HG Openhouse Blog

I really like change. Well, let me clarify that…change I can control! I especially love changing the kitchen to reflect my moods, the seasons, my changing taste, whatever speaks to me. Obviously, we can’t go changing the entirety of the kitchen on a whim, but we can change more than you think to keep things fresh. It seems, during these next few months, we have opportunities to express ourselves around several different themes as we think about entertaining.

I love the tips by Deb. And, why not entertain with your own immediate family! Halloween is the perfect, sort of mini-entertainment theme, perfect to incorporate into the kitchen. In the process of gathering your Halloween items for the kids, make some fun arrangements with mini pumpkins, put some ghoulish, spider webs over a window, put orange food coloring into a variety of food items. Even just orange napkins, placemats, glasses and so on will liven up the theme and make home fun!

Don’t forget the big games! Chances are, whatever your home colors are, tableware can be used throughout the year for other events. Here are the blue and orange colors of Syracuse University on the day of the big game!

For a general autumn theme, which also includes Thanksgiving, one can gather the most colorful leaves and put them in a bowl or on a platter or even on a string, which would be fun for kids. Browns, greens, and golds, of course, are great colors. I’m finding that my mums, which I grow in my garden last a VERY long time, so it’s a way to still have fresh flowers in the house that last and have that fall theme. I like a white vase with my very colorful mums. Or, as shown in the image, a teal blue theme with the last of the roses looks great too!

As the weather turns colder, I like to transition into more bright and bold jewel tones, sometimes paired with white to cause a big “pop” in color. Red dishes, placemats work well as does cobalt blue, which I love. I also love to play with, say, a very bold color like that blue, and pair it with a very medium to light and very smoky green, like a sage green, or pink. Love that sort of combination. Use your imagination, think in color, and always keep it fresh!