How to Use More Bold Color (i.e., Hot Pink) on Your Holiday Table

Every day, on every photo shoot, and every time you refresh our homepage, our company's aesthetic becomes a little more defined. By now you know what we tend towards: a healthy dose of something thrifted or vintage; subtle, natural backgrounds; moody sideways sunlight; and clean modern accents. Often we add in flowers, sculptural and spare (our office is right by the 28th Street flower market, so our proximity to the good stuff is admittedly unfair), and water or wine in a glass nearby. It's meant to feel realistic and casual, but also inspiring.

That said, we know that style is personal and every person's is different—and we celebrate that. Half the fun of collecting our favorite kitchen and home goods for the Shop is seeing how people use them, which is why we like to get some of our favorite products into the hands of other designers. Kristen Jackson, editor and blogger at The Hunted Interior, is known for her bold use of color and Southern flair. We sent her a set of small, hand-painted plates from Art et Manufacture and the Vintage White Monogrammed French Napkins from Elsie Green to see how she'd use them.

Kristen took inspiration from her white and blue Christmas tree, using the vintage linens and blue plates with an array of brass accents in a mostly white kitchen. What we applaud her for most, however, is the bold move you can't help but miss: She set the plates on hot pink placemats and added hot pink ornaments throughout. The result is completely festive without feeling tired or predictable—and absolutely has us wondering how we can start using more bold color. Our takeaways? Hot pink works here for a few reasons:

• There's art and a rug in the room that have pink tones, and they're brought out by adding more pink.
• The majority of the space is neutral and natural: white walls and table, wood floor, blue painted plates.
• Layering (napkins on plates on plates on chargers on placemats) gives the whole tabletop depth, so no one color is too pronounced.

Like the look? Shop our whole line of Art et Manufacture painted porcelain, all of which is designed with that characteristic indigo patterning, and the white vintage napkins (every set is unique!) from Elsie Green. Layer them with something bold and something brassy, and call it a holiday.

For the rest of Kristen's pictures (and a look at her white-and-blue tree), head over to The Hunted Interior.