festive table setting ideas

ahh, the holiday table setting ~ so many creative options to choose from. you can go all out and transform your dining area into a whole new scene, or leave it simple and plain so the guests are the sparkling treasures around the table. my family goes more towards the latter, but for some fun fantasizing i thought i'd share these really interesting {slightly over the top, some might say} table setting ideas:

{kelly keiser used a salvaged door to create a larger table setting. i really like the back-drop ~ reminiscent of snow flurries}

{winter solstice setting by gil mendez ~ the well lit white-painted bramble branches look great with a ring of white roses around them}

{barbara ashfield and dave hansen used flokati, normally used as an area rug, under settings with natural wood chargers & glass placemats. certainly this is just for show beacause red wine drips, cranberry sauce spills, and bread crumbs covered in butter would be death to this table covering. plus i personally think it might feel really weird to eat off an animal pelt. i'm not a vegetarian, but still.....}

{a table setting designed by walker zanger ~ that's their lovely tile work in the background too. i could do without the oddly placed ram's head on the wall, but i really like that they put all the utensils on the right side ~ a nice twist}

{lawanna cathleen desgined this table with mossy sod as the placemats....it looks good from afar but i don't think it would be all that pleasant to actually eat off of. this too is just for show, wouldn't you say?}

{simon pearce and liz ross used sheets of pebbles on mesh backings {actually for tiling floors & walls} for the table cloth in their nearly all white setting. and are those heath ceramics wares i spy? very nice.}

{lizette bruckstein and karen mcmullen designed this earthy elegance setting. it might not be all that comfy to sit on a stump through an entire meal, but it really looks nice none-the-less}

{all photos from sf gate}