Day in and day out, interior designers bring their expertise and keen eye to client projects. But when it comes to decorating for the holidays, how do they spruce things up in their own spaces?
We asked three San Francisco designers to divulge their approach to the season. although they vary in style and extravagance, there is a common thread: The decorating is all done in the name of welcoming family and friends for the holidays.
Scot Meacham Wood
The general rule of thumb is: You don’t put up the tree and bust out the ornaments until after Thanksgiving. This year, however, a magazine photo shoot meant that Scot Meacham Wood was decking his halls way back in September.
Although three months may be too much holiday cheer for some, it didn’t seem to bother Wood one bit. and that’s no surprise when you consider that over the past two decades, he has become known for his annual holiday bashes and the elaborate decor that goes along with them. “It’s my big party every year,” he said.
For this year’s festivities, he transformed a bedroom in his San Francisco home into a formal dining area – enveloping it in 78 yards of marine blue silk taffeta by stapling the fabric directly onto all four walls. for a tailored finish, he went with a box-pleat motif and added red grosgrain ribbon along the edge.
“It’s like a giant ball gown for the dining room,” he said. for a similarly luxe look for less, Wood suggested poly-silk taffeta, which can be purchased at Discount Fabrics.
Three trees also occupy the room: one decorated to the hilt with ornaments and garlands, the others demurely lit with four variations of lights. Arrangements of white roses and cedar branches provide embellishment for the table.
In a nearby hutch, Wood’s collection of tartan china takes center stage. Year-round, the beloved plaid plays a prominent role in his interior. So, to complete his holiday makeover, he reupholstered a mix of antique dining chairs in Diamond Baratta’s London Plaid from Lee Jofa, a tartan with a bright yellow ground.
“There’s always tartan in the house,” said Wood. “It just makes me happy.”
Kendall Wilkinson
For kids and grown-ups alike, gazing at holiday window designs is often a highlight of the season. It’s easy to get caught up in the enchanting world on the other side of the glass.
In the window of her eponymous studio and retail space at 3419 Sacramento St., Kendall Wilkinson took her color cues from last month’s Elle Decor Showhouse. “The audience there really seemed to respond to the palette of chartreuse, dark ocean turquoise and violet,” she said, referring to the office she designed. “So I thought, ‘Why not spin that into a fun look for the holidays?’ ”
Anyone looking for an alternative to the red, white and green scheme should keep a few things in mind, she advised. “As long as you pick about three coordinating colors, stay consistent and add some sparkle, you can still get a holiday feeling. for example, you could try burnt orange, silver and misty blue, or coral, gold and cream.”
For a more contemporary, clean look, Wilkinson paired the unexpected colors in her window display with boxwood garlands wrapped with violet lights in keeping with her modern color scheme for the season. in her own home, she sticks to white lights as well, mixing them with glass bulb ornaments in a subtle palette of white, crystal, silver and lavender.
In one room of her shop, mirrored frames add glitz while an oversize martini glass filled with green apples makes for a whimsical centerpiece. “Add in a few pops of holiday sparkle and you have a beautiful, unique look without having to spend a lot of money,” she said.
And then there’s the old trick of moving things around for a fresh look. “The holidays are so much about gathering and togetherness, that I encourage people to rethink their existing furniture layouts and try to rearrange them into multiple, more intimate groupings, which are great for parties and after-dinner conversation.”
Wilkinson noted that the vignette in her window “doesn’t necessarily feel denominational or too obviously holiday.” and that means you don’t have to rush to remove and box it all up by New Year’s.