fashioned note seems a fitting way to celebrate from afar these days.
For more tabletop inspiration, see:
- Wild at Heart: 10 Unruly Autumnal Arrangements
- DIY Succulents: Tabletop Arrangement for Under $20
- Are Eggplants the New Gourds? David Stark Design’s Homage to the Purple Fruit
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