Sometimes going a
little more old than new during the holiday season is a perfect fit for your
historical home…
Let’s make one thing perfectly clear–I really like things
that are sparkly and shiny (and that’s not even a thinly veiled hint about what
I’d like for Christmas!). Usually my
Christmas stamp includes glittery glass ornaments in containers of all sizes, a
mixture of shiny metals, white pillar candles flickering throughout, and lots
and lots of stars. And while the inside
of our perfectly imperfect Saratoga home includes all of these elements that
have evolved into what Christmas looks like for our family, this year I felt a
strong urge to bring a little history and vintage charm to our holiday décor,
and the front porch seemed to be the perfect place to try a little something
new with a little something old.
Changing your holiday style, even within the confines of
just one part of your home, can be a somewhat challenging. Whether we consciously realize it or not, I
think most of us have a strong sense of attachment to the traditions we have
developed over the years, and although it is fun to mix things up, it takes a
certain amount of discipline to create a new look. By editing what you have, being creative with
what you use, and focusing your efforts on a series of visual vignettes in your
space, you may find that the challenge is worth the effort it takes to go out
on a limb and take a risk.
Edit, Edit, Edit. One of the first steps in trying a new
look is deciding that it is okay to take some of your tried and
true decorations and embellishments and put them back in storage for next year.
If you are really trying to sell a style
in a place like your front entryway, it is important to stick to one theme to
make it work, but don’t be surprised if someone in your house has a hard time setting some of the favorites aside
for the season in pursuit of your new vision. In my house, some of my harshest critics of
this type of “editing” are my children, who, as hoarders-in-training, often can’t
bear to not be surrounded by every single decoration they find in the numerous
storage bins labeled “Christmas” that take over our basement. Keeping my new vision to just one section of
the house such as the front porch appears to appease them, and then I also often
compromise by letting them use some of my sidelined decorations to decorate
their bedrooms as well…and since this keeps them busy while I putter around outside
with my new project, everybody wins!
Use What You Have. Once everyone is settled down and willing to
accept that Mom is messing around with the decorations again for the hundredth time,
it is time to get down to work. When I
approach seasonal decorating, especially vintage, nostalgic décor, I tend not
to buy too much new, or rely on items that specifically scream yuletide…
instead I go shopping at home to find antiquey pieces that will come together
to create the look I’m after. This year,
I started with a cream and red plaid wool horse blanket I came across at the
Washington County Antique Fair and Flea Market back in August. Hand appliqued with the name “Lucky” on each
side, it looks great on the bed in our guest room the rest of the year, but for
December, it seemed like a perfect vintage fit for the red rocking chair next
to our front door. An old, outgrown pair
of ice skates (found in the garage) slung over it on one side of the chair also
brings age and authenticity to the scene, and then this pairing is balanced by
the vintage Speedway sled that my parents found at a yard sale ages ago for me.
Make a Series of Small
Scenes that Work Together. Next, I
wanted to tackle the porch swing, which isn’t used for seating much this time
of year due to the chilly weather. Because of this, I covered it with greenery
(two big bunches from Bob’s Trees did the trick for this area as well as the
other touches of greenery on the porch), then set out the antique horn that my grandfather
hung over his fireplace for years that my Dad had recently given me. I loved
the look but wanted a little color to make it pop, so I weighted down a few
boxes with leftover bricks and wrapped them with classic black, white, red, and
brown papers, setting them on the swing as if someone had just stopped by to
drop off a present or two, and that was just enough to make this area feel
finished.
My next “vignette” occurred by the milk box–I used the
vintage bottle holder I bought my husband on ebay for toting beer to
neighborhood gatherings and set mini wine carafes inside it filled with faux
snow to look like old milk bottles. Set
on a bed of greenery, it was just enough to give a classic touch to a
functional fixture. Galvanized buckets
with more greenery and the lighted branches from our backyard pizza fundraiser
added to the rustic-ness of the design.
To finish everything off I added a plain tree to the porch
with a canvas drop cloth as a tree skirt–no ornaments, just white lights–to carry
the simple yet classic design across the entire space. With more white lights hanging off the porch
roof and in the buckets flanking the steps, the vintage winter scene felt
complete (now if only we had a little snow…).
So with some careful editing, use of found items, and a
series of visual vignettes to set the stage, I feel like this take on a holiday
with history is a success. Ever try a
new theme or style in your home holiday décor?
It is worth the effort and the risk to keep your home feeling fresh,
interesting, and in my case, a little new with a pleasing punch of old. And that shiny and sparkly that I naturally gravitate
to? Well, white lights are pretty bright
and twinkly, so…Happy Holidays! J
