Christmas Designs: My Living Room

When Scott first described his vision for our home here in New York, he said: "Think cabin in the woods." Now, I'm not a country boy - never have been, never will be. I never liked camping, nor did I ever spend time planning out my dream house in tones of green using leather and twig accessories; but once I got here, and heard the house speak - it's what it really wanted, too.

So, this Christmas, I took inspiration from the rooms I had created initially for Scott, that I had really fallen in love with. The soft sage greens, the warm wood tones, the gentle sparkle of a few choice accessories I threw in on the sly ... and I came up with this:

A view of the living room from our dining room. The mantle, a wash of grapevine wreath and grapevine ball covered Christmas lights on garland, with a few "ice" covered branches thrown in. The true feature however, is the cluster of real pheasant feathers resting delicately in the crown of an antler. (Better pictures below.) Oh, and do you like the new basket? $2 at a tag sale!

The tree is a medley of twigs, greens, mercury glass, matte finish glass balls in the most delightful color of moss green, and a few of those Gumps crystal ice shapes. The crown, of course to tie it all together, pheasant feathers and the most interesting silver ornaments I've ever seen.

The better photo of the mantle I promised. Here you get an opportunity to see the feathers resting perfectly upon that antler, and the over-sized scale of the decorations. Using uncommon pieces, and items not generally seen as "Christmas" are a fun way to really spice up your decor, and Color Outside the Lines!

A full picture of the tree, blending well into the antique pub sign hanging in the background.

It would be hard for me to pick a favorite ornament, or element to this tree. When it started, I hated it - thought that it was too unconventional, and would never work. Now - I think it's perfectly proportioned, and a real treat to the decor of our home. There are of course - other decorations in the house - which I will show you in a blog to come. But for now, I hope you enjoy these photos, and that the spirit of Christmas fill your heart and home.

If you have photos of your Christmas decor you'd like to share, please e-mail them to me. I'd love to feature them here!