The Ever-Changing Faces of Your Gathering Spaces

Fall and Winter Edition

Creating an Atmosphere and Setting a Mood Through Furniture and Décor

"This is the power of gathering: it inspires us, delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful: in a word, more alive."

~ Alice Waters

As we look ahead to the holidays, opportunities to gather together with friends and family loom large in our minds. If your home is the place to be – or you hope to MAKE it everyone’s favorite gathering place – during the Fall and Winter months, part of the magic can be found in creating a backdrop that creates an atmosphere and sets a mood to match the occasion. Because we are firm believers in the power of gathering, Green River Builders designs our homes to offer an alluring combination of indoor and outdoor gathering spaces that provide a balance of flexibility and traffic flow to accommodate groups of varying sizes on a myriad of occasions. We’ve curated some of the latest trends to aid in your gathering inspiration  over the months to come…

Halloween

Whether you believe in an understated gothic elegance – a la Martha Stewart – or you want to create your own house of horrors for an abundance of frightfully fun Halloween gatherings, this is a terrific holiday around “witch” to set an atmosphere. PureWow suggests larger-than-life animatronic lawn décor and pop-up entryway arches as great ways to create a mood before guests even enter your home, while Elle suggests spooky and chic décor for your interior – like hanging mason jars filled with orange fairy lights, gauzy black cloth curtains, black and white buffalo plaid pillow covers, 3D bat decals on the random accent wall and flameless LED candles set about the space. The internet is filled to overflowing with wonderful Halloween-inspired food and drink recipes that you can serve throughout the month of October to keep everyone in the SPIRIT!!

Thanksgiving

According to a 2021 survey by Statista, Thanksgiving topped the charts of most beloved holidays in the U.S. at 81%, followed closely behind by Christmas at 77%. This is a wonderful occasion to pay tribute to the harvest season through your décor. For an elevated sense of grace, DecorSteals.com suggests leaning into natural earth tones while adding pops of warm colors and unexpected textures in your throw pillows, blankets and rugs. You can add leaves, pumpkins and dried flowers to your mantlepiece and dining room table centerpiece as a fantastic focal point. Since this is a time when families often gather together, consider placing treasured family photos on your bookcases and end tables in a bold mix of modern and vintage inspired frames.

Christmas

For that most wonderful time of the year, The Living Christmas Company suggests a return to the nostalgic, classic Christmas décor of yesteryear with shades of green, red and gold and a vintage feel. But don’t be afraid go glamourous with metallic colors and retro ornaments, earthy with nature-inspired decorations or warm shades of pastel to balance out a neutral backdrop and the green branches of your Christmas tree. Flocked trees will continue to be all the rage – it adds a whimsical air, particularly in a state where we only occasionally see the white stuff. If you followed our advice for Thanksgiving by setting about a gallery of family photos in a mix of modern and vintage frames, that look will still work beautifully here. If you have a fondness for farmhouse decorating for the holidays, HGTV offers a treasure trove of inspiration that runs the gamut from adding fresh sprigs of evergreen on your holiday table to customizing burlap stockings with the names of all your family members to hang on the mantle with care.

Kids’ Gatherings

Of course, you don’t have to wait for the holidays to roll around to create a mood through your décor. If you’re planning a kids’ birthday party or plan to host the whole basketball team for a sleepover, it’s easy to make an impression on those who are open to making the most of every occasion. Choose your gathering space, land on a theme and color story, then tap into your inner child to design the décor, menu and activities that will make this occasion a memory point in their lives – it’s worth it. For instance, if you plan to host a sleepover, CatchMyParty.com offers up 30 terrific themes that include makeshift tents set up over palettes on the floor adorned in lights for an undeniable sense of whimsy. For older kids, if you have a home theater, you’ve got the ideal setup for movie premieres as soon as they hit streaming services. If not, take the party outside with a blowup screen or white king-sized sheet and a projector.

At-Home Tailgate Parties

For football fans, every Saturday and Sunday during the season is a holiday worthy of celebrating. If you can’t be AT the game, create the atmosphere for the next best thing to being there – an at-home tailgate party. Whether you host it in your outdoor living area, in your finished basement or in your family room, there are a myriad of ways to show your team spirit. Bring your team’s colors into your décor through throw pillows, table linens and felt pendants on gameday inside. Set up your tailgate spread on the kitchen island so guests can graze. If you’re hosting your event outside, make sure you have plenty of cozy seating for guests to watch the flatscreen hung over your outdoor hearth while you work the grill in between plays. Have a “pig skin” and corn hole set at the ready for half time fun. Etsy and Pinterest both score touchdowns when it comes to tailgate party décor inspiration!!

No matter the occasion, if you plan to change up the “faces” of your gathering spaces, it’s usually easiest to start with a neutral palette to work within. Long rectangular dining room tables and big overstuffed sectionals prove ideal for large families. In the event that your current home isn’t measuring up to your occasion-hosting visions, it might be time to start searching for your NEXT home. Whether that’s a luxury home by the lake or a farmhouse inspired cottage just outside of Athens, Green River Builders welcomes the chance to create a home filled with gathering spaces that DO measure up to your dreams. Learn more about us and the homes we build at www.GreenRiverBuilder.com.  

‍