You Can Re-create These Holiday Tables With a Little Foraging and a Trader Joe’s Run

A few weeks ago, Domino’s chief creative officer, Kate Berry, was driving through the hilly streets of Los Angeles with longtime friend Heather Taylor when she spotted a compost bin on the street with long, lush branches peeking out. “I jumped out of the car and started clipping them,” recalls Berry. Once she’d gathered enough greenery, the pair headed back to Taylor’s Laurel Canyon home where they used them to help style the ultimate holiday tablescape—complete with roughly five pine cones, 20-ish pieces of citrus, two Il Buco Vita cake stands, and, of course, new items from the just-launched Heather Taylor Home x Domino collection. 

The table the creative duo was setting was technically for a photo shoot (peep the outcome, above) and not a real sit-down dinner, but this is how Berry and Taylor entertain during the holidays when a camera isn’t around. They forage for decor. They light long taper candles. And they lay on the patterned linens. “We both take a lot of pleasure in setting holiday tables,” notes Taylor. “It’s exciting to come up with fresh takes on traditional motifs, which is kind of what we’ve done here.” Ahead, they share their top tips for a low-lift holiday gathering.

Experiment With Other Festive Shades 

Berry describes their color palette as “adjacent to” classic red and green. In the Heather Taylor Home x Domino collection, they used unexpected shades of lilac, pomegranate, oat, and moss—hues that give you that same home-for-the-holidays feeling without hitting you over the head with it. 

Build a Centerpiece From What’s Around You

You don’t need to buy an expensive vase or candelabra to set a beautiful table. Start by scouring your own house. Taylor did this last Christmas Eve and whipped together a unique garland from dried citrus she had hanging around in her kitchen, leftover ribbon, and sprigs from her neighbor’s backyard. “It was very much California’s bounty,” she recalls. (When lacking a living centerpiece, Berry has been known to grab a houseplant and plop it on the table.) You can also phone a friend. When Berry and Taylor teamed up to style the HTH x Domino catalog, Taylor rang up her pal Amy, who she knew owned an assortment of large pine cones. 

If you’re still in need of more supplies, pop by your local Trader Joe’s and scoop up some lemons, tomatoes, and pomegranates. No need to visit a florist if you don’t have the time. “Then you have all these yummy things you can later enjoy with wine and pizza,” says Taylor.  

Don’t Stress About Getting It All Done

“I want to be able to host a beautiful party for my family and friends, but the reality is I’m pretty much working up until the day,” says Taylor. Her secret to pulling it all off on Christmas Eve? Ordering premade lasagna from Eataly so she can focus on crafting a salad and a cheese board herself, jazzing up cocktails by sticking cranberries inside of ice cubes, and curating a hot chocolate bar for dessert. Those small details make it feel special for guests—and, most important, you don’t miss out on conversations because you were too busy in the kitchen. Plus with the HTH x Domino linens, you instantly have a space that looks put-together. “That’s the ultimate hack: If you have a few beautiful items, you need very little else,” says Taylor. 

Keep Everyone Comfortable With a Personal Pillow

Knowing that most good parties don’t end at the dinner table—they end around the sofa, ideally basked in the warmth of a fire—the HTH x Domino collection also features pillows (petite and regular). First place them on the dining chairs and then encourage guests to take their cushions with them and sit around the coffee table on the floor. “It adds that cozy element, having a pillow around,” says Berry.