entertaining

Need ideas for decorating this holiday season? Look no further than the AH&L archives, which serve up some gorgeous creations at the hands of some of the city’s best designers.

Ever the innovator, designer Beth Webb’s stylish buffet in her Buckhead home is a tribute to seasonal décor in an untraditional color scheme. Coconut cakes and meringues from Le Lapin mix with Interiors Market creamware and polished silver from Beverly Bremer Silver Shop. The bunches of winterberries impart an unmistakably wintry look without the need for the expected red and green, demonstrating a brilliant way to do something out of the ordinary.

When designing a Brookhaven home, designer Liz Williams employed the help of floral designers extraordinaire Mark Good and Scott Kennedy, of Mark & Scott Inc., to create a red-and-green arrangement that’s different from the usual. Red and green roses and forest finds like winter berries, pine branches and moss assembled in a crackled green earthenware container sets the mood for a natural tabletop where etched glass, mushroom-trimmed napkin rings and groupings of red roses in bird’s nests feel right at home.

Designer Stan Topol’s dining room for the 2007 Alliance Children’s Theatre Christmas House features a delicate pairing of crystal stemware and warm woods like mahogany and walnut. We’re sold on Topol’s savvy centerpiece of artichokes and magnolia leaves, which was fashioned from items like those we have around the house. Ribbon-tied packages lend a perfect finishing touch without overpowering the neutral scheme. When entertaining, wrap small gifts in packages like these and add them to each place setting to quickly turn a traditional table into a holiday surprise for your gracious guests. Ribbon purveyor Nicholas Kniel can give you some tips for creating packages as glamorous as these at his Sandy Springs shop.

Summerour Interiors designers Yvonne R. McFadden and Ed Belding prepped this Peachtree Battle home for the holidays by mixing bisqueware urns, holiday greenery and red berries on a traditional farmhouse table for a simple, modern approach to holiday style. Wine and cheese adds flavor to the setting. Create a similar setup as a late afternoon treat for out-of-town guests visiting for the season. Try Star Provisions for a beautiful selection of gourmet cheeses like these.

A tabletop featuring Hermès “Balcon du Guadalquivir” dinnerware, fine flatware and crystal, by event designer Keith Robinson of Gloriosa Design, illustrates a creative take on holiday entertaining. A centerpiece fashioned from a naturally felled tree takes on the look of a traditional yule log, while Georgia pinecones, Red Lion amaryllis, roses and gerbera daisies tie the look together with festive flourishes—a beautiful touch for any wintry outdoor occasion.

Here’s to a joyous celebration!