Traditions, memories of past celebrations, loved ones and good times all are tied to the holidays. And it's the home, particularly the table where family and friends gather, that is most evocative. It draws out the warm and fuzzy good feelings of being together, sharing a repast.

Just the thought of turkey and whichever is your favorite Thanksgiving side dish -- sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, green bean casserole, sage and bread stuffing, and of course, pumpkin or pecan pie -- make the mouth water.

The celebratory mood demands something extra special at the table. Customization has been a huge buzzword in home design the past few years. No better time to put your personal stamp on entertaining than by accentuating all those little details that make the home inviting.

No matter what your style or decor, there are plenty of ways to transcend your comfort zone, with a few key ingredients. There's not just one recipe for freshening or spicing up your tabletop decor, and you can make each holiday special by tweaking the table, starting with Thanksgiving, through Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year's.

Texture and layering especially resonate in home furnishings today, and that's certainly true on the table. Solid-colored plates and serveware take on a more artisanal dimension with relief work that adds tone-on-tone pattern that can be flowery or geometric. Embroidered or beaded textiles -- placemats and napkins -- can accentuate color and lend a dressed-up sparkle.

More simple style, less clutter also has been a design mantra. But these are days for abbondanza, or richness and abundance, so the two may be in a bit of conflict. What's perhaps more apparent, at least in multiple magazine spreads, is a mix of high and low -- shiny and matte, metallic and glittery with rough-hewn. Spotted at the October furniture market in High Point, North Carolina, for example, were burlap pillows with rhinestone decorations. This kind of disparate juxtaposition can be highly effective on the table as well.

Of course, it goes without saying that not everything has to match anymore. Bunny Williams, who recently introduced dinnerware for Ballard Designs, says: "I don't own full sets of china. I prefer to create my own uniquely mismatched service. This always results in a more interesting dinner table."

Williams' new patterns do that. One called Melange features a couple of different borders and modern leafy patterns on salad plates. All are in soft greens and apricots, really sort of perfect year-round, but especially fresh on the fall table.

Most people are drawn to the palette of the season -- particularly in the fall when leaves, gourds, pumpkins, even ornamental cabbage evoke rich oranges, reds, golden yellows and aubergines. The nature theme can be expressed on dinnerware, tablecloths, placemats and napkins, and in serving pieces.

More organic motifs and materials seem to have promoted a more relaxed approach as well. When tastemakers like Aerin Lauder show a more playful attitude, like integrating her sons' toy action figures, bowls with seashells or stones on dinner tables with beautiful heirloom pieces from her grandmother Estee, it signals a kind of blessing. She has said that the formal style of entertaining is really fun when you first get married -- "but my tastes have changed, and now I like a more casual mood."

Besides, a mix of vintage dinnerware with contemporary pieces remains a hot trend in tabletop because it creates a more modern ambience. Just adding a single element, such as an accent plate, a showstopping charger or statement serveware, with strategically placed color can make all the difference. And there's always room for a hint of sheen to reflect candlelight.

More glam looks seem especially suited to Hanukkah and Christmas. As we're seeing in home fashions, a bit of shimmer is like magic on fabrics and accessories. It can be low-key or full-out, but still elegant and tasteful. Beads, crystals, sequins or rhinestones decorating placemats, cloths and napkins can provide a gala backdrop for generic white china that will transition to a dressed-up elegance that transcends a particular style.

Metallic finishes also lend a glimmer that may be polished, burnished or matte. A love of gold has been prominent in furnishings, but silver and even copper remain personal favorites for some. One holiday table shown at Pier I Imports keeps a consistent silver theme, from beaded plate chargers to glasses decorated with silvery snowflakes to bowls with ornaments.

London-based designer Kelly Hoppen recently launched a luxury online store (www.kellyhoppen.com) that features her "simple, tactile, luxurious designs." Her signature palette of neutrals includes gray, expressed in zen stoneware, which is beautifully accented with both gold and silver accessories.

As for color, you don't really have to lock in to expected combinations like red and green for Christmas. You might take cues from your own decor. Or choose a hue that you really love and go with it as the base for neutral or patterned plates -- then bring a little bit of it into an adjacent room.

Svitlana Flom, who writes a decor blog called Art de Fete, chose a soft shade of lavender and teamed it with silver for an unconventional holiday tablescape. She called on New York floral designer Olga Gerasimenko, from Blooming Bears, to design three simple pieces that would be an easy DIY with supermarket flowers -- a pair of white globes made up of carnations set into plastic foam; a larger globe blossoming with carnations in white and shades of purple; some white mums, dotted with berry stems of silver brunia and rimmed with white rice flowers. In the living area, which is visible from the table, Flom also picked up the color and popped in some pillows and a throw in complementary hues, and even mixed in books with purple spines to tie in the scheme.

Also, think of serveware as both decorative and functional, like a soup tureen, butter dish, bowl or platter. Artistry has reached a new level, with amazingly realistic hand-painted looks -- some fresco-like, such as turkey and pheasant platters designed in house at Pottery Barn, and whimsical, almost retro looks that are highly graphic, like turkey platters at Crate and Barrel.

No matter what you choose, make it your own. And enjoy the ambience you've created, with your family and friends.

Sources

-- Ballard Designs, 800-536-7551, www.ballarddesigns.com

-- Crate and Barrel, 800-967-6696, www.crateandbarrel.com

-- Kelly Hoppen, +011 44 203 701 9833 in London, www.kellyhoppen.com

-- Kim Seybert, 212-564-7850, www.kimseybert.com; also available at www.neimanmarcus.com

-- Lenox, 800-223-4311, www.lenox.com

-- Napa Style, 866-766-6272, www.napastyle.com

-- Neiman Marcus, 888-888-4757, www.neimanmarcus.com

-- Pier I Imports, 800-245-4595, www.pier1.com

-- Pottery Barn, 888-779-5176, www.potterybarn.com

-- Wisteria, 800-320-9757, www.wisteria.com

SIDEBAR B

TABLETOP TAILORED FOR THE SEASON

There are more seasonal choices than ever for tabletop design, even among the expected turkey, pumpkin and Santa tureens.

Some highlight craftsmanship, such as a beautiful lidded butter dish from Pottery Barn, whose top is cast from a real leaf in a burnished gold finish. Others improve on printing, with decal, screened or digitally produced images that reproduce the feel and color of the originals.

SIDEBAR A

POWERS UP PATTERNS

Dressing the table offers plenty of options, from fully covered with a cloth, adorned with a runner (like a throw over a chair), or defining each plate with a placemat.

The choices range from simple homespun materials, like linen and burlap to cotton, velvet and even silks and brocades, to woven materials like rattan. Embellishment with pattern can be a festive accent, whether it's in printing or weaves, as with metallic threads, or embroidered with sequins, rhinestones, crystals and other beads.

Prints are especially fetching this year, more graphic and colorful, partially due to advances in digital printing. So designs can be realistic, retro or stylized.

(For editorial questions, please contact Universal Uclick at -uueditorial@amuniversal.com)

Do not think for one minute that table lamps are old-fashioned. While overhead cans deliver all-over illumination, pendant lights can be modern and sexy, chandeliers glamorous and elegant, a source closer to where you are sitting or reclining is de rigeur for reading or other tasks that require a close look.

"You definitely want additional sources of light aside from a ceiling fixture," Houston interior designer and popular blogger Paloma Contreras says on a "lighting tricks from the pros" post on the One Kings Lane website. "Bedside lamps are a natural fit. Rely on lamplight more than overhead lighting, and use dimmers whenever possible to set a nice, relaxing mood."

Besides, what do you put on a table? Lamps are not just utilitarian, of course. In fact, the most interesting lamps have personality, driven as much by design as by the kind of lighting they house, which has been morphing away from traditional incandescent bulbs as they are being phased out. This makes them all the more relevant as decorative objects, some even artisanal.

Artists, architects and designers have a history of fashioning lamps. At the end of the 19th century, Emile Galle created magnificent art glass lamps in Art Nouveau style, and they're highly collectible, as are Louis Comfort Tiffany lamps up through the early part of the 20th century. Jean-Michel Frank, a Parisian designer known for his understated but luxurious furniture, especially in the 1930s, designed lighting, as did many architects, such as Eileen Gray. Frank actually teamed up with artist Alberto Giacometti to design a pair of lamps, which this summer fetched $27,500 at a Wright auction.

More playful contemporary styles have been in demand as well. A series of transparent lamps from the Italian company Kartell, some in color with matching shades, display a design spirit similar to the whimsical see-through interpretation of the Louis XV style in Philippe Starck's now iconic ghost chair.

Thankfully, lighting design really has revved up. There's more of a push for creativity in high-end and even more mainstream lamps. As in all furnishings design, fashion also is a catalyst in lamp styles. Seattle-based jewelry designer Shannon Koszyk applied her techniques to lighting design, with a collection for Currey & Co. One of her lamps is a show of sophisticated and edgy goth, a slim rod punctuated almost dead center with a silvery skull. Materials also are crossing over. Skins, from real and faux leather to shagreen (shark), clad lamp bases. Feathers cover lampshades. And the boldness of some fabrics chosen for shades -- large-scale florals, paisleys and geometrics -- won't remind anyone of the darker, more somber embroideries of the Victorian era.

Lamps have always been about size, shape and proportion, just like other interior furnishings. For a long time conversation about shades has been nonexistent. That was due to their generic nature: white, sometimes pleated, predictable styles. Nonconforming shapes, including rectangles, exaggerated drums or even unusual asymmetrical styles, have greatly relieved the monotony and have added to a growing repertoire. One spring introduction from Surya, the Gabby, features a yellow ceramic body with a bold apple-green and white chevron shade.

Animal prints, houndstooth, horizontal stripes, and ikats are some of the surprising patterns that are available in shades today.

Caryn Kinzig, who lives in Philadelphia, and her sister-in-law Sharon Kinzig, who lives in San Francisco, are known for their artistic flourishes -- particularly embroidered or printed or hand-painted fabric lampshades that pick up from base colors, many of which are hand-blown glass in beautiful sheer colors. Their line is sold through the Artful Home catalog (www.artfulhome.com).

The envelope certainly is being pushed, as designers are considering ways to introduce texture, sometimes with surface applications, such as shells (real or ceramic), crystals or three-dimensional pieces, like a lamp by DwellStudio that consists of a trio of gold-leaf urchin shapes stacked on a slender post. Materials also are being coaxed into unconventional forms, stretching lamp bodies into new dimensions. A nautically themed lamp from Shades of Light is crafted from jute over a metal frame, coiling up to its hanging shade.

There are barely there, pencil-thin, skinnier-than-candlestick bases that satisfy minimalists; flat, ribbon profiles; short squat globes in translucent glass; and luminous mercury glass. And there are a range of materials from wood to cork, concrete and metals, sometimes even pierced, as in Moroccan styles that allow light to dance through.

At this time of year, particularly, as daylight fades earlier, there's something about table lamps that adds a warm glow to interiors. Depending on the style, a little bling or sparkle lends a dress-up touch. Some of the glazes used in porcelains also have a sheen or flecks of glittery mica. Metals and leafing (gold, silver or copper) also can add luster and a reflective quality, as do some shades, even in polished nickel.

Many retailing websites offer lighting design tips. On the Ylighting site (www.ylighting.com), for example, there's advice on harnessing the power of your table lamp, by addressing size ("the scale should complement other decorative elements in your space, especially the table it sits on"), layering light ("to accommodate different brightening needs, use table lamps in rooms that have support from other lights, such as ceiling lights") and considering the existing decor, as well as table color ("pale walls and surfaces will reflect the light, while dark colors and wood will absorb it, requiring more light output").

At Shades of Light, which has a brick-and-mortar store in Richmond, Virginia, and a bustling catalog and website business, there's a rich selection of styles. Table lamps are considered an important accessory "not only for ambient or task lighting, but also to enhance the style and colors for the space." Further advice speaks to design styles: "A beautiful crystal, porcelain or brass table lamp will evoke a classic traditional mood, while a metallic, glass or concrete table lamp will set a more sleek modern tone. Coastal themes and materials like driftwood, capiz and pearl shells, coral and bamboo bring a relaxed resort feel. Celebrate the rustic beauty of nature, with table lamps fashioned from materials like horn, wood, rock crystals and branches."

Shades of Light even has an in-depth bulb selector guide, which helps navigate through different shapes, wattages, voltages and types.

In the foyer, a single lamp or a pair might be used on top of a console table. This is a spot where you might have a little fun with color or pattern, particularly with a shade. A shade with texture, embroidery, beading or embellishing with pieces like shells, lends richness and personality.

While a common way to use lamps in the living room or bedroom is as bookends -- one on either side of a sofa or bed -- some designers like to deviate from symmetry by choosing a pair of simpatico but different pieces. They may be united in materials or finish -- say gold leaf or silver metal -- but with different shapes or even different finishes: for example, one in matte and the other in polished. They might even be different heights.

A console at the backside of a sofa or on a chest of drawers may hold one lamp, balanced on the other side with a grouping of framed family photos or sculptural objects.

On a narrow buffet, a more space-saving candlestick lamp with a tall body may serve for accent light. A pair of classical shapes in a vibrant color like coral, for example, can inspire other accents, perhaps a throw neatly folded on an ottoman beneath the table that supports them.

Ultimately and conclusively, lamps can complement a variety of decorating styles. They can be dramatic or quiet, glamorous or homespun, uber scale or petite, skinny or curvy, and even defy conventional forms. They can be simpatico with decor or a strong counterpoint. With so many options, you can layer in an artful, classic or fashion-forward design that will lend fluidity to a wide range of interiors styles.

Sources

-- Artful Home, 877-223-4600, www.artfulhome.com

-- Currey & Co., 877-768-6428, www.curreyco.com

-- Ethan Allen, 888-324-3571, www.ethanallen.com

-- Hudson Valley Lighting, 845-561-0300, www.hudsonvalleylighting.com

-- Kinzig Design Home, 610-322-9383, www.kinzigdesign.com

-- Regina Andrew, 734-250-8042, www.reginaandrew.com

-- Serena & Lily, 866-597-2742, www.serenaandlily.com

-- Surya, 877-275-7847, www.surya.com

-- The Natural Light, 800-331-3898, www.thenaturallight.com

-- YLighting, 866-428-9289, www.ylighting.com

-- Wildwood Lamps, 252-446-3266, www.wildwoodlamps.com

SIDEBAR A

GET YOUR LIGHTING IN SHAPE

New shapes make table lamps anything but mundane. They can add an edge, artistry or a sculptural element in a host of materials and finishes.

(For editorial questions, please contact Universal Uclick at -uueditorial@amuniversal.com)

SIDEBAR B

BEYOND THE LIGHT

Adding a trending pattern like a chevron, Greek key or Ikat design in a table lamp can bring fresh life to a tired space, according to Shades of Light. No question that color, pattern, embellishment and trims completely shift the aesthetic of the lamp itself, adding another layer of interest.

There is nothing more glorious than clean, fresh smelling bed linens, comfortable pillows and a fluffy duvet to slink beneath for warmth, especially in the cooler fall and winter months.

Some prefer their bedding like their sleep time -- quiet, neutral, monochromatic with more tone-on-tone subtleties in patterns. Others, though, dive right into color and pattern. And pattern need not be restricted to a single design. In fact, the most interesting beds are outfitted with different motifs connected by color and/or scale.

Swapping out bed linens is the easiest way to lift the mood of a bedroom, morphing the vibe of a space from elegant to sporty, beachy to tailored, even whimsical.

Retailers and designers long have made it easier by putting together coordinated packages that eliminate the guesswork. So a duvet cover may show off two different flavors, one on each side, which is nice, since anyone who has ever battled a queen-sized duvet -- stuffing ends into corners -- doesn't really want to repeat the task as often as changing sheets. Shams and pillowcases don't have to match, and of course, there are toss pillows that can be popped in and out as often as you wish, even with a bit of a seasonal touch. Skulls? Angels? Santas?

With a pre-picked effort that takes the angst out of mixing and matching comes the potential for a more sophisticated layering in a range of color palettes and design motifs. That works for all bedrooms -- master or guest. And it can do wonders for the standard issue dorm room.

As far as patterns are concerned, some have become more complex, largely owing to expanded technical capabilities. At Heimtextil, the big international textile show in Frankfurt, Germany, earlier this year, dazzling graphics were possible because of enhancements in inkjet printing. Most noticeably, pattern on pattern, like montages; uber-scale florals or tropicals, some photorealistic; varied scales, starting small and exploding into larger images from top to bottom; and pop-art geometrics.

Inspirations haven't really changed so much, and nature often heads the list. But interpretations -- the way the artist sees it and the way designers put it together -- bring some collections to life in very fresh visuals.

For the duo behind Madcap Cottage -- Jason Oliver Nixon and John Loecke -- a trip to the Cotswolds of south-central England translated to engaging florals for their just-launched bedding collection for HSN (aka the Home Shopping Network).

"We were driving through hedgerows the first day and we pulled over by the side of the road and had a picnic," says Nixon. "There were cornflowers and phlox, Queen Anne's lace and hollyhocks." With his sketchbook always near, John began to capture the moment: "a sunny afternoon, flowers moving in the breeze, a strong graphic opportunity, colors from the garden, bringing the outdoors in."

And though romantic, the patterns have a modern edge, such as beds of roses on awning stripes with mega rickrack-like details and colorful zigzags, every bit a reflection of Madcap style.

For West Coast-based Barclay Butera, pattern on pattern has become a signature -- and in the bedroom, it's especially dynamic. Here's how a favorite coastal theme plays out: with blue and white, for sure, but accented strategically with red for great effect. The magic is in the mix -- a rich deep blue paisley for the duvet; striped shams with matching draperies; solid blue oversized pillows with white borders; a bold white on red print for accent pillows; and a graphic anchor in red on white with red piped border and a small red houndstooth fabric on a bench in front of the bed.

In other collections, Butera might introduce on-trend finishing touches from accessories or upholstery details, including nailheads or appliqued trims.

What often captures our attention as we're trolling the bedding aisles in department stores or checking out sheet possibilities online is the crispness of design as well as the artful teaming of colors. Sometimes it's the simplest pairing of white with bright: aqua, coral, yellow, indigo or black, for example. This can be dramatic in large-scale patterns or more toned down with smaller motifs -- and all, of course, beautifully play off of crisp white.

Black and white is a particularly strong and perennially popular combination -- it suits stripes, geometric patterns and toiles, and beautifully takes on almost any color for punctuation -- whether it's a flange border on a pillow or a solid hue contrast. The solid can either be subdued, like a pale pink, or electric, like an apple green.

But even a pattern with a whisper of white can be an amazing companion to white sheets. A perfect-for-fall print at Pottery Barn teams autumnal hues of burnt orange and golden caramel with white highlights in a large-scale organic pattern on a gray ground -- a fetching combination.

Putting patterns together lifts the design to another level. An appealing modern combination is a check in luscious citron from Marimekko at Crate and Barrel, shown with a very open citron-on-white design of trees for shams and duvet cover.

A popular pairing of gray and mustard makes a bedding collection from Jonathan Adler pop -- especially when the dominantly mustard shams and solid-color pillows are part of the mix.

Even prints in two different colors can coexist handsomely. At Serena & Lily, big blue and white block print live with a smallish coral and white pattern. Blue-and-white awning striped shams are the perfect complement -- all this in a room with rich tan walls.

A fanciful floral, which almost looks like a child's painting of daisy-like flowers in red and orange with blue centers teamed with a soft graphic and a stronger polka dot.

When designers do the legwork for you, and it's done well, you want to buy in. But what if you want things a bit more eclectic? There are no rules about mixing brands and patterns, just a few guidelines for getting a coordinated look. (Check out Crate and Barrel's interactive mix-and-match design tool.)

"Buy sheets in different colors or even patterns," advises Nixon. "You don't have to match them. Think tonally. If you love blue, green or pink, put together pieces that reference that color. Use color as your guide. Be as graphic as you want to be. Mix and match with what you already have.

"The bed is such important real estate, but it's so often overlooked," says Nixon. "It really can have an impact on a space. Plus, you spend so much of your time there. Why not make it magic? Fall asleep to fabulous ... wake up to wonderful."

Sources

-- Barclay Butera Interiors Inc., 800-326-2613, www.barclaybutera.com

-- Crate and Barrel, 800-967-6696, www.crateandbarrel.com

-- Madcap Cottage for HSN, 877-916-0354, www.hsn.com

-- JCP, 800-322-1189, www.jcpenney.com

-- Kohl's, 855-564-5705, www.kohls.com

-- Emily and Merritt for PB Teen, 866-472-4001, www.pbteen.com

-- Pottery Barn, 888-779-5176, www.potterybarn.com

-- Serena & Lily, 866-597-2742, www.serenaandlily.com

SIDEBAR A

BEDDING BONANZA

These days, it's sooo easy to spruce up a drab dorm room. Since most are dominated by the bed -- voila!

Fun, colorful bedding can go a long way.

The price range is pretty rich, as much as the availability of color and pattern. Change it up seasonally or more often if you get bored.

SIDEBAR B

PILLOW PARADE

Along with bedding collections, which sometimes include comforters or duvet covers plus shams, accessories also can enhance the look. Any number of pillows, just like those that can perk up a sofa or chair in a living space, throws, and even draperies may be available as part of the set. Or you can go rogue and mix it up, keeping in line with similar colors.

(For editorial questions, please contact Universal Uclick at -uueditorial@amuniversal.com)