I’ve gone mad for buffalo check around the holidays, I know… I’m so thankful, though, that the black and white of such a pattern can make an appearance in so many ways and not seem overwhelming. On the table this year, Pottery Barn’s buffalo check napkins provide the only real fluff on our almost-all-black Christmas table.
Oh… except for the deer.
The deer!! Sweet mercy, how cute are these stinking plates from Pier 1?! As soon as I spotted these guys (in August, no less), I knew that they’d be making an appearance amongst our holiday decor. Layered on my black cloth from Crate and Barrel and matte black dinner plates from Williams-Sonoma, the iridescent winter buck salad plates really stand out. Next to the fluffed napkins, they remind me of Christmas on the farm years ago- dinner was usually followed by a hike in the woods with Daddy and the dogs, and almost always, we’d see some wildlife along the way. This table- the checkered pattern of the napkins that remind me of my dad’s flannel shirts, the deer on the plates like the ones I’d so often see peep their magnificent heads up over a snowbank- take me back home for a bit.
Keeping holidays on the farm in mind, I tried to keep as many natural elements on the table as possible. The preserved boxwood garland makes a lovely table runner, and the sweet pinecone placecard holders and my vintage bone salt and pepper shakers bring a little zhush. I tried to keep our polished silver to a minimum; the napkin rings and our flatware are really the only shine. Tall collins glasses are ready to hold spiked iced tea, perfect for warming our insides during our frigid holiday weather.
In an attempt to keep things dark and unfussy, I found the black candleholders at Target. Topped with olive green tapers, they provide a lovely lightscape, but aren’t so shiny or pale that they take away from the rest of the table, or the rest of the room.
** this post is not sponsored in any way. all thoughts and opinions are my own **
** photos by Kyle Lueken **
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