Many say the heart of the home is in the kitchen, but I like to think the heart of the home for the holidays is around the dining room table. It is there that family and friends come  together to celebrate, laugh and enjoy the delights of a good meal. A dining room not only provides a space to gather, but a place to add your personal touch and welcome guests into your home.

Let’s take a different approach this year— one that will have our “holiday” décor lasting longer than the celebratory season. When approaching seasonal décor, I like to think of ways I can stretch the décor investment beyond the day celebrating the holiday and encompass the entire season. In other words, the décor will look great for  the holidays, but once the holidays are over, take away a few things for a beautiful display come January, February and March. This helps to keep that cozy atmosphere strong through the winter months.

A great way to start is by building your foundation with greenery and adding touches of winter inspiration and holiday flair. We used cedar garland with faux berry branches as our foundation; you could also use red berries for a more traditional approach. From there we added lanterns with sheep’s wool around the candles to create a luminous glow that will last into the night and add a sense of warmth. I love to see pieces with a little sparkle that catch the light and add a fancy feel for the special  occasion of   a holiday meal. These DIY napkin holders were the perfect addition, along with the little picture frames, to add a personal touch or words that hint of the holiday as you welcome your guests to dine.

Hints of holiday-themed décor throughout are always welcome, especially when entertaining. This can be accomplished by placing a wreath in an unexpected space or by incorporating color through food and drinks, such as pomegranates incorporated in the tablescape or serving festive sangria with cranberry and rosemary. A salad with mixed greens, pomegranate seeds, walnuts and feta or a cheese tray using shelled nuts, grapes and rosemary  as a garnish can help keep the consistency of the theme.  

This holiday season, I encourage you to create a space that not only wows your guests and  emanates the delights of the season, but will also last past the festivities and welcome you with warmth and flair as the winter months extend past the new year. 

See what you can find as the winter trees and berry bushes are beginning to make their solo debut into the colder months ahead. Enjoy and cheers to a house beautifully  decorated this holiday and winter season.

Rebekah Brown is an award-winning interior designer, seasonal décor enthusiast and owner of B Design Co. in Chester County. Growing up with a family in the residential and commercial construction industry, it was no surprise that she found her creative passion in well-designed spaces. After earning her degree in design, she pursued her dream job working on projects throughout the  Philadelphia area, New Jersey and Delaware. Her design projects range from commercial spaces to residential, as well as bringing personal touches through seasonal décor. For more information visit B-DesignCo.com.

Brown is a featured designer for the 2019 Philly Home Show, taking place Jan. 11-13 and 18-20, 2019 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. Visit PhillyHomeShow.com for more information.

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 19, Issue 5 (November/December 2018). 
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