Photo Credit: James Garrahan
Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, it’s time to start thinking about the real holidays. For holiday home decor tips, we went to Marin’s interior designer extraordinaire Jean Larette of Larette Design. She’s been included in the House Beautiful list of the Top Designers in America, praised by Architectural Digest and had her work featured in a slew of magazines. She’s also the woman behind JL Rug Collection, whose The City, Coastal and Handsome collections are available exclusively through therugfinder.com. Whether you’re entertaining at home in December or just want to get your abode in the holiday spirit, follow Larette’s five haute holiday home decor tips to get your home holiday ready! Here’s what she suggests:
Photo Credit: Jean Larette
I have a number of clients with winter homes that enjoy spending the holidays with their families and friends in snowy climates. They often times are looking for creative ways to bring holiday flair into their homes with ease.
Colorful Pillows, Throws and Rugs
Photo Credit: JL Rug Collection
One of the easiest ways to bring the festive season to your living room is to add cashmere throw blankets and pillow covers to your sofas and comfortable chairs. They may be a rich red, a Ralph Lauren style plaid, or even sumptuous faux fur blankets. Seek out the chunky cable and velvet fur trimmed pillow covers in ivory, caramel or heathered gray. I have seen soft, cozy, slip covered beanbags in snow leopard, Polar bear and Ivory Sherpa that are great for families with teenagers in the Media Room. Add a red Shanghai rug like this one pictured above or a green St. Germain rug, both from my CITY Collection, available in wool and silk in custom sizes and colors which can work in beautifully in every room. We have even fabricated custom staircase runners.
The Guest Room
Photo Credit: David Duncan Livingston
It is always important for your guests to feel welcome over the holidays. If you have plain white sheets, place a red cashmere throw across the foot of the bed for a bit of holiday cheer. I love this black, red and white blanket that is ready to wrap around your guests as they relax in the reading chair. Place the latest magazines with your guests’ interests in mind: Do they invest, sail, ski, cook, cycle or decorate? Tailor their bedside reading material to their particular interests. A simple bouquet of fresh flowers is always welcoming and fragrant. Warm slippers, fresh towels and fluffy robes can help keep your guests happy into the new year!
Decorate with Fragrance
Photo Credit: David Duncan Livingston
Jo Malone Luxury Candles and Bougie Apothicaire candles from France are my favorites. As the holiday season approaches remember to decorate with fragrance. Jo Malone has a beautiful line of large, luxury candles that are sure to add a wintery touch to your holiday decor. I suggest the Pine & Eucalyptus brimming with the scent of crisp pine laced with lavender, cypress and frankincense. While in Paris, I discovered a line of artfully crafted candles hand poured into chic burnt steel vessels by Bougie Apothicaire. Each fragrance is masterfully composed using vegetable wax infused with organically aged essential oils from Grasse, France. I especially love the Encens Olibanum Mad et Len. It is a gorgeous fragrance.
Creative Wreaths
Photo Credit: David Duncan Livingston
When thinking about adding wreaths to your holiday decor it is a great time to be creative. Think of all the beautiful possibilities we have with various fruits, branches and even multicolored ornaments. I have used pomegranates sprayed a glossy, bright red placed above the fireplace. I have seen wreaths created just using hundreds of red Crayola crayons standing at attention and pointing straight ahead. Creating small wreaths strung with holiday ribbon and attached to the back of each dining chair also adds to the holiday decor. Simple tree ornaments can be formed into festive wreaths.
Decorate with Branches
Photo Credit: Jean Larette
I love thinking outside of the box with holiday decor for your centerpieces and floral arrangements. It is quite economical to go out in your garden and find branches at this time of year without their leaves. Choose ones you enjoy sculpturally, spray them silver, place them in clear glass vases set in white sand. At each place setting set just one carefully chosen white flower in a small glass vase. I have found beautiful embroidered silk remnants that I have used as table runners which add glamour, color and texture to your holiday table.
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