Seasonal centrepieces

Like a convict on parole or a limbo contest entrant, the key to a good centrepiece is in keeping a low profile.

Marie Noel (pictured at right), the owner of Bella Doni Flowers & Home Décor in North Vancouver, says she frequently spots beautiful arrangements that are too tall to enjoy.

"I think the biggest (mistake) is not bearing in mind the height," she says. "If the table is a rectangle table and you're going to have people sitting directly across from each other you want to be able to have conversation happening that way and there shouldn't be

anything in the flow of that."

For those looking to set an impressive table this December, Noel says they can achieve the effect of a big centrepiece without taking away from their guests' line of vision.

"The best way to get around that is to keep the centrepiece low and to add drama from the top of the room down," she advises.

That drama can come from clear glass, spindles, and mini-chandeliers hung from the room's light fixture, according to Noel.

An effective centrepiece should feature layers of interest and different textures, such as berries and chips of eucalyptus mixed with varieties of evergreen and rounded out with a few brightly coloured baubles. The piece should sit on some nice cloth or a runner.

Hosts and hostesses tend to be evenly split when it comes to adding candles to the centrepiece, according to Noel.

When it comes to flowers, Noel favours durability.

"I'm recommending roses primarily because they can go in early and they will last through the whole season," she says. "I'm not a big fan of chrysanthemums and gerberas, even though the younger crowd tend to like them, because they just don't

stand up."

While a rose might last as long as a week, Noel says chrysanthemums tend to wither after only two or three days.

For a host who is planning to use the same centrepiece for a few parties, it can be important to keep the greenery in the water.

"Start with a really good quality base so that the greenery has something to absorb water from."

So instead of being in a design tray or on a flat surface put it into a nice bowl like a punch bowl or a fruit bowl, she suggests. Decorators can also switch up flowers while maintaining the other elements of the centrepiece.

When it comes to floral options, Noel is partial to amaryllis as well as hydrangeas.

"They're actually not bad for someone who's got events over a 10-day period because toward the end they won't shrivel up but they will kind of dry up and they look like an artificial flower, like a dried artificial flower."

Plastic flowers are also an option, and don't be afraid to try non-traditional centrepieces. "A centrepiece can be a vase filled with artificial ice and flowers on the top. It doesn't have to be a green centrepiece."

Nor does the centrepiece need to match the home décor. They can stand apart from tradition.

When it comes to personal taste, Noel prefers scabiosa pods as well as the extra scent of Carolina sapphire. A good design should promote the long life of the arrangement without looking as though it were arranged by numbers, Noel advises.

"You should never be able to see the mechanics. No foam showing, no design tray showing."

JEREMY SHEPHERD, [email protected]