If you’re like me, you were probably in food coma far too drastic last weekend to decorate, but are perhaps decking the halls this weekend. I generally adhere to the idea that when it comes to Christmas decorations, the more the merrier… and the tackier, the better. Just hang that $#*% up everywhere. Kinda like this, which I think is totally rad.
However, on a more rustic and refined level, the following shots from Ballard Designs’ creative director Jill Sharp Brinson’s Atlanta cottage (as featured in Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles – and with the help of rock star designer Suzanne Kasler) just fanned up my Christmas tree skirt, BIG time. Check it:
(Look at the metallic ornaments inside the lanterns around the candles! A little added sparkle in an unexpected spot. Genius. PS: that tablecloth is killing me.)
(I would be swooning over this kitchen anyway, but oh… those sunbursts + that garland…)
(The wee potted tree! The wee potted tree!)
(I love J-O-Y spelled out with garland so much it hurts.)
Love it? Wanna recreate something similar? Take a cue from Kasler and Brinson:
1. Start with lush, earthy, textured neutrals (weathered woods, furry throws and rugs, maybe a little wicker)…
(For wicker I always defer to Marshalls/TJ Maxx… Faux Sheepskin rug available here.)
2. Layer in tons of greenery and garland… (I just used all the branches and twigs that fell of my Christmas tree while I was rassling with it to hoist that 200 lb. bad boy up into a rinky-dink teacup of a stand…)
This is also a good use of backyard twigs…
3. Pepper it with a few modern graphic elements… if you liked the black and white chevron tablecloth, try a pair of chairs like zeese (!)
Or just drape some pretty fabric over a table… or plop a few little pillows on the sofa.
(Clockwise from top left: Angeline / Les Indiennes… Hedgehog via Neisha Crosland… Pillow via Etsy… Delicata / Peter Fasano… Ebony by Greenhouse Design.)
4. Last but certainly not least, top it all off with some sparkle. Tarnished golds and antique brass fixtures… or if you’re on a budget, take a cue from Kasler & Brinson, and toss some mixed metal ornaments in a glass jar around a plain ‘ol candle, or inside a lantern. Here it is again… you can find lanterns like that all day long at Marshalls, HomeGoods, TJ Smacks, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, etc. And a few boxes of silver, gold and glittered ornaments at Wal-Mart for a song. Or, my favorite store in the world: Goodwill.
OR, shoot. Just spray paint some branches from the backyard with glitter spray paint and arrange ’em in a pretty container. Who knew such a thing even existed??
Happy Decorating!
xoxo,
photo credits: (1) Nostalgic tree via Pinterest (2) Scanned image of inflatable yard decorations via Real Simple Dec 2010 / photo by Kathryn Allen Hurni (3-6) Jill Sharp Brinson’s Atlanta Cottage / Decor by Suzanne Kasler via Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles (7) Front Door – Pinterest via Martha Stewart (8) Twig candles via Sadie & Stella (9) Chevron Chairs via Instagram (10) Fabrics and pillow found via Pinterest. (11) Sparkly twigs via Pinterest. Sparkle Spray paint available through Krylon.
