A Brooklyn Mantel Celebrates the Harvest Festival for Thanksgiving
Holiday decorating diary: A New York designer takes a cue from Early American festivities with a bountiful display
Ever imagined what the first Thanksgiving feast looked like? Though there have been many interpretations over the past years (and centuries), interior designer Annie Mistak of Brontosaurus Inc. used her own impressions to transition the mantel in her Brooklyn, New York, studio from its Halloween style to a harvest-inspired Thanksgiving display. “I put myself in the mindset of a woman living in the 17th century. I thought about what she would do to prep for the first Thanksgiving dinner and how she would decorate her mantel for a festivity,” Mistak says.
Mistak used lots of natural materials on her mantel as an ode to 17th-century harvest gatherings. “I thought the men would do the hunting, and the women would gather the vegetables,” says Mistak in describing her vision.
Mistak purchased the pumpkins, vegetables and plants from her local farmers market. “I wanted something sophisticated and chic and natural,” she says.
Candles spread out on a vintage pelt give a warm and inviting vibe to the floor of the nonworking fireplace.
Unscented glass votive candles: Hosley via Amazon
Unscented glass votive candles: Hosley via Amazon
Eggplant-colored croton leaves ground the display and take the place of a traditional garland.
Silver goblets filled with millet add texture and height to the display. “The millet reminded me of corn,” Mistak says.
The canary-yellow spaghetti squash is a hallmark of harvest feasts. Several brighten up the neutral fall color scheme.
White pumpkins, also spotted on Mistak’s Halloween display, transition easily to the harvest festival theme.
A Brooklyn Mantel Dresses Up for Halloween
A Brooklyn Mantel Dresses Up for Halloween
A wicker travel case, traditionally used in the Middle East for food, was a gift from a family friend. The natural material blends in easily with the organic elements around it. “In 17th-century America … [they] would probably be using any containers [they] had lying around,” Mistak says.
A silver candleholder used as a tray gives the small white pumpkin an extra dose of grandeur.
The richly colored plumage in the silver cups is reminiscent of the fresh-hunted fowl associated with harvest festivals.
Votive holders: Michaels; saddle and coque feathers: FeatherStore.com via Amazon
Votive holders: Michaels; saddle and coque feathers: FeatherStore.com via Amazon
Neutral colors and the glow from the candles give the finished mantel display a warm harvest feel.
Browse more holiday decorating stories
Browse more holiday decorating stories