Showing posts with label holiday home tour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holiday home tour. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

2019 Holiday Home Tour: Burgundy and White

Well, you must have been wondering why I didn't post my 2019 holiday home tour, or you were so disappointed that you unfollowed me and moved on. Either way, here I am, better late than never, to post about my 2019 holiday decor. 2019 was an unexceptionally busy year at work, life, travel, among other things. As we age, each year becomes a smaller percentage of our life, and that's probably why it felt like a year flying by in the blink of an eye. 

For the 2019 holiday decor, I chose a burgundy and white theme. This was the first time ever for me to decorate with *reds* so I opted for a more muted and less vibrant burgundy shape. I was nervous because neither my home nor cottage has any red accents, but I have to say, I LOVE IT! 

This was our 9-foot Fraser Fir - we put it up in our foyer this year. It was too big and would look too out of place in our living room. 

I learned I could actually keep the Norfolk Island Pine as a houseplant, so double cheers to that! 

We moved the giant Zizi plant which used to be in the foyer to our second floor hallway for the time being. Otherwise there would be too much greenery in one room. Oh, and this vintage Royal Baluch wool runner rug was from eCarpetgallery. It has all the muted brown, caramel, tan and navy tones, so soft and doesn't shed. Such a gem! 

This was from our dinning room overlooking the foyer.  


Those onion baubles were from HM Home, red glass house ornaments were from Glucksteinhome via Hudson's Bay. 

Love all the warm glow from the tree! 

Move on to the living room. I didn't want the holiday decor to take over the room, so I chose a blue fir tree with sparse and slender silhouette and left it untrimmed. 

Remember the Fiddle Leaf Fig tree I picked up a couple of years ago, it's now standing 7-foot tall and still going strong. 



This was the Bella Tan Level Leather Bench from Article. I ordered it for our bedroom but decided to leave it in the living room for extra seating during the holiday entertaining. 

Dining room. 


Recently I took on charcuterie board as a new hobby and have been obsessed about it. They certainly have made this year's holiday entertaining so much easier for me, especially with a sprained wrist and tendinitis. In the board below, I pickled those red onion myself using apple cider vinegar. It was so easy to do and has so much presence on the board. 


I also candied the naval orange slices in this round board - they were so delicious! 





So there you have it, my belated 2019 holiday home tour. Wish you and yours a very happy and prosperous 2020! Dream big and achieve more! 




Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Nature-Inspired Holiday Decorating with Brian Gluckstein

Can you believe Christmas is one week away? I for one can't! It's like I blinked, pressed the fast-forward button, and we are already there. I've been feeling equally excited and panicky about this year's holiday decorating. Time is a scarce commodity for busy people like us. Besides the usual hectic work schedules, we've been busy searching for a winter home south of the border in a warmer and dryer climate (more on that later). It's been harder and harder to find days when I could get myself in the zone where my creative juices could run free. It's also the self-imposed pressure that this year's holiday decor needs to be more unique than the last year's. All that unnecessary obsessing aside, at the end I went with whatever my heart desired: a more simplistic, cozy and nature-inspired holiday decorating theme for 2018. 


Picture above features a few of my favourite things this year: faux fur pom-pom stockings by Glucksteinhome, wooden bead garland, antique brass candlesticks with black taper candles, and wispy long-needle pine garland. 



My 2018 holiday mantel. 

Now onto the dining room. Besides kitchen, dining room is where all the holiday fun and memories were made from holiday gatherings with family and friends. After a recent makeover, this space feels more current and more us


This is my 2018 holiday dining table setting based on the Darius Silver collection from Brian Gluckstein by Lenox. Its neutral colour palette and striking geometric patterns create a calm and cozy ambience without looking boring. 


I actually created two versions, one with a blue dessert plate for a pop of colour; and the other with the Brian Gluckstein by Lenox Darius bread/appetizer plate



Blue above, Darius silver below. 


At the end I went with the Darius silver. The tablescape looks so much more put-together this way. 



I also used Leyland Cypress boughs, and Glucksteinhome LED mercury glass tree candle, together with a few glass Paz trees from CB2, to create a simple centrepiece. 



I am really loving how this year's holiday table setting turned out. I went through a few iterations to get to this point, so here are a few tips I would like to share:
  • Start early, so you have time to make adjustments and acquire missing pieces. 
  • Pick a theme, or not. Either way, don't go overboard with accessories, so you can create a more calm and cohesive appeal. 
  • Use natural materials as much as possible, for a more sophisticated yet not over-the-top look, for example, fresh greenery and organic linen tablecloth and napkins. 
  • Serve your guests with the best quality dinnerware possible, like this bone china set from Brian Gluckstein by Lenox


I will be back in a bit to show you the rest of my 2018 holiday home tour. A 2018 project recap list is also long past due so that's coming your way too. Stay tuned and festive! 

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Christmas 2018 Home Tour

After a few weeks on the road, we are finally back to the comfort of our own home and ready to celebrate holidays with family and friends. And of course, all the halls were finally decked, with only one short week to spare before Christmas. Without further ado, let's start my 2018 holiday home tour. 

First stop has to be the living room. Unlike last year, we moved the tree to the opposite side of the room for a change. I am used to having my first coffee while catching up on morning news in that chair to the right, so standing up the tree on the other side would mean I didn't have to compromise my daily routine during holidays. 

Picture below: my 2018 Christmas holiday living room.

My 2018 Christmas tree, unlit. 

My 2018 Christmas tree, all lit up. 

Mantel, wispy long needle pine garland, antique brass candlesticks with a simple DIY eucalyptus collar. 

Picture below: the only new baubles I added this year were these amber glass ball ornaments from H&M Home. 

Gifts wrapped in craft paper. 



Next step is foyer. Ever since we moved the tree from our usual spot (by the staircase) in the foyer to the living room, this space felt a bit lonely during holidays. There's no wow factor for our guests when they first came through the door. So this year I added a small but fresh Balsam Fir here to add a touch of festivity. The same long needle pine garlands draped over the staircase handrail. 


Along the wall on the opposite side of the staircase is this new Article BIOS sideboard which is now my favourite piece of furniture at home. 

I kept this wall simple. The reflection of the garlands in the mirror was a nice touch. 

So there you have it, my 2018 Christmas home tour. Dining room and holiday table settings are up next. 




Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...