Furniture, Design, & Holiday Decor Gatehouse no.1 @gatehouseno1
Photography Rebekah Westover @rebekahwestoverphotography
1. Layer in the Holiday
Designers are all about finding ways to creatively layer in the holiday fun, utilizing everyday home accessories for more interesting displays and a seamless transition in home design. To add the merry, fill decorative vases and bowls with holiday sprays and unique ornaments, add a candle ring around chandelier or candle bases, drape cedar garland along your stairs and mantels, and sprinkle faux snow inside your lanterns or add some festive Santa figures and mini trees into open shelves and on entry tables.
2. Bring on the Hygge
Find simple ways to bring the cozy “Home for the Holidays” vibe and add some of the Hygge lifestyle to your home. Hygge is a Danish way of life that simplifies the aesthetic while encouraging a comfy and cozy contentment. Create this relaxing and simple enjoyment by adding extra warm layers through your house like candles, throw rugs, furry, soft blankets and accessories influenced by nature and of simple and clean form.
3. Refresh
Freshen up your holiday collection by adding a few of the current holiday and home design trends to keep things new and fun from year to year. This doesn’t mean starting over. Part of the fun is having traditions and keepsakes you pull out each year. Ways to refresh include introducing a new color you are loving right now or finding a special and new favorite collectible to top your mantel or add a few new and unique ornaments to the tree. Adding a bit of new and special each year will grow your curated collection over time and brings a freshness to current decor from year to year.
4. Go Green
Greenery acts as a neutral in holiday decor. Whatever your home’s color palette, greenery like pine swags, cedar garlands and eucalyptus sprigs complement it perfectly while creating a beautiful and natural looking backdrop that enhances and ties together all of your holiday decor. Add layers of simple garlands and sprays to banisters, lights, mantels and tables. We all love fresh greens, and the new faux is the way to go. It looks so real and lasts all season long. Add a hint of fresh greens with cut pine branches in a vase, and then get the scents of Christmas with balsam fir candles and brew mulling spices.
“We really seek out the best quality and most realistic greens throughout the year for the store, and it has become one of our signature Gatehouse holiday looks,” says Stephanie Holdaway, owner and designer with Gatehouse no. 1. “People ask every day if some of our store displays have real greens. It’s the quality of the greens and the layering techniques we use that make the difference. Greens are forever going to be a holiday staple, and you will use and enjoy these greens for many years to come.”
Simple Ways to Update This Year
- New ribbon for the tree, wreaths and mantels.
- New greens to layer in.
- A new ornament or collectible to commemorate the year.
- An extra strand of lights to brighten things up.
- Wreaths to tie onto the backs of chairs, onto the front door, hang in a kitchen window or add into open shelves.