Hello everyone! I’m so happy to have you here for Part 1 of my Christmas home tour. If you’re coming over from Our Southern Home, I’m sure you are just as inspired by Christy’s festive home as I was!
I am so thankful that Marty, at A Stroll Thru Life, asked me to be part of the tour this year, and I’m excited to meet some new people, so let’s get on with the tour.
I shared my music room yesterday, so you can see more of that HERE.
If you’ve never been here before, you should know I am all about vintage, antique, repurposing, recycling and color. I like an eclectic mix of the authentic, well-traveled accessories, and meaningful family items. Because my husband and I are in ministry, we do not have a large budget, so I have become very thrifty and creative. Being musicians, Christmas is a busy time for us and I always like to get things decorated so we can enjoy our down time here at home with the children.
(You can find our more about me and why I do things the way I do HERE.)
Our house is really small, but we make it work for our family of five. We use *every* square inch of it, so I need it to function but also want it look pretty at the same time.
I’m sharing my open living and dining space today all decorated for Christmas. Last year I was all about red and plaid, so this year I was really ready to bring back the pink, and I could not be happier.
My thrift shop French couch was a whopping $50 and I still love it, even after getting rid of the dark brown leather I had. I love kilim pillow covers, and these are right at home with the Chinese silk pillows I made.
I did not drag everything out this year and replace it with “Christmas,” but instead added Christmas accessories and greenery here and there like my grandmother did.
I grouped my vintage ceramic trees with a Cherokee basket, Spanish Holy Family, and an antique lamp base my grandmother painted.
Obviously, I love pink, and my new fuchsia overdyed rug from Unique Rug Store really makes a bold statement and anchors the color in the room.
I am crazy about Turkish rugs especially and bought a couple on trips there while I was in the U.S. Air Force.
After digging up and dragging a tree out of the woods the last couple years, I bought an Everland Nobilis Fir tree this year, and I love it! It looks so real and has that scraggly open look I prefer.
I am really not a “designer tree” kind of gal. I did that for years, then realized what I really wanted were Christmas trees like I had growing up. So out came the tinsel, vintage Shiny Brites, Jewel Brites, paper snowflakes made by my husband and children, and colored lights.
I topped the tree with my great grandmother’s angel:-)
I don’t have stacks of perfectly wrapped gifts under the tree and was feeling pretty accomplished to get four wrapped because I’m usually up at 3 a.m. on Christmas Eve trying to get gifts wrapped.
I added some cozy throws since we do like to watch DVDs here, especially during the Christmas season.
I remember this nativity from my grandmother’s house, and was thrilled when my mom found it a couple years ago. I couldn’t wait to have it out.
I always stick varieties of pine branches in antique vinegar jars my grandfather saved.
My great grandmother’s chaise is a pretty awesome place for the Sunday afternoon nap any time of year.
Directly behind the living area is the dining space.
I placed the yule log my dad made for my mom on an old chestnut board and added juniper branches, pine cones and Shiny Brites.
I also used some of the vintage candles my mom found from my childhood. I am so in love with these twist candles.
My mom found a huge set of this 1950s Royal “Currier and Ives” dinnerware several years ago, and I get it out every winter. I “fancied” it up with antique sterling silver flatware, Wallace “Louvre,” and crystal iced tea glasses.
I rescued the 1970s GE Mustang II record player from my parents a few months ago, and have enjoyed playing some vinyl. Seriously.
I always have an old door on this wall, but decided to switch it out with one of the screen doors from the old house. After ripping off the old screen, literally yesterday afternoon, I cleaned it up and placed a large Balsam branch into a garden urn and added Shiny Brites and sheet music snowflakes.
I made the dining table about 10 years ago from wormy chestnut wood and had a local craftsman make the base. The bench came from World Market but I stripped the old kilim upholstery off and recovered it in burlap.
Here is a peek at the kitchen where I just added some greenery, ribbon and vintage pieces belonging to my grandmother.
I love these aprons my grandmother made. She actually did wear them during Christmas.
Probably my most treasured Christmas items are my grandmother’s vintage Commodore Candy Cane and “spaghetti” angel candle holders. She always had them on her dining room window sill, and I keep them here in the kitchen.
I’ll be sharing more of the kitchen later. I was lucky to get this much decorated and photographed. You just can’t see what was shoved out of camera view:-)
Just for fun, you can see last year’s very different whole tourHERE.
I’m so glad you came by today, and so happy to be part of this tour. Here are all the homes featured this week, so you will want to be sure to visit them all then come back here on Friday to link up your home!
Monday, Dec. 7
Tuesday, Dec. 8
Wednesday, Dec. 9
Thursday, Dec. 10
Friday, Dec. 11
Thanks for stopping by!
I’ll be joining:
I absolutely adore your home. The use of pinks is just beautiful. AND what a steal that couch was! Merry Christmas!
Thanks Christy! Yes, I basically stole that couch, lol!!
Your home is always such a treat to see and I love how you use and cherish your family heirlooms. Every space is so beautifully decorated and so many wonderful stories to tell. Gorgeous tour and I really love your pink.
Thanks so much Marty!!
I love, love, love the pinks, purples etc in you décor. Your house is always beautiful, but it truly shines at Christmas time. Love the bokeh in your first photo.
Thank you Penny:-) I'm finding myself just crazy about the pinks these days!!
Your home is so beautiful! Love your tree! Love all the treasures from the past!
Debbie
Thanks Debbie!!
Your home is so gorgeous, warm and inviting. You've decorated it so beautifully for Christmas. Every little detail speaks to your wonderful style!
Thanks Pam!!
Oh Anita your gorgeous home brought tears to my eyes from the loveliness. I adore the beauty but the sentiment captured my heart. Bravo!
Thank you Laura:-)
Anita, it is always fun browsing the blogs, especially during the holiday season. Yours is especially delightful because your style is unique and never the same old same old that happens to be trending at a given time. Your Christmas decor in the living area is delightful with the pinks and fuchsia hues. I really like the tree you chose and, judging from the photos, it does look like a natural tree. I hope you and your family are having a blessed season. Merry Christmas to you all!
Oh thank you Lynn SO much!! I hope your CHristmas was merry:-)
Beautiful tour, Anita. I love your old fashioned tree. It brings back memories of the way my grandmother decorated hers. I remember going and visiting and it was covered in shiny tinsel and colored lights. Congrats on your spread in the Romantic Homes magazine. I was in the grocery store today just flipping through and there was your house and done by you. Great job!
Thank you Kim!! Yes, I think about my grandmother and love looking at photos of her trees for inspiration:-)
Oh, Anita! Everything looks so beautiful. I really love your scraggly tree, that's so me! And your pretty table and yule log. It's so gratifying to see a home dressed up so festively on a budget—that takes cleverness and an abundance of creativity and I know you have that.
Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Jane x
Thank you Jane!
Your home is amazing at Christmas Anita….and I am crushing over that gorgeous tree!….Thanks for making our day with your most beautiful home!
Thank you Shirley!
Oh I loved the tour, so many things to love! My Grandmother had those little nativity scenes to…and yes I still have them! The white ceramic trees look great grouped together. Your tree is gorgeous! Love that you put tinsel on it, I never think a tree is finished unless it has tinsel. You also have the currier and ives dishes I grew up at home. So enjoyed all those pieces that popped out at me. Thanks for stopping by to visit me at A Sentimental Life!
Oh wow, you grew up with the Currier and Ives, how special they must have been!! Thank you so much!
Love your unique style! that pink rug in the living room!!! So gorgeous!
Thanks Claire! I'm crazy about that rug, lol:-)
Love the Commodore candy cane, so cute! It must smell like Christmas in your home. Kathleen in Az
Thank you Kathleen! I just love the smell of pine:-)
Lovely!
Merry Christmas,
d
Thanks Deanna!
It was so much fun touring your beautiful home and admiring all those beloved treasures! Love the pink and fuchsia combo.
Thank you Cristina! Yes, I'm crazy about the pink shades!
I love your style Anita! Your living space is my favorite with the saturated pops of pink! I am so glad to have met you through Marty's tour. You have a new follower. Happy Holidays! Jennifer@decoratingdelirium
Thank you Jennifer!!
So beautiful!
Enjoy your weekend…
Titti
Thank you Titti!!
Hi Anita, your Home Tour is gorgeous, and I just opened my Romantic Homes where you stole the show with that huge feature. Congrats, it's amazing!!!!
Thank you Debra! It was a dream come true:-)
Hola Anita… tienes una casa muy acogedora y bella… me encanta la alfombra particularmente.
Cielo
¡Muchas gracias Cielo!! Me encanta la alfombra especialmente:-)