Hi, HAVEN babes! Anastasia from The Identité Collective here today with bit of inspo for you as we head into the holiday season. With a newly finished kitchen and dining room under our belts, we are so excited to put these spaces to good use and host family for the holidays. Hosting Thanksgiving is a huge undertaking. From food preparation to table decor and guest entertaining, there is so much that goes into this holiday. In an effort to make the festivities run as smoothly as possible, we’ve rounded up our best tips for effortless entertaining and it all centers around an easy and elegant tablescape. A Thanksgiving table should be as simple as possible to leave ample room for all the serving platters of food, after all. Read below for our tips on crafting a beautiful holiday table minus all the stress.

Forgo the Traditional Centerpiece

Instead of the traditional floral arrangement as a centerpiece, I like to cluster monochromatic serving pieces at different heights. Using a vintage wood pedestal, I lifted up a white porcelain tureen perfect for mashed potatoes and grouped it with wooden bowls for an organic feel.

Rethink Your Florals

If you’re still wanting a floral centerpiece, consider hanging it from above, to leave ample room on the table. I paired dried grasses, pomegranates, fall leaves and eucalyptus for a muted, harvest color palette. Using the dried grasses as an anchor, I used black floral tape to wrap around the stems making two long floral spears. Then I laid them across the arms of my chandelier and secured with the same floral tape. The whole process took about 20 minutes and makes such an impact!

No-Iron Napkins

I’m all about easy, effortless style – especially for large gatherings, so I loosely tossed striped napkins across place settings and laid a piece of wheat on top in lieu of a napkin ring. This makes it easy for guests to grab their napkins and there’s no wasted space on the table. Even better – I love a rumpled napkin, so no need to iron.

The Perfect Thoughtful Detail

To prevent things from feeling TOO casual, I used a seagrass pitcher for water. It’s tall and narrow, easy to pass, and adds another level to the table setting. When everything is at one level, the table can feel kind of static. By adding elements at varying heights, it creates more visual interest, allowing the eyes to move around the table. Plus, who doesn’t love a fresh glass of water at the table?

Set Your Table the Day Before

Leave Thanksgiving day to cooking and remove the stress of prepping the table ahead of time. I always set the table well in advance. It’s one of my favorite prep “chores” and by doing it the day before, I have as much time as I want to relax and create the perfect tablescape – no stress involved.