holiday tou decorating jours guide
DECOR | Emily Ruddo PHOTOS | Meghan Beierle O'Brien
holiday tou decorating jours guide By Emily Ruddo
We couldn't let December pass without a dedicated guide to assist you in styling a merry celebration with friends and family this season. Our design editor Emily Ruddo has been busy decking the halls and is serving up festive styling tips to make your season bright. Whether your decorating style is minimalist, traditional, or over the top bling, this holiday guide offers inspirations for decorating your home for the rest of the entertaining season. Think outside the expected red and green and infuse some creative color mixes that blend well with your existing home decor. Emily provides tips for your tabletop, mantle and entryway so that the jingle bells keep ringing all season long.
Photos by Meghan Beierle O'Brien
the entry table
Your entryway is your first impression to your visitors, so pay it some attention and start there first. Make sure it is a small sampling of what is to come in the rest of your home. All of the elements I used are also represented on the table, bar and mantle. Add festive scents of warm cinnamon or wintery pine to appeal to the senses. Fill unique vessels or vases with simple greenery found at your local flower mart. I use mercury or silver ones during the holidays for a glam touch. Even simple green berries with a white flower do the trick. Forgo the usual round wreath for a more modern square one or a door swag. I like using boxwood or magnolia leaves for less mess. Add your favorite ornaments for low cost joyful glimmer in a unique color palette. I chose shades of green with silver and a hint of aqua, and I gave older ornaments a facelift with glitter in the new color palette I wanted.
toujours | 002 | holiday insert
toujours | 002 | holiday insert
the bar Set up an organized yet stylish bar for guests to help themselves so you can mingle . Keep it quick and easy with one "house" drink, place it in a container and load the bar with glasses. See our December issue for tips and recipes from our Entertaining Editor Lulu Powers. Always add a small bowl of nuts or olives on the bar and votives are always a must.
the table
The table has a sophisticated mix of green, silver and white hues for a cheerful clean look and is suitable for a buffet or sit down dinner. I added mercury glass for that added sparkle. Lots of candles are always a must. Keep the plates and platters white or silver so the rest of the table shines. Pull decor items that you already own and re-interpret them in new ways. I used outdoor boxwood urns for the table and a vintage silver cake stand for added drama. I wanted a simple table runner so I used an existing white table cloth, folded it, and then bought an inexpensive gauzy ribbon to layer over it. Check out your local flower mart for inexpensive ribbons.
toujours | 002 | holiday insert
the dessert table
I like the dessert table to be flirty and fun so I chose a peppermint theme. I can't get enough of that minty flavor that I only use in December. Rather than the expected green accents, I added purple, plum and a hint of pink in with red for a unique mix of colors. I chose a square wreath for that wintery modern touch.
the mantle
Using simple greens gives your home a welcoming festive feel without being too fussy. I used a green, white and brown palette for a more masculine clean look that still compliments the fancier tabletop. Once again, I used items that I already had. If you are low on decor items, hit up the end of year sales and collect over time.
toujours | 002 | holiday insert
the tree
I chose to use inexpensive ornaments that compliment the sophisticated tabletop in hues of celadon, silver and aqua. Then add in more expensive ornaments collected over the years. Using ornaments in silver, gold or with glitter allow added sparkle against the lights. I even used the leftover ribbon from the table on the tree. It's all about recycling!
s:
ling Tip ty S y a d li o H 's Emily
y own d a e lr a u o y s m ✺ Mix decor ite keep to r o c e d y a d li with your ho lights of d d a to re u s e B costs minimal. candlelight. em an th e iv g d n a ts amen ✺ Use existing orn ing glitter d d a r o m e th ting update by pain of colors y a rr a n a in d offere wers to o fl r o ry e n e re g ✺ Add simple Simple r. o c e d r u o y into s things bring some life p e e k s s fu f o t ut a lo greenery witho modern alette p r lo o c l a n io it on trad ✺ Pick a merry n or and c e d g n ti is x e r h you that blends wit room. to m o ro m o fr flows up that rn u T . n fu e v a h le and ✺ Keep it simp
!
holiday music
toujours toujours| |002 002| |holiday holidayinsert insert