Winter Buffet Critique

I finally got the Christmas stuff put away. I set a personal record this year for striking the set early. Usually I pray the tree will put itself away until mid-February, which is about when I remember that particular prayer has never gotten me anywhere and I take it down myself.

Of course, now we have to get through the design limbo that is January, February and March.

Different folks I know have been rolling around Nate Berkus's (Oprah's interior designer) notion that one should never use artificial florals in home interiors. It is a common design concept, but my opinion of it wavers. First of all, I tend to reject the word "never" in all but the most extreme cases. And while I would love to have nature everywhere, I don't really have the budget for a parade of natural arrangements during the cold months. In spring and summer we grow our own, flowers, I mean.

Nate and my friend Gayle say just to use twigs and stuff like that, but I wonder if these things might look a tad severe in a regular (translated: non-artsy) house like ours. Gayle's house defines the word eclectic, plus she and her husband William are both artists. They have art everywhere. Their home is funky-cool and seems to lend itself to twigginess.

Still, here is my attempt at going au naturale on the buffet. I picked up some limbs dropped by the Tulip Tree in our back yard, and to warm winter up a little (I tend to get a little down this time of year) I threw in some related objects that remind me of fun people.

Here is another view. If you have an opinion, put it out there. More stuff? Less stuff? Different stuff? Duane said I could come prune some things from his yard if I need more. I wonder if I don't need some height under the lamp--maybe more books? I have to admit, after all of the crowdedness of the holiday decorations, I'm kind of digging the sparseness.