For most families, the dining table is the centerpiece of holiday events. Whether set formally, casually or buffet style, it's the gathering spot, where favorite seasonal foods are shared, and lively conversations flow like the spirits.

The festivities start with fall -- and a change in seasons in most parts of the country -- leading up to Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, and then Christmas and New Year's Eve to kick off winter. It's the richest stretch of home entertaining, much of which revolves around food. Most of us want the table to be at its coziest, but also special, elegant, memorable, beautiful, simple.

Many retailers feature blogs on their websites to get you in a holiday mood and (hopefully) remove a bit of stress. And new etail sites like Fete Home (www.fetehome.com) offer a curated assortment of products, including tableware, that are eye-catching and distinctive across categories from chinoiserie to modern. It's a collaboration of two former executives to New York designer and tastemaker Bunny Williams.

Even most creatures of habit like to tweak their standard tabletop settings. Mixing something old with something gold or something new. Tapping into something holiday themed, which might include table linens -- runners, cloths, napkins. And fashioning some kind of focal point.

The concept of layering -- mixing up solid colors and patterns in dinnerware as well as glassware -- has been more and more embraced in recent years, which plays right into adding something new to the table -- and these days, that often means an artisanal touch.

At a recent tabletop show in New York, a few current trends spoke to the kind of products retailers currently have in their stores or online. Millennials have created some of the sea changes -- relaxing formality in favor of dressed-up casual, and adding different metal looks like gold and copper, as well as more color to flatware. A desire for modern looks, which includes black matte as well as white dinnerware that can be paired with colorful geometrics or other modern patterns.

There are plenty of options for dressing the holiday table.

You can't go wrong with a touch of gold or copper. The warm metallics have been embraced in home decor -- as furniture frames, threads in woven fabrics, picture frames and all kinds of accessories. On the table, metal chargers can add a sleek finishing touch, even to casual dinnerware. Gold-rimmed plates or serving platters in porcelain or glass add sparkle. And gold can shimmer as splashes or sprinkles on white or colored porcelain or on eglomise plates -- reverse painted glass -- which look as if they have been brushed with gold leaf. (One example is Reign, made out of soda lime glass, at Anthropologie.)

Some, like Constellation, with its moody deep blue ground, resemble their names -- in this case, a smattering of gold stars, which West Elm calls "serving up a side of subtle glam."

There also are a lot of gold-embellished patterns in usually plain barware. There's lots of gold flatware, as well, sometimes paired with black or even other surprising colors, like seafoam at Anthropologie.

Silver seems to especially complement blues on a Hanukkah table, where a selection of mercury glass candle holders can offer additional sparkle.

Matte-black finishes have been a popular look in everything from kitchen appliances to hardware to furniture frames and tables. In tableware, the no-sheen black commands attention, especially dramatic when placed on an unexpected tropical print runner, as shown at Crate and Barrel.

Of course, at this time of year, all of the popular seasonal motifs are trotted out, often as ornaments and other holiday decor. Traditional turkey platters or turkey-shaped tureens (white and gold offer some contemporary looks) are especially effective in all-white settings. Whimsically drawn turkeys (angular shapes in a modern palette) at Crate and Barrel bring artistry and a smile to the table. Other watercolored looks -- pastel-hued pumpkins and leaves, as well as rich-hued turkeys and birds -- have become a staple at Pottery Barn.

Dreidel and Hanukkah motifs also are refreshed each year. This year at Pottery Barn, a plate bears a blue-on-white dreidel, and there are embroidered white-on-blue napkins to match. The same is true with Santas, angels, nutcrackers and reindeer -- all popular candidates for new imagery, sometimes done with a wink and a smile, like a set of mod reindeers in party mode.

The enormous range of product also opens the door to more thoughtful, eclectic tables. Imperfect squiggly stripes, asymmetrical abstract painted looks, ikats and other globally inspired designs, bold geometrics (at Neiman Marcus) and geometric patterns -- some taken from the shapes of eggs or ornaments -- all in a lively assortment of colors, offer a rich tapestry for layering. Often these are salad or dessert plates sold in sets of four and perfect for layering.

Marble and gemstones like agate add a lush touch to serveware. A black marble footed cake stand teamed with a golden oval onyx serving board can be stunning additions to a holiday table or sideboard, say one for New Year's Eve. Marble and wood continues to be a favorite teaming, but this year there also are updated pairings like marble and copper dip bowls (West Elm) and stone patchworks that introduce colors such as forest green. Emerald is engaging in serveware, as in an enameled elongated oval plate from CB2.

Textures are a lot more prevalent in plates than ever before, but they can be introduced in other elements, such as nubby silks and linens, jute and bark cloth, as well as textured vinyls that create a backdrop for everything on the table. Faceted vases and bowls also lend texture, along with napkin rings.

The trick, of course, is mixing what you have—plus personal touches -- to make the table setting your own instead of something you hacked.

Toronto designer Cynthia Ferguson (www.cynthiafergusondesigns.com) always recommends personalizing. "If it's a family gathering, use some vintage pieces," she says. "Tie ribbon to the back of each chair and thread place cards through the ribbon."

Ferguson also suggests integrating collections like salt and pepper shakers, monogrammed napkins or mini nutcrackers. "People are gathering to spend time with you -- and collections speak a little about you," she says. "If you don't have a collection, you might start one by searching on Etsy or going to a local thrift shop. Choose what speaks to you and go from there!"

Some would never think of setting a table without fresh flowers, seasonal or not. Hydrangeas -- white, blue and green -- are a designer go-to because of their shape and volume. And you'll often see Christmas spreads in design magazines populated with bowls brimming with pretty tulips -- well ahead of spring. Others prefer to get creative with natural elements (like pumpkins, gourds, other veggies or greens) or decorative objects (new, vintage and antique) -- and not necessarily confined to the center of the table.

Ferguson is old-school. She always has fresh flowers on her table.

"If the budget is tight, spread the flowers out by using single bud vases, lined down the middle of the table for greater visual impact," says Ferguson.

Ultimately, a pretty, inviting table is only one ingredient in the formula for successful holiday entertaining. The most important secret sauce is what you bring as host, and good eats and a warm welcome always win the day.

Sources

-- Anthropologie, 800-309-2500, www.anthropologie.com

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

-- CB2, 800-606-6252, www.cb2.com

-- Christofle, 800-599-2352, www.christofle.com

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

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

-- West Elm, 888-922-4119, www.westelm.com

SIDEBAR

Designer Insight

Interior designers often dress the table for clients so that the style is simpatico with the home's decor.

Here are three holiday tabletop ideas from Toronto designer Cynthia Ferguson (www.cynthiafergusondesigns.com), with photos by Natalia Dolan

-- Start with pattern. The impetus for this table was my obsession with the Brunschwig and Fils fabric I used for the tablecloth. Its warm colors remind me of fall. To balance the busy pattern, I used texture and (elements of nature) -- a footed ironstone bowl full of pine cones. I echoed the ironstone in vases from a local thrift store, filling them with fresh flowers (orange lilies, green hydrangeas), layered a collection of turned candlesticks (from Acquisitions, Ltd. antiques in Raleigh, North Carolina), small vintage cranberry glasses and silk velvet pumpkins (from Hot Skwash), which my nieces and nephews love -- I place their nametags on the stems. Dinner plates are vintage, as are the napkins (Scott's Antique Markets in Atlanta); horn flatware is from Saro; wine glasses from Tiffany.

-- Embrace seasonal red. There's nothing more traditional than a table decked out in red for Christmas. I love to layer the decor -- lots of different candle heights, some fairy lights on the mantel (in covered glass urns with moss at the bases), fresh flowers and greens. The gold gilt hurricanes (from Jacaranda Tree and Co.) are a fave, and little potted trees (Michaels Stores) just needed ribbons (red and white stripe) to perk them up. A collection of small nutcracker ornaments add humor and delight for little ones and can be a takeaway gift. I mixed antique Spode plates and vintage napkins with antique silver napkin rings.

-- Keep it simple. During the holidays, we sometimes are overstimulated, overfed and feel a need to keep it simple while entertaining. I love to strip away art, throw the tablecloths into the ironing basket and use a simpler decor. Instead of place mats, I used antique French grain sacks from a flea market. The centerpiece is live green foliage, with birch bark trees from a thrift store. A grouping of prayer candles creates immediate impact and ambiance. I love incorporating ribbon on a table; here, I hung ribbons on the backs of the bistro chairs and threaded a nametag through. The place setting: vintage pressed glass goblets, Majolica green plates and plain white dinner plates -- a perfect balance of old and new. Mini potted trees on the mantel (Michaels) were dressed with black-and-white striped ribbons. Nice touches: Sprigs of rosemary tied on the napkins and small gift boxes wrapped in kraft paper tied with raffia.

Ghosts and goblins, witches and brew, bats, spiders and other creepy-crawlies -- these are the symbols of Halloween that can send chills down the spines of little ones during this holiday season. And, of course, pumpkins are ubiquitous, fresh at farmer's markets and grocery stores, picked to line porch steps and grace tabletops indoors, often after they're carved into fanciful or spooky designs -- a practice that has captivated generations of families.

But if you've never felt skilled with the tools, no worries. There are plenty of no-fuss, less perishable pumpkin options, which also can be stored to enjoy season after season. In styles that are suited to your home, decorating for Halloween has emerged as a seasonal event that, for retailers, has become almost as huge as the Christmas holiday.

It's a scary thought. Last fall, it was estimated by the National Retail Federation that Americans would spend a record $9.1 billion on Halloween. That includes costumes for pets! Of that figure, about $2 billion or more go to decorations.

And Halloween ornamentation has becoming more sophisticated over time.

Trend forecaster Michelle Lamb, founder and chairman of Marketing Directions, which publishes The Trend Curve for designers, architects, retailers and manufacturers has tracked the Halloween development for years and devotes an entire report to the topic for her subscribers. In this year's installment, "Haute Halloween and Fall," Lamb notes that Halloween has a new point of view, with themes emphasizing fun rather than fear. In addition, the ofrenda trend of Dia del los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, "now extends beyond its original Mexican heritage" and is "more celebratory than hair-raising." Alongside Halloween motifs, such as werewolves and bones, is typical fall fare drawn from autumn foliage and brilliant color changes.

Some of the impetus for design has come from fine craft. There are communities that have long celebrated the Halloween season, and some, like the charming towns ringing Lake Michigan in Door County, Wisconsin, go full tilt with fabulous displays that highlight Mother Nature's own spectacular fall canvas during the month of October. There you'll find pretty, artisanal, hand-carved wood pumpkins painted in soft pastel hues that mirror their real heirloom counterparts in apricot, sage and ivory. Patchwork scarecrow wreaths, wood and fabric cats, witches, pumpkins and other commercial fare are also to be found.

Grandin Road sensed the trend a decade ago, when the company began ratcheting up its orange and black themes. Its Halloween Haven assortment of unique upscale products that work nicely in home decor, features around 350 items ranging from $12 to $1,800. The annual dedicated catalog is a delight for those who look forward to this seasonal decor. The offerings have evolved beyond kitschy, and the palettes have expanded to purples and now rich burgundies. There are pumpkins bedecked in fashionable patterns. Beads and glitter add glam notes.

"We are definitely about celebrating every day," says Grandin Road senior merchant Kelly Lambert. "Our customer likes to decorate her home year-round. That's why we really went after Halloween and harvest to give her something more sophisticated."

Harvest naturally is key, with russets, golds, aubergines and sage greens drawing from the landscape.

"We also test other palettes -- like burgundies and reds, in addition to neutrals that kind of work with outdoor or graveyard looks, with dried leaves, twigs and moss," says Lambert. "Unexpected motifs like florals. Also brights -- there's a vibrant group with more hot pink and turquoise." It's a direction seen in Christmas decor as well.

"We play with scale, too, in ways that are not traditional," says Lambert. "There's an opportunity to mix and match styles. Our customers enjoy decorating -- they just get into it."

Almost everything analogous to Christmas applies -- lights to outline home exteriors or nestle into mantel or wreath decor, ornaments, garlands, even snow globes. The Halloween variety may have a graveyard scene instead of a Nutcracker or angel. Anything graphic -- like spider webs -- has great potential for design. Decorated pumpkins stacked in graduated shapes become sculptural objects, perhaps an alternative to trees in planters near the front door.

Many retailers now have a tab devoted to Halloween on their websites. At Pottery Barn, there are stunning hand-blown pumpkins of recycled glass that look amazing with strands of LED lights set within. Or pumpkins in a wide range of media, like punched ceramic pumpkins crafted from terra-cotta clay, some with leafy motifs; German silvery glitter; mosaic and bronze mercury glass in rose gold, and even one in an electric shade of teal blue.

At Pottery Barn there also are tombstone chalkboards with messages like "art attack," lit oversized spiders, skeletons in coffins and haunted tree yard stakes with scary face outlines in the flat black trunks. There are fab skeleton wine glasses with metal stems and bony fingers that reach up to clutch the glass. Or a full-body metal skeleton that is the base of a wine glass. Skeleton hand serving utensils and place card holders add to the fun.

Entertaining, of course, is a big part of Halloween hoopla. Whether it's light strands with pumpkins or bats, these can brighten mantels, stair bannisters or mirrors. Seasonal grapevine wreaths can be tweaked with the addition of skulls, pumpkins, black cats, ghouls and spiderwebs. Accessories like cookie jars, dinnerware and accent plates bring fun to the table, as do tablecloths and runners, including a beaded Day of the Dead example at Pier 1.

Some witches have morphed into downright glamorous creatures, figures cloaked in attractive garb that is reminiscent of angel figures. Even the dangling witches' feet from Raz Imports are more fun than fear-inspiring, with spiderweb bedecked stockings and festive marabou feathers collaring the ankles.

Crate and Barrel invites its customers to "decorate if you dare," and clearly its offerings are on trend and consistent with the retailer's modern style message. The chic black matte trend seems perfect for Halloween fare, as at Crate and Barrel with a set of modern faceted black iron pumpkins with orange interiors that glow with light. Even matte black iron letters that spell out BOO are classic and on message. At Granin Road, a black pumpkin sports graduated cutouts along the spines, which look like stripes with a warm white glow from inside.

MacKenzie Childs offers its signature courtly black-and-white check pumpkin taper candleholders of poly resin, accented with gold leaves spilling over the top for a festive look. And Jay Strongwater, known for high-end bejeweled ornaments and objets, features a gilded pumpkin box made of mouth-blown glass and hand-polished metal, which sells for $725 at Horchow (www.horchow.com), and is destined to become an heirloom.

Outdoor Halloween decor has grown as well, with more options for lighting, including broomsticks and candelaria to mark pathways. For lawns, there are a variety of werewolves, coffins and graveyard markers, with skeletons as well as ghosts, which when lit, as in a set of three from Grandin Road, can add an eerie glow.

So bring on your creepy, playful or even elegant creativity. With retailers all-in for Halloween and fall decorating, time is ticking to see if you've got game -- either DIY or with some of the colorful, fun symbols of the season.

Sources for Halloween

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

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

-- Grandin Road, 866-668-5962, www.grandinroad.com

-- Pier 1, 800-245-4595, www.pier1.com

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

Even if you don't know what a dovetail is, you can appreciate this technique of hand-crafting that enables wood joints to fit together elegantly, without nails. Whether it's the silky satin luster of a piece of walnut, an uber-smooth waxed frescoed surface, the hug of quality hand-loomed wool or the uneven edge of a rustic earthenware plate from a potter's wheel, the touch seduces. Like the John Legend lyric in "All of Me," we especially love the "perfect imperfections."

Top marketing buzzwords in home design today? Craft. Bespoke. One of a kind. Artisanal -- a word that has found its way to farmer's markets and supermarkets, with everything from bread to jam, just as "craft" now can describe a beer or whiskey. And if "eco-friendly" and "sustainable" are part of the package, all the better.

"The current interest in craft and hand made things is a direct reaction to the digital age," says New York-based designer Michele Varian, known for her jewelry, fabrics, wallcoverings, furniture and lighting, as well as her Soho shop that showcases about 100 other designers. "The less we have natural and physical things in our day-to-day life, the more we crave it."

There is historical precedent. The Arts and Crafts movement in the late-19th century was a reaction to the Industrial Revolution that began in the mid-18th century. But when technology really began to explode, John Naisbitt, in his 1982 best-seller "Megatrends," called attention to what he coined "high tech, high touch" -- a reminder that human connectivity cannot be ignored. And that was before we were tethered to our smart phones.

Still, there's sometimes a desire to unplug and soak in nature and art. Besides a current craving for the look and feel of craft, it's all about personalization.

"The time is now," says Bruce Andrews, whose eponymous design company based in Evans, Georgia, prides itself on good old-fashioned craftsmanship with heirloom potential -- signed bespoke pieces that are made in America.

"People are tired of commercialization of luxury," says Andrews. "Millennials are looking for one-of-a-kind in contemporary surroundings. But I feel there's a little more to it than that. It's about quality."

And a growing number of consumers are calmer about waiting for it, not just four to six weeks, but sometimes several months.

Customization also has become a part of branding, and it's a marketing tool for furniture makers and retailers now offering more options for "making it your own," with leg and arm choices on sofas, hardware options on cabinets and, of course, fabric for upholstery.

Documenting the efforts through Pinterest and Instagram also has boosted the idea. And then there's the "Maker's movement," which has an ever-expanding DIY base looking for a personal hands-on adventure or one for profit, perhaps selling the wares they make on Etsy.

Not all applaud the effort, especially things like 3-D generated products.

"The Maker's movement was triggered by the digital age," says Varian. "Being able to procure things with the click of a button separates us from the value and care of what it takes to create that thing. Thoughtful people want to reverse this reality and see value in preserving the skills necessary to make objects that we desire."

The convergence of tech and art can be really exciting, though. An example might be when an artist like Helen Wilson of Witch and Watchman hand-paints modern chinoiserie or whimsical dark romantic flora and fauna, and then digitally translates it to fabric, wallcovering or a fetching apron.

Artists are becoming more accessible in the design mainstream at furniture markets like High Point, North Carolina, or shows like WantedDesign NYC, Made London and ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair). Crafts have a more global reach, with venues like Showcase Ireland in Dublin and Heimtextil at Messe Frankfurt, where textile creators as well as larger brands, get noticed.

In one small booth at Heimtextil, graphic fabrics in cinnamon, black and white caught the eye. Mid-century? African? Southwest? Not at all, it turned out. Alexandra Petrache of HALFDROP proudly brought to life her interpretation of Romanian folklore as well as handicraft.

"More and more people are looking at items like clothing and furniture in the way they have been looking at food for some time," says Hillary Petrie, a principal of Egg Collective. "Knowing the provenance of what we put into our bodies is translating to the items we live with on a daily basis. Consumers want more and more to know where specifically their money is going -- to what maker and to what story -- as this provides a meaningful and honest connection to the item."

When we have an opportunity to meet the maker, we're more charmed with what's behind the design.

Aoife Mullane, a young Irish designer, rhapsodizes about her inspiration -- the sea near her home. Organic patterns may come from pebbles on the beach.

"I consider my fabrics as artworks that are translated into textiles for interiors," she says. Her collections combine traditional textile techniques of hand-painting with the high-end effects of foiling. She screen-prints and hand-dyes, which give her fabrics an authentic look, clearly are not mass-produced. Mullane's pillows, wallcoverings and lampshades have metallic touches of aluminum and copper.

Websites often give a glimpse into the backstories, the artistry, the inspiration and the process, all of which really makes us fall in love with the product.

At Egg Collective Designs in New York, Stephanie Beamer, Crystal Ellis and Hillary Petrie bring architecture, art and woodworking backgrounds together, with their beautifully crafted wood, leather, stone and metal pieces.

John Strauss, an artist and sculptor with a master of fine arts degree, brings others into furniture collaborations. Tracy Hiner of Black Crow Studios painted a graphic blue-and-white watercolor that underwent digital manipulation to create larger, more varied colors, says Strauss. It's the face of a console painted in navy blue lacquer.

Besides beauty and quality, sustainability is a concern. Fashion designer Eileen Fisher started a zero-waste initiative called DesignWork, which creates beautiful fabrics, pillows and artwork out of recycled clothing.

"You can return (a garment) to an Eileen Fisher store," says Jan Rothschild, a spokesman for the company. "It doesn't matter if it's torn or stained. You get a $5 credit, and scraps from old garments are recycled into design. Every piece is different because we're working with raw material. We can control color ... and we're learning about controlling pattern now. Not one thing will look like another."

Fisher hopes others will be inspired (Patagonia is another leader) in an industry where roughly 85 percent of its product becomes waste in a landfill.

The most positive takeaway from embracing craftsmanship is that it makes us appreciate the beauty, the skill set, the passion and the time that went into a piece. That also makes it less disposable. You keep it because you love it and may want to pass it on. And that's a win-win for all.

Sources

-- Adriana Hoyos, 305-572-9052, www.adrianahoyos.com

-- Amullane, a.mullanedesign@gmail.com, www.amullanedesign.com

-- Bunakara, 678-701-3665, www.bunakara.com

-- Craft Associates Furniture, 312-725-4900, www.craftassociatesfurniture.com

-- Dunes and Duchess, 205-422-0084, www.dunesandduchess.com

-- Eileen Fisher Design Work, 800-445-1603, eileenfisherdesignwork.com

-- Eskayel Studio, 347-703-8084, www.eskayel.com

-- HALFDROP, contact@half-drop.com, www.half-drop.com

-- John Strauss Furniture Design, 330-456-0300, www.straussfurniture.com

-- Maggie Cruz, 305-742-4862, www.maggiecruzdesign.com

-- Michael Wainwright, 413-717-4211, www.michaelwainwright.com

-- Michele Varian, 212-343-0033, www.michelevarian.com

-- Witch and Watchman, 323-387-8569, www.witchandwatchman.com