Designer Interview – Jennifer Hughes with Turquoise Chair

We spent an afternoon with Interior Design expert Jennifer Hughes, owner of Turquoise Chair, to gets some tips on decorating tablescapes for the holidays. Check out the video on Instagram for a step by step guide on layering the perfect holiday table setting, and read on for great tips and tricks!

jennifer hughes

Jennifer Hughes


Jennifer Hughes Questions |Holiday Table Scapes 

1. What are some top design trends for the winter & Christmas Season?  

Drawing inspiration from the season of winter, embrace cozy textures such as velvets, sparkle lined linens or a rustic red and white plaid dinner plate placed on chunky round wood chargers. Gather multi-sized candle sticks, decorative vases and create a gorgeous table scape across your dining room sideboard or a console table in your hallway. Mix in some fresh evergreen stems in a vase with a few pinecones placed sporadically and add that wooden nutcracker or a family Christmas staple decoration for that personal touch.

The winter and Christmas season are all about staying indoors with friends and family and making memories and new traditions, so surround yourself with glorious Christmas feels and stay cozy.

Fresh evergreen stems placed in a vase is a nice seasonal look, with a lasting fresh evergreen smell—beautiful for the Christmas season. Fill a decorative glass bowl with some of your favourite Christmas ornaments or mixed pinecones and place in center of coffee table or dining table.

Decorative Christmas pillows & cozy knit throws are great to layer in with your existing pillows to add a little seasonal sparkle to a room and can be carried throughout the winter season.

No Fireplace Mantle? No problem! Buy a blanket ladder and tie your stockings to each rail and add an evergreen Christmas garland to the side of the ladder for a little added character.

Evergreen garlands are one of my favourite Christmas staples. They are great to drape down the length of a table or across a fireplace mantel or down a staircase rail. Evergreen mixed with Christmas bells, pinecones, folly, etc. You can find them at stores such as Michaels, HomeSense, or get a florist to make a fresh one for you.

Margaret from Two Buds Floral is amazing, and she will make you a custom garland or anything your heart desires and located right here in Edmonton.

2. Why do you think tables capes have become so popular?

Who doesn’t love gathering around the table with friends for a meal, so whether it’s a brunch with girlfriends, or a formal family dinner, tables capes are a great way to truly set the mood of the party. People invest in beautiful dining tables these days which ends up being a focal point of the home, so it is definitely worth it to spend a little time and create a gorgeous tables cape to complement its beauty.

3. What are some of your tips for creating beautiful tables capes on a budget?

  • TIP #1 –  Use what you have at home, scour your home for some cool pieces that could work in the center of your table.
  • TIP #2 –  Re-use! Find old mason jars or even old glass pop bottles and create a simple collection of vases with single stemmed flowers for that rustic minimal look.
  • TIP #3 –  Use old textiles or an old scarf and create a DIY tablecloth or table runner.
  • TIP #4 –  Collect materials from the outdoors of from your travels, it’s nice to have a few pieces that create conversations about a trip you took and look great on your table at the same time. For example, bring home sun bleached driftwood from a trip you took out in Vancouver Island mixed with some seashells on a decorative plate or bowl. Collect some pinecones and bark and put them in a clear glass bowl with other decorative balls.

4. Some tips for tables capes that can be used year-round? Seasonally?

Create an interesting collection of white or clear glass decorative items, such as white vases, clear glass blown vases, white ceramic artichokes etc. It creates a light airy feel and you can easily switch out the appropriate seasonal foliage all year round.

 

Find more from Jennifer at her website Turquoise Chair, or on her Instagram.