A centerpiece adds energy and personality to any decor.

A flower arrangement beautifully anchors a room and engages the imagination.

Introduce life, energy and personality to the rooms in your house. Just add a centerpiece!

Centerpieces are not just for anchoring a dining room. They enhance almost any room, adding a focal point when they’re placed on a console table, coffee table, bureau or sideboard.

Most often centerpieces are made from fresh or artificial flowers. You can also include living plants, dried leaves, gourds, nuts, grain, fruit, seashells and stones.

Sometimes a centerpiece is a collection of unusual vases and containers, without flowers at all.

Determining scale, shape and color are key to creating a centerpiece that complements your décor and room size. Things to consider:

• For a large room, do more than a nosegay. The scale of a large room requires a large display centerpiece.
• Select the right container: Vases range from elegant to casual and from sleek to rustic. Or you can use a coffee pot, tin can, or gardening basket.
• Height is key. For dining room tables, short arrangements are best so your guests can see each other across the table. For a console table in the foyer, a tall piece calls out for attention and creates a focal point.
• Flowers can include a range of colors or be monochromatic. You can include several flower varieties or stick to just one type. Even a collection of leaves can provide beautiful color, from the soft green of ferns to the sage green of eucalyptus to the deep green of ficus. Also think about the scent your centerpiece gives off, and the mood that creates.

© Hunter Douglas