Once upon a time, during the month of December, the attic steps would come down for my father to climb up, collect the traditional Christmas boxes of yearly decorations, and pass them down to my mother to get restacked in the living room. The tree was faux, and it was the first to come out: the stand, the pole, and each individual branch. While Johnny Mathis or Andy Williams sang Winter Wonderland in the background, we'd rock around the Christmas tree with the lights, ornaments (oh those red satin balls of the 70's!!), garland, and tinsel to dress the faux spruce... the s-a-m-e w-a-y... year after year... but no more! With sites like Pinterest and Olioboard, homeowners have become their own event planners - from choosing a different color story or theme to reflect a different mood each year. That's not to say we run out and buy all new - Now-a-days, many people are using everyday winter items (like skates, sleds, or scarves) to tell their story. Call it the "new" tradition. Personally, I've always favored silver & bling, and in the past three years, I've also enjoyed mixing metals. But this year, I think I felt more nostalgic and natural - still mixing metals, but a little less bling...
(moodboard)
Inspiration for a nostalgic Christmas mood... but to work with today's classic style doesn't necessarily mean run out to the store to buy the exact items - Sometimes we just need to make do, use what you have and creatively repurpose what you've got. And sometimes it's as easy as a simple shift or shopping thrift...
(noir living roomboard)
When restyling for a season (especially Christmas) it's good to clear the space of everyday accessories. If living with a dark pallet, lighten up by removing black accents and dark leather or wood. Switch-out those dark pieces for glass and metals to add some sparkle & shine. Use slip covers & pillow covers to quickly transform textiles. In some cases, switch chairs, lamps or their shades to change the mood of the room.
(seasonal restyle ready - roomboard)
Trade out everyday wall art for seasonal images like winter landscapes or frame your favorite Christmas cards. Another alternative for a holiday focal point behind a sofa can be a gallery of mirrors, or one large special mirror, dressed with a wreath or garland. Mirrors can add depth and shine to your space for the holidays, plus further display the warm glow of candlelight, or the glow from the tree.
(noir to noel - holiday style roomboard)
Transform an everyday living space with color, and without paint ~ Edit
everyday accessories, limit pattern, layer textures, plus add a glow
with mixed metals, candles, and mirrors. Save money and use what you have with just some simple updates: slipcover
darker fabrics with whites, switch chairs from room to room as well as
lamps or their shades. Even if you can't slipcover, just drape or band winter throws & pillows in whites over darker chairs. You'll be amazed at the what this simple shift can do for the mood of a space. A peek at our home for the holidays....
Updated gallery wall created from collected mirrors...(mostly thrift)
Accents collected over time from thrift stores...
Holiday Style by day...
Lighten up dark surfaces with reflective pieces. Add texture with a simple DIY: A Candle Cozy (in green!) made from leg warmers.
Repurpose a mirror as a tray to help create a reflective surface on dark wood. Tip: Use chair foot-pads on back corners to prevent scratches. Thrift Tip: If you're just starting to build a bar, you can save a bundle (plus find unique pieces) shopping thrift stores.
Even if you don't have a bar-cart, a buffet surface is the perfect place to create a function holiday vignette!
Holiday Style by night...
Lighten up dark book shelves with white covers, or turn books backwards for texture. Simple scrapbook press-on letters instantly tell the story of the season.
Green velvet (Ikea pillow cover) and fur... Cozy textures for holiday style!
Also holiday tips to consider:
Now is a great time to repaint & recover cushions on an old pair of chairs you have sitting in the garage for extra guest seating. Keep side tables & coffee tablescape simple. Leave space for drinks and utilize double-duty trays. Metal trays can help reflect light on dark wood surfaces, but these can easily become serving trays for a holiday get-together. Skip the
skirt this year and place the tree in a large basket or swoosh an old white sheet around the base for the look of snow drifts. Defuse light at windows with
sheers. Update an existing box valance with a slipcover.
Now is also the perfect time to get a jump start on Pantone's Color of the Year 2013 with Emerald Green for the Holidays!
Along with decorating the most common place we set the tree in (the living room) other spaces in the home can get touched with the whimsy of the season, without going overboard. One place to have a little fun and tell a story is at the exterior and interior entries of the home. Inspiration I've favored over the years in developing my own style has come from my favorite Christmas stories...
(3 stylish stoops - holiday style options)
Why white? Refresh your front door with a pop of color...
These aren't three ghosts, but 3 Stoop Styles inspired by classic Christmas
stories: "Kringle" - Miracle on 34th Street (note the Santa door &
display form!). "Bailey" inspired by the classic B&W film, "It's A
Wonderful Life" (hence JOY!) and "Scrooge" inspired by simple touches of
classic tartan (and the black door infers a black top hat!) Then take that look inside...
(holiday entry - roomboard)
Before + PIN-spiration to the left - After interpretation for concept to the right.
Make An Entrance:
Even a small interior entry can "Welcome the Holidays!" with style...
by implementing inspiration from a classic Christmas story: A Christmas
Carol. No console table? No problem: Utilize side chairs with simple stacks of wrapped boxes as gifts. Rather than wrapping the inside door with garland, you can create vertical festive holiday statements from an existing wall sconce, or use an under the counter bracket: drape garland, plaid scarfs, decorated top hats, berries and sleigh bells, as if a horse & carriage were magically going to appear outside... (don't I wish!! that's what I was thinking when I did our entry similarly)
Mixing faux and real greens (branches and garlands) is a great way to get more bang for your buck (and drama too!) Top hats purchased during Halloween (at goodwill) can be repurposed to tell a story in an entry - From Frosty the Snowman, to Christmas Carol to a horse and carriage ride in Central Park...
If you have a dress maker form, it's a great way to help tell a holiday story in a nook or a secondary entry. If you don't have ribbon, sometimes just tying together two (plaid) napkins is all you need to dress up a top hat with Holiday Style!
Chairs can help give height to an outside entry vignette... while buffalo snow can transport even a UPS delivery-person to another place & time...
What is your holiday
style?
Do you change it from year to year, or do you stick with true
traditions? Is this your time of year to get your shine on and bring out
the bling? Or is your lifestyle more clean line and modern? Are you
inspired by the color combos of The Grinch? Or do you prefer a collected
over time mix of vintage & thrift style? Pinning is a great way to help narrow your inspiration, and target your focus with Olioboard to build your plan (or hire someone do it for you!)
No matter your holiday style, you're sure to find something to strike your fancy today for the December design bloggers collaboration with Olioboard. With creative beings such as Interior Design Tobi Fairley and HGTV designer Kimberly Ward joining the Holiday Style Top 10 talents today, it's a wonderful way to start the season and end the year with Holiday Style!
Be sure to to hop over to visit:
Ben & Michelle for Benjamin Moore's blog:
Interior Designer Tobi Fairley of
HGTV's Kimberly Ward of
Andie Day of
Sarah Gunn of
Jane Giarenelli of
Lisa Mende of
Jennifer Reynolds of
and a newer blog on the block from Alicia Phillips of
(her boards will mesmerize you!)
You can meet all these talents by also checking out Olioboard Notes for #HolidayStyle and join us on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Olioboard with #HolidayStyle & #OlioHop.
Happy Holidays and enJOY your Holiday Style!
Thanks for stopping by!
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