Fantastic Decor

Deck the stairs

First of all, let me say my heart is FULL. I really can’t express how grateful I am for your sweet words and prayers. I feel so incredibly fortunate to have “met” you all through this blog. Our family is lucky to have you. I haven’t shown my husband quite yet, because I know he’ll be overcome by all of your support. I will show him very soon though, when the time is right. For now, I continue to be very thankful.

Sniff. OK, I must move on, there’s no crying in blogging!! (Name that movie.)

I’ve been raiding the Dollar Store like mad this year for Christmas decor, but otherwise, I’m trying really hard to watch how much new stuff I buy. Stop laughing at me, I’m totally serious. (About the trying hard part.)

So instead, if there is something I wasn’t nuts about in past years, I am trying to rework it with what I have (like our mantel) or at least be cheap about the redo. Today I worked on our staircase.

Let me preface this by saying I kick myself in the pants EVERY year at Christmas because one of the choices I made when we built our house. My husband wanted our staircase and loft wall to all be railings. I, on the other hand, was hyperventilating at the thought of spending more money and assured him the walls would be just fine.

Pushaw. I am SO annoyed with myself that we didn’t do the railings. Especially at Christmas – I adore staircases with beautiful garland weaved in an out of all of those gorg railings. Sigh.

But, just because I don’t have them doesn’t mean I can’t make ours look beautiful too! In years past, I’ve wrapped garland with lights around the hand rail:

I really did love it, but I had a little issue with the fact that it was hard to hold onto the railings with this on there. That always bothered me quite a bit. Especially with my tendency to fall down stairs. ;)

And, I’ll just admit it – I was lazy this year. The wrapping takes eons. So this year I tried to simplify it a bit by just hanging the garland at each end of the railing and swag it up in the middle.

Problem was, when I did that, all the sudden the garland was wimpy, wimpy, wimpy! Ugh, I cannot stand wimpy garland. Gives me hives. I took some simple greenery I bought at Michael's back in ~~September~~ uhhhh, just last week, (sure) and wrapped it around a couple times to add some fluff:

Quiz time! See the two garlands above? One is from the dollar store (15 feet), one is from Michael’s (18 feet). Can you tell the difference? The one on the right is from Michael's, but the difference is sooooo small, I say save the four bucks and go for the dollar stuff!

I had already added the plastic bulbs to the greenery years ago, so I just adjusted them so they peeked out again. To swag it in the middle, I used floral wire and covered it with a few pieces of greenery:

I had little swags I used to put on my doorknobs in the past, but in my effort to simplify a bit this year, I wasn’t going to use them. So I just added them to the ends of the garland, then added one of my dollar store reindeer ornaments for some glitter:

The ornaments were actually two for a buck, and I just love them. :)

The lights are plugged in at the top of the stairs – I just wrap the cord around at the landing, then plug them in with an extension cord at the top:

I KNOW. Cords. Blech. I’m taking care of that tomorrow, mark. my. words.

I’m really pleased with the final result:

A little simpler, a whole bunch more fluff and it was much easier to hang this year. Just because you don’t have a beautiful staircase with gorg railings doesn’t mean you can’t make it look festive and pretty. Same with mantels – use a shelf, a ledge or an armoire and treat it as your “mantel.”

I have a massive project coming up with this staircase. I am so excited I can barely stand it. I was soooo hoping to have it done before the holidays, but it’s going to be the biggest project I’ve ever done so I want to give it plenty of time. I cannot WAIT to get started!!

For now, I’m happy. I’ll leave you with my standard nighttime shot. ;)

Thank you all so much again.

P.S. I believe “railings” were mentioned about 56 times.

P.P.S. Happy birthday to my LOVE, my best friend, my hubby!!!

Make mine a double!

Now that I'm almost finished decorating my apartment for the holidays, I was thinking that I should invite my friends over. Only problem is that I don't have a bar so I've been pouring through my files for inspiration. The holy grail of bars of course belonged to designer David Hicks. When I attended his son Ashley's recent lecture on his work, he posted the photo above and quoted his father who declared, "I like rows and rows of tonic bottles, apple, tomato juice, two or three syphons of spirits lined up behind each other; it gives a generous, welcoming atmosphere, and if a bus-load of friends descend upon you, you are ready for them." Looks like I have some shopping to do!

Designer Miles Redd has my second most favorite bar that takes it cue from David Hicks. He also outlines a list of essential items for a well stocked bar in House Beautiful here. It's a perfect list for me to take shopping!

Miles' bar and a few of the others include tortoise shell glassware that I think I will be adding to my list. I love the look!

One of my other favorite bar looks was from Eddie Ross' old apartment featured in Domino. Eddie collected all of his silver from the flea markets so looks like I will be making a few trips there myself!

In Eddie's new house in the country featured in Lonny, he has his bar on the cart he found when we went to the flea market together!

Domino

Paco Munoz in Spanish AD

Ron Marvin in Lonny

Deborah Needleman in Lonny

Lindsey Coral Harper

Tori Mellott in Domino

Thom Filicia Designer Visions Showhouse

Veranda

Carolina Irving in Lonny

Rita Konig

Mike Thompson

Markham Roberts

Domino

Thom Filicia in Domino

Joe Nye in House Beautiful

Miles Redd in House

Steven Gambrel

de Menil bar in a closet

Francisco Costa bar in a closet

Holiday Decorating in White - Part II

One of my most popular Holiday posts last year was the piece I did on Holiday Decorating in White. Why are we so drawn to decorating with white? Is the simplicity? Or perhaps the way it sets our everyday things off with a magical glow? My favorite part of decorating in this way is that it enhances your rooms rather than overpowering them. They become more elegant, more festive, more magical, but all the while still remain your same beautiful rooms.

(studio house design)

Let's try to picture the room above with out any Holiday decor. It is a lovely room - neutral with a bit of sparkle from the crystal lamps and silvery wall coverings. Perhaps the mercury glass is out all year. Now, look how the holiday accents add to the beauty of this room. The tree adorned in white, glass and silver ornaments and really becomes a focal point. Then add in the glittery branches and small wreath on the mantel; and the white roses and silver wrapped packages and you have an elegant room for holiday entertaining.

(hgtv)

This homeowner must have a large home to have a room set aside for a winter wonderland. I generally do not like white flocked trees, but these look lovely as a backdrop for the large green tree and winter white Santa. Perhaps this is a sunroom or conservatory that rarely gets used in the winter months.

(Country Living)

I love this room. Here just a few items set off this neutral room with a holiday glow. The mantel is adorned with branches and a white wreath, while a white decorated tree stands front and center. I like the packages all wrapped in coordinating paper.

(studio house design)

Here is another room with silvery branches. I really like the ornaments hanging in front of the mirror and the addition of eucalyptus. Again a predominately white tree and coordinating wrapped packages add elegance.

(hgtv)

This room comes alive with addition of white linen, white lights and greenery. The two trees on the mantel really add a lot of interest and sparkle,but my favorites are the white stockings by the fire and stocking adorned with greenery hanging on the shutters.

(Country Living)

Here is a simple vignette worth looking at because it can be adapted to any decor. This home owner has a lovely collection of white pottery, by adding small boxwood wreaths and a few ornaments you instantly create a holiday display.

(Country Home)

This room, adorned with long white chair skirts and gorgeous table cloth is perfectly accented with small burlap wrapped trees under glass. I love these Holiday terrariums and also the greenery tied with jute string on the backs of chairs.

(Country Living)

Another table set with items that bring the outdoors in. Here glass apothecary jars are filled with pine cones and small vases hold flowers and evergreens.

(Country Living)

I love the use of cast iron garden urns as vases. This one is lovely filled with lilies and flanked with evergreens.

(Country Living)

Here a white washed cast iron urn is filled with moss. Coordinating colored ornaments become more special displayed in silver bowl under glass. This simple effect can be added to any room and any color scheme.

(Country Living)

I love when people carry holiday decorating into the bedrooms. Here guests wake up to white trees, garland and white linen stockings draped along the footboard.

(Country Home)

Finally some cream and white antique linen stockings. Each tucked with sprigs of boxwood create a special holiday look that can be used in any area of your home.

For more ideas click on Holiday Decorating in White -Part 1. I love the simple and elegant style of decorating that enhances your home for the Holidays.