Entertaining for Fall
Entertaining is all about the people and honoring time together. Let’s not lose sight of that! A lot of people DON’T even try to entertain because they get fixated on wanting their house to be perfect or their food to be gourmet. We have lost the plot and the real reason why we come together, to share laughs, connect, and to enjoy each other’s company. Connection is what life is about, what’s more personal and vulnerable than sharing your home?
Besides design, our favorite topic is, of course, FOOD! 'My middle name is POT... as in LUCK. I love me a potluck. It engages everyone in buying, prepping, and serving, which takes the pressure off me for shopping, chopping, and burning!' - Teal
Right from the start, the potluck meal is a delightful mishmash, and the focus is on the fun. If two people brought rice dishes, who cares! We've got Lenny, the vegetarian, amidst a sea of meat dishes, but no worries – we always make sure to accommodate our circle's dietary restrictions. And believe it or not, we've discovered some surprisingly yummy dishes, like that cashew spread! As Teal often tells her kids, 'If you're hungry, you can head home and have some cereal.' The same goes for our guests. The real focus is on catching up, sharing stories, and enjoying each other's company. Let's be honest, the 'ugly' topic usually revolves around the latest wrinkle. 'I feel full from the people and the pork loin!' - Teal
If you enjoy setting a table, make that your thing!
If you're not into cooking, go ahead and order takeout guilt-free! On the other hand, if you love cooking but find the table setup and home decor intimidating, don't hesitate to ask a friend to help with the table when they arrive. It can alleviate the pressure of having a 'Martha Stewart-ready' table and let you focus on the food and the company.
Just a friendly reminder – no one really cares about the rug stains or the claw marks on the couch from the cat. What truly matters is the effort you put into creating a warm and welcoming environment. And if that's not the case, well, maybe it's time to reconsider, Jimbo. After all, you want people around who make you feel good.
Below, we've got some options if you're looking to update your table-setting pieces.
We love this fall’ish silverware set that can be used right through the new years party scene! Shop them here!
These are another option for a more dramatic table. You can lighten them up with colorful napkins! Shop them here!
Add a personal touch to your table with these easy, simple place cards. Shop them here!
We suggest short vases on the dinner table, these are white, don’t show dirty water, can be used in ALL 4 seasons, and won’t block your table partner's view! Shop them here!
Teal and Wendy have plenty of tips when it comes to table settings. We often draw inspiration from the outdoors, opting for an earthy, neutral color palette to adorn our tables. Consider picking a flower or a collection of twigs about to bloom and mix them with store-bought flowers for an effortless centerpiece. After all, you'll likely remove the centerpiece when it's time to eat, so let's be honest – it's all about that party-starting curb appeal! And for an extra touch, grab some leaves to use as unique place settings.
Write Guests’ Names on Leaves
How cute are these? Grab some leaves from the front yard and draw names on them for your guests! Such a cute personalized addition to your table.
Décor Objects - Teal uses the same oversized vase (IKEA, West Elm, CB2) and plays with different arrangements. When trimming your stems, cut them to different lengths so the bouquet doesn’t feel too top heavy. You can even use a mason jar or 3 to create a centerpiece cluster. Simply tie a piece of ribbon around the center, and it instantly looks profesh!
Stay away from tall glass vases, they’re harder to keep clean and a solid ceramic or other material at the base looks better as you don’t see twigs, droppings, or when water starts to get dirty.
For larger gatherings, Wendy typically creates a prominent floral arrangement on the bar, complemented by smaller floral accents strategically placed around the house – one in the bathroom, one in the kitchen, and usually one on the dining table. This approach ensures there's ample space for what really matters: the FOOD.
If vases aren’t your thing, or visibility is an issue (you have short chairs and maybe short people too) you can arrange flowers on the table itself so you don’t have to move it with these floral water tubes from Amazon. The fancy term we’ve come up for this is a “grounded” setting.
Dinnerware
Don't get your panties in a twist over china and plates. Use casual plates or your day to day. If you’re looking to invest in some fun dinnerware, we love the look of Crow Canyon metal plates which are lightweight, easy to clean, and add a fun surprise texture for guests. It also helps that they’re metal for those toke klutzes you invite over. Shop Crow Canyon here!
Glassware - This is a great opportunity to experiment and play with color and guess what, they don’t have to all be the same color (gasp)! To go the extra mile, have a nice/unique set of water glasses for special occasions like these from Forest Ceramics or these from Estelle Colored Glass. We, as wine lovers, will often place wine glasses on the table, too! And make your table feel more “set” by putting out water glasses and water carafes. This keeps people at the table enjoying each other.
These moody glasses are the perfect wintery glass for your cocktails or mocktails! Tip: for longer lasting smoke, handwash these suckers! Shop them here!
Napkins - Looking to add color to your table setting while staying sustainable? Consider using reusable napkins. But how can you select fun napkins that work for both fall and spring? One creative approach is to mix and match smaller dish towels and secure them with napkin rings. It adds a playful and versatile touch to your table.
Dishcloths are a GREAT, low investment, low risk way to add character and play with your style. Shop them here!
Wash. Reuse. Looky here…. you have a fun large or small centerpiece and colorful napkins. The rest is easy. Teal doesn’t tend to go crazy with having special or different decor every time she entertains. IN FACT, sometimes her friends look forward to seeing the same christmas decor every year. It becomes a tradition.
The Home - Now let’s look beyond the dinner setting to the rest of the home. Of course the iconic fall color palette includes warm tones like rust, golden yellows, deep oranges, and earthy browns. This year, fall colors have really landed on the cinnamons and earthy warm tones. We are for sure moving away from the grays and cooler neutrals.
We understand that most people don't have the time or budget to completely change their home's color palette with every season. An accessible way to infuse a fall 'vibe' into your space is through the entry area or by updating flower arrangements on your console table, kitchen island, or dining table. Visit your local farmers market or bulk flower seller and incorporate those inviting fall tones. In the entry, we have plenty of opportunities during the fall to switch up the decor, especially with Halloween and Thanksgiving. Let those holidays be your main focus. Teal doesn't redecorate the entire house, just the entry, and it works like a charm.
Every year, clean out decorations that are tired or did not store well. At the END of every season check out the SALES online and in store to get some updates for next year’s Halloween or Thanksgiving decorating.
When designing homes, we let the general mainstays set the tone and add in small accents that carry us between seasons. If you already have a lot of warm earthy tones from the first two rows (below) in your home, you don’t really need to add a lot of fall color. But if you have more cool earth tones from the bottom two rows, then you might consider adding a pillow or a rug that includes some of the warmer fall tones. OR stay focused on the table and entry for seasonal moments.
This color palette from Fab Moods is a great example of warmer fall tones and cooler tones.
One seasonal change we fully embrace is the switch-up of throws! Teal diligently dry cleans and stores away her throws every spring. When the first chill of fall arrives, we eagerly anticipate bringing out our faux fur and wool accent throws. It's incredible how it transforms the entire room, shifting from a clean and fresh spring look to a cozy and layered fall atmosphere in a flash! Teal also enjoys surprising guests with a personal throw, whether it's for a deluxe outdoor dining chair accent or to keep everyone warm on a cold winter night. Overland are specialists in sheepskin and we can’t ignore local favorite, Pendleton.
Teal loves these mohair blankets AND they come in 3 colors. Shop them here!
For a furry look, we love these faux fur throws. Teal’s kids ADORE them! Shop them here!
For a year-round transitional throw, we like these waffled stripe throws. Shop them here!
If you still have questions, please comment below or DM us on Instagram @tealandscott. We love hearing from you!
Happy Fall!
Affiliate Disclosure: Teal and Wendy hand pick every product they recommend. Some product links are affiliate and may provide a small kickback to T&S at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate they earn from qualifying purchases.