Tradition, with a hearty sense of nostalgia, guides so many of us as we get ready to entertain for the holidays. Whether it's giving thanks or sharing a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or cheers for the New Year, the celebrations often center around the table.

And just as you might tweak recipes or ingredients, adding to classical favorites, think about curating your table as well. Just a little freshening up, with an eye to what's new, can add immeasurably to the look, no matter what your style.

To that end, you're likely to identify with one (or more) of several strong trends in home design that correlate to table styles. It's always fun to blend family or vintage pieces with current designs. You might want to add dishes, serving pieces or glasses. Introduce something handcrafted, whether it's with serve ware or something a child has created. It may be part of a focus on accessories or a piece to enhance the dressing of the table -- like a conventional centerpiece.

That dress up, as with clothing, welcomes metal, much like adornment with jewelry. There are plenty of choices for tabletop -- from salt and pepper shakers to napkin rings, chargers or gravy boats. While gold tones are especially hot in home decor this year, silver lends its own cool luster, and copper and rose gold also offer a warm glow.

Whether you opt for drama, luxury or an understated look rooted in natural elements, think about ways to make your presentation special.

On Caroline Roehm's tables, you'll always find beautiful flowers. The former fashion designer, who has a passion for flowers, just released her latest book, "At Home in the Garden" (Potter Style). In September, she styled a magnificent table that celebrated crystal for Maison Baccarat in Paris, in three different palettes for place settings: red, green and plum -- all stunning on white.

Bunny Williams loves the mix of vintage and new, and drew from a collection of early French china pieces for inspiration for her most recent Gold Star collection for Ballard Designs. For Christmas, she likes things sparkly, with glittered reindeer and candles, for example.

"We did different patterns to give it that collected look," says Williams. "It's simple but a little elegant because it has the gold. But you really can use it all the time. After Christmas, you could use it with an Indian bedspread tablecloth to tone it down."

Style-maker, designer and TV personality Courtney Cachet is a huge believer in ramping everything up for the holidays.

"When it comes to setting a fabulous table for the holidays," says Cachet, "one phrase says it all: More is more. Minimalism just does not work here. Think about it. The prettiest, chic tables are always awash in color, depth, flowers, shiny objects and light."

For fall tables, Cachet likes starting off with an off-white base and building on it with a mix of vintage fine porcelain.

"Hermes Chasse Yellow is luxurious," she says, "but still unpretentious when layered with rich hued linens and crystal. Use gold flatware because it's special and everyone will have an 'oooh' moment when seated."

For the unexpected, Cachet suggests mixing in an animal print, "like Ralph Lauren's gorgeous leopard" border on the Hutchinson porcelain, for a casual chic dessert setting. "For Christmas, mix some mismatched vintage red china for an unfussy yet elegant vibe. Florals in rich reds and violets are perfect for winter holidays. Don't be afraid to mix up your dishes. French and Italian hostesses do this frequently with ease, and it's fabulous."

Cachet says she's seeing a return to "unabashed opulence" in home decor, which naturally extends to the table. "What better time to show it than during the holidays? If you have one very beautiful vase, dish or bowl, try to incorporate it onto your table. Beautiful things are useless if they aren't displayed and admired. And send paper invitations and use place cards (she designed a line for www.expressionery.com). In a digital world, this still is a tradition held closely by the most chic hostesses."

Here are just a few tips for setting the holiday table.

-- Simply white. Who doesn't have white dinnerware? And if not, why not? So versatile, it can be dressed up or down, teamed with bold or pastel colors.

-- Colors of the season. An autumnal palette draws guests to the Thanksgiving table, just like the complementary hues of squash, pumpkin, cranberries and the golden brown skin of turkey. Red and green spell Christmas, in poinsettias, candy canes, green boughs, Santas. But you don't have to be locked into only what's expected. Bring a little aubergine in with saffron and persimmon; amethyst or indigo also are vivid additions to the December table that can be very rich and elegant.

One of the settings that Carolyne Roehm designed for the Baccarat Museum in Paris took a cue from plum and cream Picasso calla lilies, which she teamed with floral-patterned porcelain from Bernardaud, Baccarat crystal glassware and charming amethyst butterflies.

-- Natural/rustic. Reclaimed wood, natural linen, greenery and pine cones complete a look that's casual and inviting. The appeal is that it's unfussy. It embraces nature. But it also can stand a touch of glamor or bling as a strong counterpoint.

-- Artisanal. Hand-craftsmanship is so appreciated in everything for the home. So hand-painted dinnerware depicting pumpkins and vegetables really is appreciated, especially with seasonal imagery.

-- Layering. It's especially fun to mix plates and their surrounding elements, and you can totally change up the style by doing so. A place mat of woven rattan or ruby beads might be teamed with a gold or silver charger, then a creamy white dinner plate, and topped with a shimmery metallic glass or patterned salad plate.

-- Seasonal shapes. Iconic symbols like turkeys, pumpkins, Santas, reindeer, angels and nutcrackers have risen above kitsch because many now are artist-drawn. Some have the look of vintage postcards, others possess a more modern vibe, and still others are so graphic, often with an image embedded in the design.

-- Metallic accents. What's great about gold, silver, copper and other metals is that their sparkle elevates the décor. Whether it's a gleaming, polished finish, hammered surface or texture, metals can be woven into tabletop modestly or lushly. Even pumpkins are getting gilded and "silverized." Imagine an all-white table setting. Now picture those white plates sandwiched in between textured gold and silver glass, topped with a napkin that's circled with a pretty gold beaded ring. A table runner sprinkled with fallen snowflakes, embroidered in silver and gold on ivory sateen cotton is an added treat, all thoughtfully put together at Crate and Barrel.

-- Make it your own. Whenever you can personalize, it will add warmth. Get creative -- perhaps starting with your table covering. Tap into unexpected patterns from lengths of fabric doubling as tablecloths. Something playful like stripes or polka dots, or even a shimmery brocade or beaded fabric. It can be beautiful or quirky, and totally reflect you. Your guests will love the personal touch.

Sources

-- Baccarat, 800-215-1300, www.baccarat.com

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

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

-- Horchow, 877-944-9888, www.horchow.com

-- Kim Seybert, 212-564-7850; product available at Neiman Marcus or visit www.kimseybert.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

-- Villeroy & Boch, 212-213-8149, www.villeroy-boch.com

-- William-Sonoma, 877-812-6235, www.williams-sonoma.com

-- Z Gallerie, 800-908-6748, www.zgallerie.com

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)

There's an exciting new artistry underfoot. And the merging of traditional rug weaving with fresh design insights, technology and expanded color palettes has opened the door to an explosion of styles.

With a growing desire for more modern style in home decor, most of the bubbling up has been in the contemporary category. But even the most traditional Oriental patterns have been tweaked to give them a new sensibility. Overdyeing, for example, a technique that applies unconventional hues such as magenta, turquoise, emerald or amethyst to traditional styles, worn or threadbare (often vintage), has been dominant in recent years. The intriguing hybrid particularly caught on with those who appreciate references to the past with a modern twist.

Updating the past also has filtered into flat-weaves, or kilims, with shifts in scale (usually upsized) and unexpected, sometimes fashion-like hues. Of course, there are those designs, like diamonds or checkers, that transcend trend -- especially in black on white or tan. Spanish fashion designer Sybilla added her own signature to a check (with a skinny red border), and to diamonds (with one seemingly random red one in a sea of black) for the Barcelona brand Nanimarquina.

While most rugs ground a room, an exquisite rug elevates it, according to Shea Soucie and Martin Horner, from the Chicago-based interior design firm Soucie Horner Ltd. The two collaborated with third-generation rug purveyor Oscar Isberian on an artisanal collection called SHIIR. Their nuanced rugs, which are crafted in India and Nepal, underscore complex textures and luminescence, achieved with a blending of materials, including cashmere, mohair, silk and linen. Their designs are varied, from Cotswold mosses to vintage mirrors to mushroom caps, and the tag line for the collection is "innovation meets tradition."

One of the more ambitious retail undertakings is Restoration Hardware's collaboration with Ben Soleimani, described as a "rug icon." Indeed, his pedigree is impressive; he's from a fourth-generation family that founded the prestigious Mansour, dealers in the finest antique Persian rugs. Soleimani created a collection that initially featured 400 styles (now 5,000 options), and while his mantra is less is more, there's a lot to appeal to modernists and traditionalists alike. It's clear that his rich background comes into play as a designer, as he's a master of subtleties, tone on tone, texture, with high-low piles. He says his inspirations come from the shape of a tree, the print of a dress, the way clouds form, the stone on an old building, with the age coming through.

Innovation, of course, has been percolating for some time at the high end. One of the first to play with antique motifs is Stephanie Odegard, who, without formal design training, launched a company in 1987 that has become a standard for modernized Tibetan rugs. She claims credit for introducing silk to wool to lend sheen (today, a less expensive option called "viscose" is often is employed by manufacturers). She has developed rugs inspired by batik textiles and those made of felt.

Doris Leslie Blau is another name highly regarded in interior design, one that has been a go-to source for eclectic antique rugs for 45 years. But the company also has stepped up its bespoke category, and among its new modernist designs are horizontally striped Turkish kilims "that follow no rules." As with recent fabric, tile and wallcovering designs, there has been one important catalyst to innovation: computers.

"Computers have given us the ability to easily create graphs and play with a variety of designs transcending cultures and centuries," says Susan Izsak, who has designed rugs for Doris Leslie Blau for the last eight years. "We can accurately transfer or interpret artworks and play with the depth of the texture. The high-low rugs are some of our most popular."

Artists like Madeline Weinrib, who specializes in antique Indian dhurries, also fashions her own. She talked about her process, and segueing from painting to rug design with San Francisco writer Diane Dorrans Saeks: "I had to rethink my technique and my perspective. I trained myself to see from the floor as opposed to the wall, and realizing that it had to exist in dialogue with the decor in the room, that it would have furniture placed on it. I had to work with that. In painting, it's a world of its own. Not rugs."

The sometimes daunting price points for high design can range to tens of thousands of dollars. But there has been a push among rug manufacturers for innovation not only in styling, but also merchandising, even at more mainstream levels, where there are some surprisingly good-looking offerings at just under $1,000. Some retailers are reaching out to textile designers to lend that expertise to rugs, such as Crate and Barrel's recent teaming with London-based Genevieve Bennett. Bennett's collection includes unusual Scottish argyle and African shoowa inspirations in hand-hooked rugs.

So what's trending in rug design?

-- Geometric patterns. While not new, of course, what does stand out is beefier scale, new colorations, overlays and textures. And op-art effects, as in Golran's Lake collection, inspired by artists Yaacov Agam and Victor Vasarely.

-- Graphic pow. An overlapping category shows designs with high contrasts, like the popular zigzag, chevron, wide stripes or dots.

-- Fading away. While this look got traction with overdyed Orientals, it has morphed into other looks that include florals and geometrics with overlays and fades. The fading can be in the weave itself (a stripped-away effect that reveals the warp or foundation) or in the dye -- as in Safavieh's dip-dye rugs, which are patterned, and look like color has just rubbed off. Burn-out effects also are achieved by high-low piles.

-- Dimensional. Those high-low piles underscore tone-on-tone patterns like damasks.

-- Abstract. Art-inspired, some as bold as a Jackson Pollack, others more subtle, like nuanced watercolor imagery that evokes rippling water, space-agey effects or even pixelated, digitized computer-inspired graphics.

-- Overstitched, embroidered. Patricia Urquiola was one of the first to bring this romantic contemporary look: hand-stitching, simple embroidery techniques -- think big cross-stitches on woven rugs. For the Barcelona-based GAN, these design were huge. The trend continues with Charlotte Lancelot's Silai collection. These, of course, are dimensional, but there also are weaves that have a 3-D look.

-- Menswear looks and fabric-inspired textures. We're seeing dapper large-scale plaids and houndstooth as well as jaunty boucle-like tweeds, often in neutral ground, though sometimes punched up with vivid colors.

-- To dye for. Batik looks and other special coloring techniques like space-dying, which lends an ombre-like effect and dimension to yarn, with skeins of two or more colors repeated along the length. The manufacturer Feizy has even introduced space-dyed polyester, a first in the machine-made category, in its Milton collection.

-- A palette of materials. In addition to wool, cotton, silk, saris and synthetics, there is jute, sisal, bamboo, woven leather and suede, as well as hair on hide, which is popular in tile-like patchwork applications.

-- Interesting weaves. Like soumak, it's a braided look. The expansion of colors, styles and techniques is casting rugs in a new spotlight. Designers long have recognized the importance of a rug in an interior.

"A rug truly anchors the room," says Beth Arrowood, creative director of NIBA Collections. An interior designer, Arrowood founded her company as an alternative to customized and in-stock home decor rugs. "It's the best way to begin planning the decor. You can draw inspiration for your design scheme by pulling colors, textures and design influences from the rug. Ideally, after your fixed finishes (floors, tiles, cabinetry, wall paint, wallpaper, lighting fixtures, etc.) are in, you then coordinate with your rug and draw inspiration for the furniture, accessories, window treatments and fabrics."

Chicago designer Julia Buckingham, who this month is launching a line of home accessories with Global Views, says: "The rug is extremely important. It brings the room together. It brings warmth and instantly transforms the look. I place the rug as the last jewel in the crown of each room."

Sources

-- Doris Leslie Blau, 212-586-5511, www.dorisleslieblau.com

-- Feizy, 800-779-0877, www.feizy.com

-- GAN, consult website for U.S. sources, www.gan-rugs.com

-- Global Views, 888-956-0030, www.globalviews.com

-- Golran, through Roche Bobois, 212-980-2574, www.golran.com

-- Jaipur, 888-676-7330, www.jaipurrugs.com

-- Madeline Weinrib, 212-414-5978, www.madelineweinrib.com

-- Nanimarquina, 646-701-7058, www.nanimarquina.com

-- NIBA Collections, 305-573-1355, www.nibacollections.com

-- Nourison, 800-223-1110, www.nourison.com

-- Restoration Hardware, 800-762-1005, www.restorationhardware.com

-- Roche Bobois, 212-980-2574, www.roche-bobois.com

-- Safavieh, 516-945-1900, www.safavieh.com

-- SHIIR, 312-828-0400, www.shiirrugs.com

-- Stark, 844-407-8275, www.starkcarpet.com

-- Stephanie Odegard, 212-586-5511, www.stephanieodegard.com

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)

Today's statement bath has less to do with its size or even a degree of luxury than it does with the shape and details of its fixtures. That goes for master baths as well as powder rooms.

Architectural and organic forms are challenging manufacturers as well as intriguing consumers. While much of it has to do with pushing the creative envelope for designers, it also points to evolving materials and technology that enable amazing shapes (such as sinuous curves and ellipses), finishes and surface embellishment like we haven't seen before.

There still are remnants of the big 1980s, a reflection of massive bath footprints, but the whirlpools for two have given way to more en vogue air baths. Size doesn't seem to be the point; it's a desire to create a spa-like or feel-good vibe.

"The bath has become an incredibly important place for self-being," says Pamela Jaccarino, vice president and editor-in-chief of Luxe Interiors and Design magazine. Jaccarino, who led a panel on the evolving bath from function to indulgence at the Miami debut of the Paris-based international furnishings show Maison & Objet, spoke of the ritual of bathing, luxury and simplicity, harmony and balancing, "but also how the bath makes you feel -- bath design as an oasis."

"Sensory appeal has emerged as a worldwide trend in bathrooms," says Belinda Try, founder and executive director of an Australian bath wares company, apaiser, and also a member of the panel. She says her company's ability to customize meets a growing trend for differentiation that has become a key focus for designers "as we shift from function to enjoyment."

A huge catalyst for stylish, elegant or edgy design in baths is travel. Those who experience beautiful baths in luxury hotels soak in all the ambience of decor -- including stone surfaces, wall treatments and lighting, and luxe amenities likes soaps, sea sponges and lush towels -- and want a little slice of it at home.

At the center of the current bath talk is the freestanding tub. Much like liberating a sofa from a living room wall, the effect can be dramatic. Especially when the focal point itself delivers major style points.

At that May show, British designer Kelly Hoppen wowed with three new collections for apaiser. Elegant rounded shapes and silky smooth finishes are show-stopping, but adding to sleek, sculptural curves is surprising dimensionality in origami-like folds, applied banding inspired by Obi sashes, and swirling relief with graceful lotus-petal motifs, all of which lend exceptional artistry from a company that prides itself on handcrafting.

Engineered stones and resins and other proprietary materials allow more flexibility. The apaiser tubs are crafted from up to 85 percent reclaimed marble, with resin and polymers, poured into molds and hand-sanded. "It's sculpture in bath ware," says Try. Even porcelain toilets and bidets have been reimagined in seamless rounded forms, others in bold squares.

The khaki neutrals that Hoppen loves in interiors also are part of her mix. Gray and taupe shades have been impacting kitchen cabinetry, with weathered or cerused woods or even painted finishes. Now the hues are moving into bath fixture design. They've been there before, but new materials and silky matte finishes make them fresh.

The same is true of charcoal and black, where even 3-D effects are giving some models an edge. A pedestal sink called Diamond from Maison Valentina (with a matching tub) has a jewelry-like faceted surface that sparkles in slick black.

In addition, metallic finishes are taking on new importance. They add luster and appeal to decor partly because of their reflectivity. Faucets may bring architectural gravitas in polished nickel, nickel, stainless steel, brass or black metal like "jewelry" for the bath. At the high end, there have been riffs on classical inspirations, such as fluted Greek columns and ionic caps, as in the Aphrodite faucet collection from Jorger Rohl. There's also a new fondness for warm rose gold, as in the new Metamorphose faucet designed by Olivia Putman for the French company THG.

That jewelry can be an exclamation. A reinterpreted classic tub from Devon & Devon draws the eye to large ball feet that gleam in polished nickel. Less conventional from Maison Valentina is a modern rectangle that resembles a mirrored box and sports an irregular "fissure" that reveals a shiny gold crack inside. A black bathtub "basin" nestles within the form, much like a sink on a countertop.

All-metal sinks and tubs also are commanding attention. A tapering pedestal sink called Eden has a mottled surface, but crinkling almost feels like foil paper. A tub called Koi is suspended in a frame that looks like a wrapping with fish scales. The center of the "skirt" is cut away to reveal the belly of the tub. Both are by Maison Valentina.

While the freestanding shapes are garnering much attention, another strong trend continuing to gain traction is the European style of wall-mounted sinks and toilets, appreciated not only for clean lines, but for visual space-saving and easy-to-clean features.

Some designs appear more table-like than sink-like. This speaks to a shift in the way manufacturers are thinking: about bathroom furniture, decor and lifestyle. Retailers like Restoration Hardware show etageres and storage pieces to match vanities. Manufacturers including Duravit and the Swiss-based Laufen showcase such pieces in their bath collections. Laufen's bath furnishings collaboration with Kartell, which features the company's ultrathin SaphirKeramik sinks, includes accessories like fluted mirrors and fittings designed by Ludovica and Roberto Palomba. Acrylic pieces are available in a range of colors, including orange. New floating vanities from Laufen in collaboration with the brand Alessi, mix wood veneer cabinets with striking white "fireclay" asymmetrical bowls.

Philippe Starck's newest collection for Duravit was inspired by New England's Cape Cod and has a beachy vibe with a relaxed elegance. Washbasins with modern slim rims sit atop real wood vanity tops with the appearance of driftwood (also a new material that is durable and soft to the touch). Designed like a sawhorse table, the chrome legs splay outward, and the cabinet seems to float beneath the sink; open shelves on the side are a bonus. A companion curved, matte-finished bathtub rounds out the collection, as do accessory mirrors with optional LED lighting.

More traditional vanities like Devon & Devon's new Music style look like fine furniture. Chic in gray, the Deco lines are elegant. The Florence, Italy-based company also has launched "Bath Couture," a bespoke option inspired by fashion houses that allows made-to-measure bath furnishings with classical panelings and built-ins. A rounded, streamlined cabinet from Victoria & Albert has its white porcelain sink echoed in banding at the bottom of the gray cabinet.

On the ambience side of bath design, colorful LED and OLED lighting has done much to enhance drama in showers (along with sound systems). LED lights also are edging mirrors, popping up in drawers and illuminating toilets, where they even do double duty as night lights.

With some handcrafted pieces, long lead times like 16 weeks are not unusual. Nor are substantial price tags -- say, around $5,000 for a vanity and the $10,000-plus range for tubs. But consider that the superstar kitchen ranges these days may cost two to three times more. Unlike accessories and some furniture, replacing bath fixtures doesn't happen that often.

That said, clean-lined classics are more dependable for longevity. Whether they make you feel better or uplift your mood is all up to you.

Sources

-- antoniolupi, 312-329-1550, www.antoniolupiusa.myshopify.com

-- apaiser USA, 206-650-6780, www.apaiser.com

-- Devon & Devon USA, 718-649-5882, www.devon-devon.com

-- Duravit, 212-686-0033, www.duravit.us

-- Kohler, 800-456-4537, www.kohler.com

-- Laufen North America, 866-696-2493, www.us.laufen.com

-- Maison Valentina, 646-583-0849, www.maisonvalentina.net

-- MTI, 800-783-8827, www.mtibaths.com

-- Rohl Jorger, 800-777-9762, www.rohljorger.com

-- Victoria & Albert, 800-421-7189, www.vandabaths.com/us/americas

SIDEBAR

GETTING MORE OUT OF BATHTIME

In addition to shapes and materials, bath manufacturers also are addressing functionality, such as storage, and ambience. One innovative shower design called Choreograph from Kohler features a decorative wall and joint system, with in-wall and on-wall storage as well as seating. The walls can be trimmed in the field, which allows cutting to exact dimensions. A choice of joints protects the silicone seal for easier cleaning, and color-matched solids or complementing metals are available. And LED lighting lends a sexy quality to rain showers and even toilets, where they can double as night lights.

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)