A recipe for bringing the warmth and beauty of the harvest indoors...

The fields are ripe with fat pumpkins and squash, fresh apples, and plump nuts. There are beautiful gourds and Indian corn, as well as succulent brown chestnuts. So, it's time to "go gathering" and bring them inside for a burst of warm color throughout the home. Bring them in and place them throughout your home in settings that will say the harvest has come in.

To enhance the warm colors used in decorating, this table is set with gold chargers underneath beautiful white china. The place settings are adorned with Towle's Chippendale silverware and Waterford crystal goblets. In the center of the table is a mirrored tray which reflects the various colors of pieces set upon it. The centerpiece is resplendent with the harvest theme, containing various shapes and shades of red, brown, and gold fall leaves. These leaves draw attention to Indian corn and to the Pilgrim figurines holding baskets of autumn fruits and vegetables. The beautiful Gorham crystal candlesticks stand tall among the leaves with their white tapers. The smaller silver candlesticks make a lovely accent with their cranberry colored tapers drawing from the colors of the Indian corn.

The adornment of this beautiful cherry dining table is completed by the golden slipcovered side chairs. Black placemats allow the gold chargers to stand out and bring attention to the warm colors of the centerpiece. With the white plates and silver accent pieces, we have a wonderful balance of warm and cool tones. This table setting works well from the beginning of autumn through Thanksgiving.

There are other ways to bring the harvest indoors. Aside from the obvious placement of a bowl of harvest fruits in your kitchen, place a large crystal bowl filled with fresh apples, pears, squash, chestnuts, gourds, or whatever autumn fruits and vegetables are available to you on the coffee table in your main living area. The crystal will allow the colors of the vegetables to be seen from inside the bowl and really show off those beautiful hues. Since some of these may have a shorter shelf life, replace them frequently with fresher fruits. This way you can keep the foul odors at bay, as well as using that as an opportunity to display new and different colors.