Window Watching

Henri Bendel Window

One of my favorite holiday pastimes is heading into New York City early on a weekend morning, before the crowds arrive, to see the holiday windows of the Fifth Avenue department stores. It’s become a tradition in my family; we’ll wake up early, stop for coffee, and drive into Manhattan before most New Yorkers are even awake.  Besides being a festive outing, the artistry and creativity of the windows is always inspiring to me as a designer. This year the Henri Bendel windows featured some incredible scenes – ranging from an interpretation of the Nutcracker to amazing travelogues. If you’re in the New York City area, it’s worth a visit! And you may want to finish your window watching with breakfast at one of my favorite breakfast restaurants in all of Manhattan – Norma’s at Le Parker Meridien. No matter what city you live in, there’s so much great design to experience during the holidays! 

Happy Holidays!

I love winter holiday decorating. Every year after Thanksgiving, I transform my house in anticipation of Christmas. I rely on many of the traditional decorations special to my family from over the years: heirloom ornaments, fresh greens, wreaths on the windows (painstakingly hung by my husband), and a collection of special Christmas children's books that belong to my now grown children. But as traditional as Christmas is, I always love to mix it up! Last year, I was asked by Newsday to design a room around a holiday theme. After much thinking and scouting, I decided on a fun but still nostalgic theme I knew my family would enjoy throughout the season and on Christmas morning: 50s! 

Retro Tree

Martini Bar

Sugar Plum Centerpieces

Old forty-five records found in my mother’s attic in South Georgia became the ornaments for my dining room tree, which was lit by big, red retro bulbs. Old-fashioned candy in apothecary jars evoked “visions of sugarplums,” and I adorned wrapped packages with dot candy ribbon. A “Mad-Men" style martini bar brought the look to life and I found pink Cadillac ornaments that were perfect at each place setting. Turquoise and pink were modern substitutes for the more predictable green and red. Don’t be afraid to try new color combinations and explore fun themes in your holiday decorating this year! I'd love to hear about your plans for holiday decorating.