Residents gathered for tea and design at Southwestern Michigan College for the 21^st annual Dogwood Fine Arts Festival Saturday.

The annual tea, in its 18^th year with the festival, featured Imperial Furniture of Dowagiac, which designed the tea, along with interior designer Tammy Keller. The event also served as a celebration for Imperial Furniture’s 50^th anniversary. Each table featured a different fabric with a matching paint can serving as a vase for flowers.

“We’ve tried to make it really fun,” Carol Springsteen, co-owner of Imperial Furniture told her audience. “Hopefully, we have given you some ideas to go home with and tear your house apart or redecorate.”

Keller, who works often with Imperial Furniture, gave tips and guidelines for decorating a space. During the two-hour tea, Springsteen’s daughter, Audrey, and her husband, Adam, designed a showcase living room into traditional themes and a more modern feel. Keller instructed guests to find focal points for the room, balance everything and choose a color that fits the theme or mood.

“It’s fun to see our local families having such a great time together,” said June Blackwell, of Indian Lake, who attended the tea.

Sue Kent and George Calvert, both of Cassopolis, were first-time attenders, getting a feel for what other events Dogwood produced.

“I really enjoyed the contemporary room design,” Calvert said.

Kent was already looking forward to next year’s tea.

“I love it, and I’m definitely coming back next year,” Kent said. “I’m leaving here with new ideas for my own home.”

Springsteen, who was presented with a plaque for contributing to the festival for 15 years, said she was pleased with the presentation’s success.

“We’d built this wall and used an old fireplace front from my house, then Tammy came through with ideas for decorating,” Springsteen said. “Once you start in on it, it just evolves.”