Forget the Fruit Bowl—Kelly Wearstler Has Bigger Ideas for a Party-Ready Kitchen Island

You won’t find an oversize fruit bowl, lazy Susan, or antique wood trough on Kelly Wearstler‘s kitchen island—not when she’s throwing a party, at least. Over the weekend, the designer shared an 18-second-long TikTok video spotlighting one of her favorite ways to create a showstopping centerpiece that will lend a “major vibe” next time you host.

In the tutorial, Wearstler tinkers around with a variety of vessels that are peppered across her large marble countertop. As the camera pans out, we catch a glimpse of her styling genius: a mini forest of oversize branches, droopy artichokes, and wispy flowers. The whimsical arrangement totally one-ups a pile of oranges, and we quickly realized it’s fairly easy to re-create the look. Here’s how to bring it home.  

Mix and Match

In the clip, Wearstler recommends mixing glass, stone, and ceramic vases to create an engaging vignette while entertaining. We’ve also learned from the pro that you can score some pretty chic stoneware on Amazon if you know what to look for. 

Play With Scale

Not only do vases of different heights, widths, and shapes create a more dynamic visual, but they will help support the range of stems with which you choose to fill them. When it comes to the right vessel pairing, our style editor, Julia Stevens, suggests leaning into smaller options for more flexible flora while giving stiffer stalks (i.e., most fruit branches) extra room to rest in a wider, heavier container so it doesn’t accidently topple over. 

Stay in Season 

Take a cue from Mother Nature and search for bundles of whatever might be naturally growing during this time of year. Even better, follow Wearstler’s lead and step outside to forage for wildflowers (or whatever greenery you have in your own backyard). Getting her style on a zero-dollar budget is a party trick you’ll definitely want to show off.