Deck The Halls With Nostalgia Sparkle and Cheer

The holiday decorating season is always a highly anticipated time for us fans of home retail chains.  Their fabulous windows, dressed in the season’s most festive colors and textures are compelling inspirations for the happy homemaker to adapt at home.  From these windows, visions of sparkly winter whites, woodland creatures, straight out of fairy tales, and cozy fireplaces abound.  For us who live in our beloved tropical country, the Philippines, it’s an image taken straight from those Netflix Christmas movie marathons, but with retail resources such as Pottery Barn, we can at least take some of these home with us.

With three Christmas collections, there is something for every aesthetic preference in Pottery Barn.  The Shelter collection, in neutral tones, layered with metallic shades of brass and gold are great for sophisticated, contemporary interiors.

The Nostalgic collection, as its name suggests, honors American Christmas traditions.  Think Santa and reindeers rendered in prints on textiles; red, green and white, created for those who prefer the traditional look, laced with a good measure of wistful references.

The Winter Whites collection is the consummate match for those with industrial or minimalist tastes.  Inspired by Scandinavian aesthetics, this collection is marked by subtle shine.  Whites, silvers, grays make up its monochromatic palette.

Where you can incorporate holiday decorations that’s not a mantel

               Most of us in the Philippines don’t have fireplaces, save for some homes in Baguio. Hence, the absence of the mantel and mantel shelf in local homes, an interior feature where Christmas décor, stockings, and trimmings are placed.  In lieu of this, Anton Barretto advises that simply updating your living area is enough.  After all, this is where a bulk of holiday entertaining usually occurs.  You may opt to retain your everyday furniture, and simply add the holiday flavor by changing your throw pillows.  Perhaps drape a throw on the sofa to add to the warm, cozy, winter feel.

Still in the living area, employ the coffee table as a surface on which to make a small Christmas vignette.  The simple use of red, silver, copper or gold pillar candles coupled with a Christmas-themed centerpiece can do the trick. Use wide bowls and fill them up with Christmas balls, evergreen and pine sprays, and flowers, even if the flowers are not Christmas flowers they will look festive mixed with the ornaments.