IN SEASON · FALL 2026 · OCTOBER EDITION
October, with gourds.
If gourds appeal to you, use the ones you have or pick a few that catch your eye. Mix the round, the long, the smooth, and the wonderfully odd. They can make a table feel like fall without asking the rest of the house to change its clothes.
THE OCTOBER IDEA
The mix is the point.
If you have decorative gourds, bring them out. If you are buying some, choose three or five with different heights and shapes. Leave room for the plates, the people, and the actual dinner. A single orange gourd can carry the color while the others bring their own shades.
Try the grouping on the table, a shelf, or by the front door. Put taller shapes toward the back and smaller ones where you can see them. Take a step back. If the gourds have taken over the room, send a few to a different assignment.
See the Thanksgiving table storyA LITTLE MORE OCTOBER
Let what you have do the work.
Two other ways to bring the season in, without redecorating the whole house.
A LIGHT HALLOWEEN NOD
A little is enough.
If your household loves Halloween, give the kids a place to play with it. The gourds can stay all month. Save the spiders and webs until October 25 or later, when they will actually feel like a surprise.
No need to turn the entire house into a haunted assignment. And if October is still warm and green where you live, dried corn or a color you love can feel more like home than copying someone else’s fall.
THINKING AHEAD
Before Thanksgiving, open the boxes.
Start with the people: who is coming, where will they sit, and what will make the day easier? Then open every box you labeled last year before buying a single new thing.
- Find the linens, serving pieces, gourds, ornaments, and candles you already own.
- Set the table once, early, to see what is missing and what only needs a new place.
- Try a different candle or move the centerpiece before replacing it. Even last year’s ornaments can have a new job or a new color.
- Keep room for food and conversation. The table is for people.