Here is a styling secret from my worktable: ornaments are too pretty to spend the whole season on the tree. With six ornaments in each of the four Properly Holiday collections, all 24 ornaments give you a full tablescape wardrobe. Pull a few off the branches, lay them along the table, and suddenly dinner feels designed. Here is how I build a coastal holiday tablescape, layer by layer.
Start with a base that reads coastal
Skip the heavy formal tablecloth. A natural linen runner, woven placemats, or bare wood with a gauzy runner down the middle all say shoreline in the best way. White or sandy toned plates keep the palette breezy, and they let your ornaments be the color. If your dining room catches our late Florida light, even better. A coastal table should look like the beach at golden hour: warm, relaxed, and quietly glowing.
The centerpiece, low and layered
Build the centerpiece long and low so guests can see each other over it. A driftwood piece makes a perfect spine. Tuck greenery along it, then nestle ornaments in small clusters of three: a sand dollar leaning on a shell, a mini driftwood tree standing guard, a feathered ball catching the light. Clusters look intentional. Single ornaments scattered alone look lost.
Keep everything below eye level when seated, and leave clear lanes for serving dishes. Pretty is important. Passing the potatoes without a rescue mission is more important.
Place settings with a little treasure
This is where guests grin. One ornament per plate turns a place setting into a gift moment:
- Rest a small ornament on the folded napkin, tied with a bit of twine.
- Or lay it on the plate itself, so it is the first thing each guest touches.
- Add a handwritten name card and the ornament doubles as a place marker and a keepsake to take home.
It is a tiny gesture that makes people feel properly celebrated, and it takes about ninety seconds per setting.
Four looks, one per collection
Flamingo Bright: the joyful table
Pink and green, playful and proud. The Flamingo Shell ornament and Flamingo Feather ornament soften each napkin, the Hot Pink Starfish anchors the centerpiece, and Flamingo Pink Sand Dollars roll gently along the runner. This is the table for the friends who arrive in holiday earrings. Browse the full look in Flamingo Bright.
Driftwood and Naturals: the calm table
Weathered wood, sand dollars, and quiet neutrals. The Sand Dollar ornament was made for place settings, the Driftwood Mini Tree stands sweetly in the centerpiece, and the Cream and Gold Shell ornament adds a soft shimmer. This table feels like a deep breath. See it in Driftwood and Naturals.
Citrus and Las Olas: the golden hour table
Dried orange slices glow like little suns when candlelight hits them. Thread Tangerine Starfish and Dried Orange and Cinnamon ornaments along the runner, and let the Tangerine and Gold Shell ornament dress up the host’s setting. Warm, sunny, a little glamorous, just like Citrus and Las Olas itself.
Sea Turtle: the serene table
Aqua, sea glass, and fresh lime for the gentlest table of all. The Capiz Snowflake Light-Catcher earns its name here, glowing softly wherever the light passes through it. Keep this palette airy, with white linens and clear glass, and let the colors float. The Sea Turtle collection is made for beach cottages and calm hearts.
Finish with light
Candles are the final layer, always. Mix a few pillar heights down the center of the table, keeping flames clear of greenery and ornaments. The glow does the same thing on a table that it does on a tree: it makes every shell edge, citrus slice, and capiz petal look alive.
Your table, your rules
One collection head to toe, or a happy mix across all four: there is no wrong answer, only your answer. Ornaments run $14 to $22 and every piece is handmade to order in Fort Lauderdale, so you can build your tablescape a few treasures at a time. Start with preparing your coastal home for the holidays for the full house tour, plan a wreath night for your favorite people, and come shop the collections when your table is ready for its close up. No pressure. Just bring the candles.
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