A Parcell Christmas: Inside Rachel Parcell’s bedecked holiday home

Photos by Emily Egan • Decor by Gatehouse No.1

Oh by gosh, by golly — it’s time for mistletoe and holly. And red ribbon, green garland, dangling decorations and anything else you can find in Rachel Parcell’s home during Christmas. Rachel teamed up with Gatehouse No. 1 designers Rachel Folkman and Claire White to bring to life her vision of a traditional and magical red-and-green Christmas. “We loved working with Rachel,” says Rachel Folkman. “We always feel honored to decorate homes for Christmas, because it’s our chance to build a platform for families to create cherished memories.” Read on for snapshots of Rachel’s decoration inspiration.

Countertop creativity

Decorating the kitchen proves a challenge to those who want to strike the balance between utility and creativity. So Rachel kept it simple and replaced white mugs with red-and-green mugs, and added cookies, candy canes, cocoa and marshmallows to fill in an otherwise bare space.

Spruce it up

It took more than a pretty minute to assemble this 12-foot tree. The Gatehouse No.1 team spent hours climbing up a ladder, placing glass ornaments (yes, almost every ornament is glass), climbing back down, evaluating and adjusting. Add to that the white flocking, red ribbon, twinkling lights, and voila — a breathtaking tree brimming with Christmas magic.

Have a seat

Throughout Rachel’s home, classic red velvet ribbon plays a supporting role, accenting the tree and banister. But the red texture takes center stage on her kitchen’s wicker bar chairs. “Arranging these just right took a lot of effort,” Claire says. “We used wire and ‘MacGyvered’ little bits and pieces together to complete the look.”

O little decoration

Gatehouse No.1 chose modesty over abundance for the banister. “We didn’t decorate the entire banister because we wanted to let this space breathe, away from the decadence of the tree,” Claire says. “It was a little detail that tied in the theme without being overbearing.”

Fine dining

The Gatehouse No.1 decorators brought in pops of red to contrast with the natural green of the fir branches to spotlight the dining room as a main focal point in Rachel’s home. Every open space, from the garlands and ornaments dangling from light fixtures to the flocked wreaths with bright berries fastened to the chairs, brings texture and a holiday glow to the table.

Hearth-warming

In every crevice and corner, adorning mirrors and mantles, Rachel wanted to see bright bursts of holly berries to tie in her dream of a traditional Christmas theme. “She wasn’t looking for whimsy or a woodland look, and the merry holly berries made sure the theme kept its traditional look,” Rachel Folkman says.

Learn more about Rachel Parcell’s Instagram success story here.