This is my favorite annual post, "our" Christmas house.
Geneva, Illinois is a Currier and Ives postcard kind of town particularly during the holidays. Every season five local businesses are chosen to dress five homes in the season's glory for the annual Christmas Walk and House Tour. Along with a vibrant downtown decorated en masse, roasting chestnuts, carolers, the lighting of the BIG tree in the courthouse lawn, Santa, carriage rides.....this is a truly special event!
This year was the perfect combination of a charming historic home, that everyone remarked on how they wanted to live here, and an ideal family who allowed us free reign, and creativity with a very warm welcome
Combine the above with a talented staff and a professional photographer to create the magic we hoped to provide to the visitors, all 3,200 of them!
This seasons theme was Woodland with natural elements; cones, birch, feathers, acorns, nests....
Come on in........you may want to settle in with a coffee or maybe it is happy hour, where you are, there are many photo's to share.
The original wide planked floors are protected for the crowds.
When one enters; bedrooms up, master left, family room to the right. The staircase was intentionally sedate, not all elements need to take center stage
The master bed and bath
This gorgeous settee with undulating lines belonged to the home owners grandmother
Immediately to the right is the family room with it's three trees
Open birch bark "tubes" filled with greens, lights, acorns and feathers
The trees were heavily dressed in Twinkle Lights, teeny lights on strands with 5 speeds from fading lights to rapid pulses
In the homeowners wooden dough bowl lies a variety of greens (faux), cones, leaves, sprays and our metal sphere with frosted votive holder
Ornaments consisted of numerous silver bells, tiny feather trees, glittering sprays of boston ivy and a glittered, open weave ribbon. Some of the ribbons had all of their rounded bow portions cut down the middle thereby creating a big star effect
The family Bible originated in Austria, 1896
The dining room is where I went a tad crazy......more than a tad?
The look in here is an English still life, just arriving after a hunt for an abundance of food and drink.
I brought some treasured items from home and vintage merchandise newly arrived to the shop from England
The candles beside the pheasant are the new battery operated tapers. With dancing "flames" they truly look real. As you can see here they are nestled close to the greens without fear
Real trees, flexible faux wooden sticks that can be wound in any fashion. In person everyone was astonished that they were not real. With all the activity in the room, these sticks were the only adornment
Yes, this is a LOVELY kitchen!
Feast your eyes on the homeowners Spode dinnerware lusciously embellished with confectionaries from the renown Chef Alain Roby of
All Chocolate Kitchen. The large spun sugar art at the rear of his display is utilized as a lighting fixture
Chef Roby's
Aroma Line of truffles, each hand painted with exotic flavors such as Aged Balsamic Caramel, Bananas Flambe', Marguerita, Red Velvet, Japan Green Tea......all made with Grand Cru chocolate, the highest grade of chocolate in the world
On the other end of the kitchen is the wine cooler, mini fridge, et al, overlooking the eastern courtyard. Perfect for morning coffee, croissant, newspaper....privately. One of the aspects of this unique home is two courtyards, no lawn. Even this gardener found this attractive!
A continuation of our woodland theme with 'snow', greens and upright birch bark tubes filled with greens and sparkly elements. Look closely here and the previous photo to see the curtain of mini"snowballs" hanging from above. Our floral designer, Leslie, hand crafted these of varying sized snowballs threaded onto fishing line and hung from above. This was one of the most commented on design element in the house
The eastern courtyard
Subdued in greens, grays and whites
Coming back in we head towards the exit but not before seeing our Charley Brown tree at the back stairs with tumbling elements of folly.
We exit towards the western courtyard via the laundry room. Us being us, the laundry room had to be festive.
Eventually I decided to have a bit of fun in the sink with a series of Martha Stewart crepe paper snowflake balls, (colorful language was used during assembly) white frosted ornaments and ribbons of glittered snow mats over strands of twinkle lights.
See the plate of cookies for Santa? We took a bite out of each for display purposes and with the thought that no one would partake. You guessed it, several went missing!
The western courtyard, ideal for dinner and cocktails. Didn't I tell you this house was ideal?! The fire pit was wrapped in greens and berries, an armillary topped it off
For a lit tree in a corner we used a french bottle drying rack as the tree stand, have to say I loved how that turned out
Goodbye lovely home, we enjoyed you and your family!
Now, I had best begin to think about Christmas at my home!
With love,
Debra
Our Team........
Leslie Juby, floral designer
Monica Kratovil, manager
Agnes Smith, assistant designer
Steve Phillips, lighting and helping hands
Nancy Villwock, photographer
Chef Roby, Chocolate!
