This season celebrate a green Christmas, and we’re not talking about spruce trees or a holiday in Florida. As the holidays are about giving, being eco-aware is the natural thing to do. 

Cloth and ribbon gift wrapping is prettier than paper, simple, and without the mess. How’s that for a holiday de-stress?

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If you shop for Christmas in July, get a rush when sifting through thrift store merchandise, chances are you have a vintage Christmas home. Those who find excitement in beautiful things get emotional when discovering a distinguished piece, perhaps in an obscure color or size, which must be acquired. The home becomes a showcase for these finds, where a constant rotation of personal pieces is tantamount unless you want to battle an avalanche of keepsakes when tapping into storage. Christmas is the ideal time to display prized possessions and, perhaps, add some new collections.

Christmas decorating takes a personalized approach with a mix of personal vintage items and a unique color palette.

Color Theme

Decorating a festive home does not have to follow Christmas’s primary colors and themes. Simply arrange your favorite pieces, add some seasonal elements, and you will have a holiday home like no other.

Chocolate boxes that share our color palette add to the design.

Interesting Collections

Lynn Goldfinger of Paris Hotel Boutique has been hitting the casino lately but we don’t mean the slot machine kind. She came across antique casino chips from France and was immediately smitten. “I’m obsessed with them because in all of my years, I have never seen the color-dyed ones,” says Goldfinger. 

A holiday theme like no other is guaranteed with a personal collectible. Here, these vintage casino chips and French francs compliment the overall style.

For a purveyor of rare collectibles, Goldfinger’s coronation of the casino chip assures its covet factor. “These were used as gaming chips in France circa the 1870s,” she says. “They are extremely rare and hard to come by.” The chips have the ability to transport to an illustrious, more elegant time when gamblers dressed in their fanciest garb over the flip flop crowd currently taking over gambling arenas. The variety of geometric shapes have a mother of pearl shimmer, while the addition of hot colors delight the eye. “Mother of pearl casino chips are small works of art. I may place them in an apothecary jar, or on a fancy silver platter, and decorate with holly berries and pine to create a holiday feeling,” says Goldfinger.

Something edible and sweet always hits the right holiday notes.

Corresponding Accessories

Playing with casino chips for the holiday is an assured bet, especially when grouped with corresponding accessories. Ideal pairings are vintage Christmas tree ornaments, which create an attractive interplay of color and texture. For our dessert table, they add the right spot of color and intrigue to personalize the setting, allowing guests to spark conversation. Pull in some vintage French money, holiday greenery, and delicacies along with beautifully colored chocolate boxes that support the theme and you will have a table like no other.

Resources

Vintage casino chips and French francs: Paris Hotel Boutique

Chocolate boxes: Louis Sherry

Experiencing a decor crisis? A challenging space that craves more than a house plant and sweet picture of the seashore? Add art and accessorize, which is a dependable prescription to any design dilemma. Overlooked areas can bedevil the most accomplished designers, which is why enlisting dependable accents can guarantee a designed home.

In the “calm room” an interplay of accessories and art are stitched together to create a playful theme of color and comfort.

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The Laguna Beach home I fell for was retro. Though not from the cool glimmer of a disco ball or vivid Pucci print, it was an artifact proving that mustard yellow and linoleum floors were once design darlings. The challenge in transforming a Brady Bunch beach house from its 70’s grooviness to the present began with freshening up the walls with gallons of white paint. To further update the space, green floors were ripped away and replaced with a light shade of maple. Once dated elements were removed the rooms glowed, putting to proper use its walls of windows and Pacific Coast sunlight.

A change of paint color, flooring and an attention to accents and furnishings update a space.

While making decor alterations to the home may not seem as simple as adding jewelry to an outfit, the process is refreshingly similar. Begin with a basic scheme that relates to your personal style and embellish. Design with a modern palette that you can live with. I am a believer in using white as your canvas and accentuate with color. Consider your scheme, budget, and source the accents that will support your direction. A worthwhile expense was to reupholster the bristly green bench fabric with a lighter color in a current print, providing interest and comfort, and updates the space.

A wood burning fireplace is a sought after vintage piece though its original coloring has a lot to be desired. Embrace what you have and adjust your scheme so the installation blends.

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An expertly styled vignette is not a daunting compilation of luxurious items only mastered by stylists in skinny pants. Walk through your home and details for a curated display abound. Use personal belongings as props for an artistic setting since they were sourced by you, acquired and kept because they convey your stylistic language. Pull in other elements to help build your visual, like baked goods or personal memorabilia, and you’ll achieve a grouping that’s second to none.

Creating a styled vignette will add interest to everyday items.

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