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Look! Stacked Wood Centerpiece at West Elm

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While browsing West Elm this weekend we spotted this interesting centerpiece using stacked discs of real wood. We love how it creates a variety of tiers on which to place small votives and such. Also the pairing of rough, natural bark and platinum trimmed stemware had a lovely effect in person...

 
 

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If it was our table, we'd probably have fewer wood discs and inject a shock of color somewhere — green to play off of the natural elements or maybe warm plum to be slightly unexpected. We'd also switch out the runner beneath the wood to white — the Chilewich pressed vinyl dots would be lovely.

You can find West Elm's double banded platinum collection here.

Anyone planning an unconventional centerpiece this season?

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Look!, wood, West Elm, centerpiece, platinum

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Comments (29)

No room for anything else on the table. Great in a display, disaster in real life.

posted by Palmetto on November 17th 2008 at 3:26pm
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It looks like it's an interesting way to display merchandise, so it's a good thing that's what it is.

posted by K T G on November 17th 2008 at 3:33pm
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On a smaller scale it would be nice.

posted by spossberg on November 17th 2008 at 3:39pm
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That's just too much on that table.

posted by SourApple on November 17th 2008 at 3:50pm
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I guess it beats the stacked cardboard "endtables" from a couple months back...

...but that still doesn't make retail display worthy of our homes. (Just where would you put the gravy and mashed potatoes???)

posted by bepsf on November 17th 2008 at 3:53pm
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Oh dear god lighten up people. I'm amazed that the AT crowd does not have the imagination that would take this idea and make it functional (and beautiful) in a home setting.

And PS, not everyone serves "family style" so sometimes the mashed potatoes stay in the kitchen...

posted by patrick (the other one) on November 17th 2008 at 3:59pm
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Maybe if the stacks were lower... That way you could see the people across the table from you. Or even use the wood as a coaster/trivet.

posted by jamiealyse on November 17th 2008 at 4:01pm
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OMG, how awful. How do you see the person across from you? where does the food go?

posted by kimg924 on November 17th 2008 at 4:08pm
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This would be a really beautiful set up for a buffet at a party

posted by Laura on November 17th 2008 at 4:10pm
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It's a nice idea that got carried away. Less is more.

posted by suzy8track on November 17th 2008 at 4:29pm
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Well, it might look beautiful on a dining room table of a rustic cottage, cabin or something, but I just can't imagine it over the table in my flat, hehe.

posted by bloobrey on November 17th 2008 at 5:03pm
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I think this would be great on a console table or on a smaller scale on the dining table. Maybe as trivets? I think it's cute.

posted by valleyval on November 17th 2008 at 5:40pm
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So initially I was struck by how you couldn't see across the table and that this was a bad idea, and then I started thinking about some of my families more "exciting" holidays and I thought that this might be a good idea for some years.

Then again, chunks of wood can be thrown...

posted by sciencegeek on November 17th 2008 at 6:00pm
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Well, I like it. I think everyone else is just jealous. ;)

posted by Mrs.Mack on November 17th 2008 at 6:07pm
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All I can think about are all the little bugs coming out of the bark - because there ARE little bugs living in the bark. Maybe you have to wait to use them until after a frost?

posted by home body on November 17th 2008 at 6:15pm
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I think it's an interesting idea, and I really like how it keeps the candles out of the way. If I did something like this, I think I would use something smaller, and I wouldn't want wood. In reality, that would make a disgusting, dusty splintery mess.

posted by idiotdogbrain on November 17th 2008 at 6:26pm
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that'll look just fine in
Fred Flinstone's house

posted by Vicadin on November 17th 2008 at 6:29pm
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Geez, lighten up, it is a display in a store. Smaller oiled or polished disks of wood could look quite cool. Would also look neat on a mantle.

posted by peachpie on November 17th 2008 at 6:51pm
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Good trivets. :D

posted by gryt on November 17th 2008 at 7:29pm
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Wow. I never knew so many people took store displays literally.

posted by Seaside on November 17th 2008 at 8:28pm
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people here take *everything* literally.

posted by charlenemcbride on November 17th 2008 at 8:31pm
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I'm surprised no one ragged on the silver pinecones!

But, regarding height, the highest stack is barely taller than the wine glasses. This display is nowhere near too tall to see over.

posted by patrick (the other one) on November 17th 2008 at 8:35pm
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Maybe for my next "Twin Peaks" or "Blue Velvet" dinner-and-a-movie party...

posted by nashdp on November 17th 2008 at 10:14pm
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I really like the silver pinecones.

posted by Janice99 on November 17th 2008 at 10:59pm
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In some families not seeing the person across from you may be a plus. I think it's nice even if it's not entirely practical.

posted by buffalogirl on November 18th 2008 at 9:32am
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I like it too. Could be nice for a buffet or dessert table.

posted by Griffin on November 18th 2008 at 10:44am
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But when store displays are presented by the AT hamsters as being wonderful to recreate at home, what are we supposed to do? AT loves store displays, and almost never critiques the actual application. No wonder commentors get cranky.

posted by Palmetto on November 18th 2008 at 1:47pm
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I would turn some smaller thinner disks as trivets. Maybe diagonally sliced. Maybe stained in color or stenciled with motifs in glitter. Not to obliterate the statement of the logs, but it's too rustic even for the preferentially rustic, so magicalize the material in some way. Picnics and other occasions. Someone's birthday, for example, you can have a good time trying to count the rings.

I don't like this as shown in a store to imitate in a home, be it the dining table, a mantel, a bookshelf or on a side table in a bare corner. It looks too much like a store display, which is great to show off the things in the store. It makes interesting tiers which is very merchandise-y. It is very bulky and looks like if the fire gets low, we're going to start dismantling the tablescape to keep it going. So the old AT "dual-use" strikes again.

posted by K T G on November 18th 2008 at 2:07pm
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I'll take one silver pine cone for the mantle, please. Everything else on that table can go in the dumpster.

posted by Mr. Dangerous on November 18th 2008 at 3:15pm
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