Before: In
this 70s-era home, an overwhelming large and solid brick facade rose
almost to the ceiling, closing off the light to the living room and
dramatically dating the home.
For
a contemporary spin on this most traditional of holidays, Linda used
clean lines, geometric shapes and bold colors that honor the season’s
color scheme, but with a non-traditional twist. On the glass coffee
table, she placed containers in curved shapes and dramatic textures.
The black and white mother-of-pearl mosaic vase shows off spiky lime
green mums, an oval vase with a bronze rope-like texture is strong
enough to handle the drama of blood-red peonies in full bloom, and the
sunflower pods peeking out of a shiny black vase pick up the colors and
textures of their two companions. Notice how the curves of the vessels
and the table soften the angular lines of the architecture. And of
course, always light your fireplace if you have one. What could be more welcoming than a blazing fire at Christmas?
Nothing says Christmas like a tree, but we couldn’t find anything in the law books saying it has
to be an evergreen. Here, a scraggly Charlie Brown-style castoff branch
was given a sparkly makeover with glued-on bugle beads and
decorated with shimmering gold balls and a silver star. And talk about
repurposing! The tree’s “root ball” is wrapped in a ruffled shawl
from Linda’s closet – she wore it over her dress last New’s Year’s Eve!
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After:
A streamlined charcoal plastered fireplace - with a notch for extra
surprise - is a fabulously pleasing focal point. The smaller scale of
the fireplace and the elimination of two skinny posts allow
easy flow of both traffic and spirit between the two rooms.
Quarter-sawn red oak planks replaced dated beige carpeting in the
dining room, and the living room was raised one step to better relate
to adjoining rooms. And while you might never recognize them in
their new setting, the old library shelves and coffee table
remain, both given new life with a few coats of paint.
Candles
have a spectacular impact and a luxurious elegance when grouped
together. You can see how they fill the notch in the fireplace with
movement and light, inviting guests to step up into the room and browse
the selection of books bathed in their glow. Linda used her own
Appleglow candles in a mixture of Golden, Crimson, Ginger and Verde.
All six colors in a range of sizes can be ordered from our website’s store.
We hope your holiday glows with the light of life’s blessings and the smiles of friends and family!
Linda Applewhite & Associates
TOP: John Hull, Laurie Soldmann, Shawn Man Roland
BOTTOM: Jackie Schaeffer, Linda Applewhite, Pat Emrich
SNOWSHOEING IN SANTA FE: Marshall Miller and Toby
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