Do you ever find yourself scrolling through Pinterest during the Christmas season and saying, “Sure! I could do that if I had 25-foot ceilings, too!” Or my personal favorite, “That looks beautiful, but give my kids/pets five minutes in a room alone with it!”
Yeager Design & Interiors would like to share some design secrets that should work for just about everyone. Whether you live in an apartment, a home with 8-foot ceilings or just simply have a front door to decorate for the holidays, we have some simple tips to overcome your “Pinterest Fails” or any other decor hurdle you may be facing.
Personally, I have a bustling home filled with the sweet pitter-patter (well, more like thundering steps) of little feet. I also happen to live in a home with 8-foot ceiling height.
People often say to me, “I bet you have a humongous, gorgeous tree!”
While I’m flattered, I silently chuckle and think of the pre-lit 7-foot tree I’ve become accustomed to decorating since having my children. Adding an 18-month-old plus an almost four-year-old to the Christmas tree evaluation seems to be a problem that I will need a solution to this year.
My solution, so that my children will not climb the tree and/or pull every single ornament off of the bottom three feet, is to set up a 4-foot champagne-colored tree on a beautiful chest in our family room. While this won’t be the largest, most glorious tree I’ve ever had, that doesn’t mean it won’t be gorgeous! By choosing our most precious and meaningful ornaments and filling it to the brim with sparkly decor, the tree ends up looking personal and cozy in our now baby-proofed space.
I especially love using the Christopher Radko “Dated” ornaments my mother always purchased for us. She also bought them for our first year of marriage and each of our children’s births. To fill in-between the Radkos, I used the Collectors Greenbrier ornaments, as well as some special ornaments my husband and I bought on our first Christmas as husband and wife in New Orleans. I chose to top the tree with leafy golden branches that lend height and twinkle.
Bringing in touches of warmth around a fireplace just makes sense … but if you don’t have a working fireplace or want to pump up your everyday hearth, choose decor that shines and add in lots of candlelight!
Another area I love to make special is the mantle. I think it’s important to start with a clean slate and put away your everyday decor. Bring out the Christmas trimmings that will make your mantle shine. This year, I am using a magnolia garland that has been “gold leafed” on the underside of the leaves to bring in a bit of glamour and gold.
By accenting the greenery with the gold, I can easily pull in more gold tones with mercury glass urns and candlesticks. Another good tip is to invest in some Mystique flameless candles. They are not only worry and fire-free, but they also come with an “auto” option that places them on a timer. If I set them at, say, 6 p.m., they will “burn” for five hours and rest 19 hours. So every evening when we arrive home, the candles are flickering and bring warmth to the scene.
I also chose to remove my fireplace grate and place a large golden ceramic planter box filled with white twigs to create another glimmering touch.
By adding our personalized stockings for Santa to fill, our mantle is now ready for the Man in Red’s visit.
An area that can bring the most cheer to your visitors and neighbors is your front door stoop! Recently my mother was scrolling her way through Pinterest and sent me a pin of someone’s front door with a grouping of birch logs, holly and lanterns. It was truly a sight to behold. So she set out to gather her supplies.
There truly is no end to the uses for Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan! By painting these regular tree limbs with Chalk Paint, my mother transformed the main entry to her gorgeous home and most importantly, didn’t let anything get in the way of her vision!
When she had no birch logs at her disposal, did that stop her? No sir! She went out into her backyard, cut regular limbs from the trees at varied lengths and then proceeded to paint them with Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan. They turned out better than the Pinterest picture! She grouped and bound them, then placed fresh holly with berries and live magnolia and spruce greenery amongst the logs to bring pops of color in.
By using the lanterns around the base, she softened the grouping and brought in candlelight (Mystique candles, of course!) to glow in the evenings. Don’t let Pinterest paint you into a corner because you may not have the exact materials someone else has! They are merely there for inspiration and to give you your own ideas!
The last area we would like you to try to “spruce” up this Christmas is your tablescape. I am usually guilty of going for “glam” instead of “fam” but this year, I’ve embraced my inner kid and put fun back at the dinner table! I have used an assortment of MudPie accessories and dishware to give this setting color, shine and Christmas joy!
A Rudolph runner sets the tone for a tablescape and pairs wonderfully with a neutral base like the gorgeous table that I hand painted (again, using Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan). I wanted to build some height and interest on the table so I used clear apothecary jars and filled them with red and white ornaments.
If you can’t add a little whimsy to your family table at Christmas, when can you? I love adding personal touches along with some fun decor for all of your guests during the holidays.
Fun, dimpled silver chargers frame out my customized “C”-initialed dinnerware that are topped with Christmas favors for every guest. This year I’ve chosen adorable coaster sets with different sayings on each of them. Sometimes it’s nice to show your guests how thankful you are that they chose to spend their special holidays with you. Pair each setting with colorful napkins, “spirit-full” drinks, and you’ll have everyone in good cheer in no time at all!
No matter your obstacle or whether you travel or stay home for the holiday season, take some time and try to make your home festive and special this year. Life is busy and no one knows that better than me, but it’s the little things we do for our loved ones this time of year that remind us why family and friends are so important.
So pull out those ornaments, fluff your tree, and if you find you’re missing something, just call me!
All pictured items (excluding Yeager’s personal ornaments) can be purchased at Yeager Design & Interiors.
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