Elements of an Eclectic All-Season Centerpiece

Friends, can we just take a moment to pause and recognize that I have been blogging for 15 years?! This is my 2090th blog post and coming up with titles and ideas for blog posts has not always been easy. 

My mission and purpose in writing a blog has remained the same--to share doable, affordable decorating and design ideas for your home. And, the reason for this intro. is simply because I wasn't sure what to title this post as I have written a lot of titles over the years. In the past I tried to be cuter an catchier with my titles, but then the reader (and I) didn't always know what the post was about. Now I try to be more descriptive without being too terribly wordy. So, with that, let's discuss and learn about creating unique table centerpieces for your home.

I have never had two dining tables--a formal and breakfast table and I haven't always used a table centerpiece. My guess is (although I don't exactly remember) that when my kids were young, my table centerpiece consisted of toys and books and art supplies. But, for the past probably twenty years, I have enjoyed creating a centerpiece or vignette on my kitchen table. They have typically been holiday themed or seasonal. But, if you follow me on socials, you might have seen that I am hoping to move away from doing a lot of holiday and seasonal decorating and rather style my home with more year-round items. I will still change it all out at Christmas, because Christmas, but the rest of the year I hope to only add and delete a few, small, seasonal elements.

A table centerpiece is a nice way to add a finishing touch to your dining space. It reminds you to clean off the table and helps your dining space look clean and finished. You can create such a wide variety of different styled centerpieces with objects from your home, yard, and the thrift store. Keep reading to see five important elements that eclectic, updated centerpieces should incorporate for a cohesive look and how I interpreted those elements or "rules" in this fun, modern, eclectic, all-season centerpiece.

1. Something to ground or set your centerpiece on. You can use a tray, a piece of wood, a large book, or fabric square, placemat, or table runner. I like to use something I can easily remove for large, family style meals where we pass the food at the table (because aren't those the best meals?). If everyone thing is separate, you will have to disassemble the centerpiece. I chose a basket tray with a black edge. Design will tell you that every room and pace needs a touch of black to ground it. The herringbone pattern of the rattan on the tray adds great texture and an organic component. I might add a spring table runner or square tablecloth placed diagonally later, but for now I like the tray on the wood table.

2. Differing heights and textures. To draw the eye and create visual flow and interest, incorporate varying heights and textures in the centerpiece. Not every centerpiece needs height, but if you do want height and want to draw the eye up, use one, taller focal point. In this case I put some funky, faux green plant like stems in a greenish-gold pitcher. I added curly willow branches from my yard for more height and interest. I set the pitcher on a couple old books to add even more height, to ground the pitcher, and to add more of my color scheme. Utilizing different organic details and textures makes a display or vignette more appealing without using a lot of different colors and patterns. This helps it to look more updated and modern rather than a dated display. I used one tall item, one medium item (the candle) and one shorter feature, the alabaster grapes.

And speaking of these grapes. aren't they pretty fabulous? I got these along with a smaller alabaster bunch and a bunch of black stone ones at the thrift store. I placed them in a thrifted,  antique bronze tray filled with green moss from the craft store. I love how the white pops against the green.

3. Odd numbers and different shapes. Even if you like a cleaner, more modern style, odd numbers and asymmetrical and differing shapes make a vignette look put-together and more attractive. Think threes, fives, sevens. You can create symmetry with similarly sized objects rather than using the exact same items. I created three smaller displays on the rattan tray for my centerpiece. I have three different shaped objects on the tray--the oval bowl, the rectangular, brass tray with rounded corners, and the rectangular books. I didn't place these three things on angle in the rattan tray but rather more in a grid  gives the centerpiece a cleaner, more modern effect. More shapes include the candle that is cylindrical the tapered pitcher, and the spherical grapes. Notice, I also used an odd number of objects on the books--the pitcher and two bunnies.

4. Natural elements I believe every display, every vignette, all inside spaces need some natural elements. I am a nature girl and I love the getting outside, but even if you aren't the outdoorsy type, natural objects bring a calmness and fresh breath to our interior spaces. Nature is also a fantastic way to add more texture to a centerpiece. If you live somewhere like I do where it is winter and nothing is grows six months of the year, include good quality, faux greenery and plants. I will always choose fresh and live when I can, but sometimes fake makes better sense. These green stems have that rubbery texture which I find look the most real. I looked at the craft store for faux greenery and after looking at the price I decided to check out the thrift store. For &5 I found a whole, huge bouquet of fake flowers, including these green, funky stems. The green moss, white, creamy stones, and curly willow branches incorporate more nature into the centerpiece. Another way to insert some nature in your home (that I obviously didn't use in the centerpiece) is to use artwork that depicts nature.

5. Repeat colors and textures for a cohesive, updated display.  You don't need to use exactly the same objects for a cleaner, more symmetrical vignette because using the same colors give you the same effect with more interest.  In my centerpiece the green is repeated in the stems and the moss, the creamy white is found in the grapes, the top of the pitcher, one book, the candle, and the rocks, I used brass bunnies and a brass tray and a gold chartreuse book and pitcher, which match the settee behind them. Neutrals are great to repeat, but know that neutrals are so much more than black and white. Any color that you can pair well with two or three other colors can be considered a neutral. Wood is repeated in the oval, wood bowl, the grapes stem, and the curly willow branches.

The thrift store, battery operated candle was the perfect size for this centerpiece. It adds a nice, warm glow and helped to add more white. 

Okay, I said I was sharing five aspects of creating interesting and updated centerpieces, but I have a SIXTH: Use quirky, unique, vintage finds that you love to make a display that is personal to you. This is also where you can include something seasonal or holiday related. I added these "brass" bunnies from the Target dollar spot. I don't love or often buy from the dollar spot, but for $5 I thought these were cute and I loved the texture on them. I will put something else on the books after Easter. The alabaster grapes sitting on moss are also a bit of an odd thing, but I love them. Mom always had a fruit display on the kitchen table, typically the Lucite grapes, so the grapes remind me of that. 

I am happy with this centerpiece. It will work through the seasons, it is eye-catching and organic, modern and updated. Create a centerpiece of your own. Curate and gather items and remember to think atypical, think un-boring, think fun and funky to create something that is warm and uniquely you and enjoy the process!