It’s that time of year when we start thinking about entertaining—the fall weather is so beautiful, and yes, it’s football time in Tennessee! Whether you’re tailgating, having a university dinner or a school sports fundraiser, you are always faced with how to incorporate your school colors. Not everybody gets the best color combo. We are lucky here in Tennessee. We have what I love to call “Italian Orange” (UT orange). I would be remiss, however, not to mention Vanderbilt, and they are blessed with a no-fail black and gold combo. But the Vols have this season’s fashionable and trendy hot color: orange.
Here are a few ideas on how to use your team colors to create a beautiful environment without the usual kitschy school merchandise.
• Flowers: They’re are one of my must-haves, so of course that is the best place to start when incorporating any color as the theme for an event. Flowers are a perfect way to make an impact with a bright pop of color. For the arrangements, you have more freedom if you choose to do a variety of flowers in different shades of your color.
For this event, the centerpieces incorporated brighter shades—mandarin, tangerine, coral and so on—with several types of roses and added some darker shades with cockscomb. Then, to give the arrangement some depth and not to over-do the orange, we added flowers of different colors found in the linens to tie the overall look together. By grouping the flowers in clusters of the same color, it gave the arrangements a modern feel while keeping colors from all blending together and lessening the impact of the main shade. Don’t limit yourself to just flowers in your team color. By mixing in a few complementary colors, you can make a distinctive arrangement and the other shades will really help your color pop!
• China: I wanted to show how elegant a well-set table could make the school color look for a more formal event and setting. I found the fabulous, reasonably priced place settings used here at Z Gallerie. The simple and clean pattern of the dinnerware balances the bold color, creating an elegant table. At my house, when I considered price-per-use, it made sense to purchase every piece for a “perfect” set. If you are working with a budget, and having a hard time finding china in your perfect shade, you can always opt for a beautiful charger in the color you want.
• Linens: Selecting the table linens from a local party rental company, I wanted to pick something that incorporated the theme color, but was more creative than the typical solid orange tablecloth. The one I picked had a mix of bright, beautiful colors that not only included orange, but also blended in with the existing décor and colors in the room. Coordinating with your home décor is important. Work with what you’ve got: It is important to keep in mind where your event will be held and to choose something that will accent and enhance your dining area, especially when using a dominant color or pattern. Not only will your tables fit in beautifully with the surrounding area, finding interesting linens that include your theme color will make the other accents pop and create a cohesive look. It is also a good idea to choose one that includes several other matching colors that you can incorporate into your design to avoid an orange overload.
• Votives: Another way I incorporated orange throughout the event was by using colored votives placed all around the table. Candles and lighting are key elements in creating a party atmosphere, and instead of the typical clear glass votives, you can create a soft glow that goes perfectly with your main color. We used colored Moroccan votives for this event that we found at our party rental company. However, you can easily achieve a similar affect by painting clear glass votives with transparent glass paint from your local craft store, in a shade that matches your theme color.
No matter what the occasion, bright, bold colors are hotter than ever! Use your imagination and think outside your basic color wheel. There are no rules anymore. If you can dream it up and you love it, then it works. When you deliberately put two or more colors together, you create a happening palette. Whether you choose bright-colored dishes, vibrant rainbows of flowers, jewel colored tablecloths or brilliant hues of glassware, remember they’re your rules and it’s your playing field. Go for it, and you’ll be a winner every time.
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