Thanksgiving decor can be easy to forget between Halloween and Christmas, but has its own place in the holiday decoration world. Two Athens store owners explain how you can elevate your Thanksgiving look this year to suit your personal taste.

Give Thanksgiving Its Own Space

The important part of Thanksgiving is gathering with friends and family, so the decor should reflect those values, Bishop said. Decorators can do this by creating an inviting space, she said.

Kemp suggested adding feathers as one way to differentiate between fall and Thanksgiving. Both Kemp and Bishop sell sprigs of feathers that can act as the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving table.

“We’ve got these gold cherry blossom sprigs out there, which could go for fall, but then to make it more Thanksgiving, we added in the feather twigs,” Kemp said. 

Darker colors like deep greens, browns and burgundy can set the tone apart from brighter fall colors associated with general fall decor, Kemp said. Additionally, tableware like the porcelain manufacturer Spode’s Woodland collection ($184 for a five-piece setting) can be used to mark the change in holiday as well as create family traditions and clearly define the season by changing the look of the dinner table to be centered around fall, gathering and gratitude.

Dream Beyond Dreary

Take an item such as placemats and try a new color such as yellow instead of the conventional brown, Kemp recommended. Those on a budget can keep their ordinary white plates but mark the change in holiday with different linens. 

Kemp said Thanksgiving can be difficult to decorate for because of the traditions associated with it, but it’s possible to add creative elements. 

Kemp suggested adding an element that brings out a pop of color, such as the feathered pumpkins with pops of green that one customer bought to go with the decor style of her own home. She also said she sees the blue and white color scheme that’s trending in Christmas decor catching on in Thanksgiving decorations. Kemp named blue and white placemats or cocktail napkins as a few examples of this trend.

Whimsical patterns such as acorns, gourds and mushrooms can lend extra charm to the decor for those with more maximalist taste, Bishop said. Kemp suggested incorporating a fun yet elevated detail such as turkey-shaped placemats for the kids’ table. 

Create Cozy

Candles, linen napkins, tea towels, pillows, blankets and feathered centerpieces can all create an inviting Thanksgiving atmosphere, according to Bishop. She recommended including candles because they lend elegance to the table as well as contributing to the overall coziness by adding warmth.  

Kemp suggested incorporating a personal touch by adding place cards with people’s names. They can be handwritten notes, or consider tying different colored ribbons around each person’s glass. 

A unique element that represents personal artistic taste, can add to the feeling of being invited into someone’s home, Bishop said. She stocks tea towels that say “y’all” with leaf patterns made by an Atlanta-based artist, an example of an item that can extend the personal, cozy aspect of Thanksgiving decor to the kitchen. 

Decor can build traditions, too. Kemp’s family used different animals in Spode’s Woodlands collection to mark every family member’s place, and it’s a trend she said some clients at her store follow as well. 

“A lot of people like to set your table like each person has an animal,” Kemp said. “In my family, my grandfather always had the turkey plate.”

Both store owners highlighted how Thanksgiving is a holiday centered around food, family and gratitude, and signaled how thinking creatively with decor can emphasize those values.  

“Thanksgiving can mean a lot to different people,” Bishop said. “It’s all about family.”

Katie Guenthner is a journalism major at the University of Georgia. She produced this story in a home and garden writing class.