Traditional Holiday Home, Garden - 2014

Here at Panoply, my Christmas style is mostly traditional, with some vintage fusion added to the mix. I am delighted to be joining Brooke Kroeger of Creative Country Mom with her lineup of bloggers for the Holiday 2014 Home Tour & Link Party. The tour series is called, "Christmas in the Country" (a play on her blog title), but you'll be treated to a gamut of styles. Today, I'm sharing some of my traditional Christmas style in my home and garden.

In a series spanning two weeks and more than forty homes, mine is one of four being featured on this first day. If you're visiting from one of the other featured bloggers today (Brooke's, Carolyn's, or Maggie's), welcome!  Come on, let's go inside!

Just inside the front door, I'll take your coat and hang it just beyond the foyer and living room you see below.

We'll pass the dining room as we walk back toward our home's great room space.

Situated just beyond the dining room is our great room area of kitchen, breakfast nook and family room. The family room/TV viewing area is where our Christmas tree is situated, openly visible from many angles in our floor plan. The photo below captures half of the family room, which is a long, rectangular space. One chair is removed to make way for the tree during the holidays, near the fireplace.

The other half of the space is where the TV is located, along with swivel seating for flexibility in TV viewing and/or conversation.

Adjacent to our great room space is our sunroom, filled with lots of natural light. This area can easily seat twelve to fifteen people and, together with the great room, accommodates large crowds easily.

Most of the furniture in the sunroom is indoor/outdoor patio style, but the chaise lounge was scored several years ago at auction and quickly turned this room into my favorite for relaxing, reading and listening to music. This area rug is a very recent addition, and you can read about it here. For the rest of the holiday decor pattern play, I'm mostly using textiles I already had, pulling reds, greens, browns and blacks together for an outdoor, woodsy theme, consistent with prior years.

Just beyond the chaise seating area, there is another part of the sunroom, which easily accommodates more guests.

As you can see, there's a table for four, and three additional chairs. To the left (not pictured) is a matching loveseat glider. I keep a set of snack trays and small, folding teak side tables at the ready, as well as a couple Parsons chairs (one of which is beside the chaise, pictured above).

Pillows, throws, and candles give the room a a feeling of warmth and a soft glow, as do a few strings of white lights on the wreath, the snowman caroler flag, the greenery swag on the baker's rack in the far corner (seen in pictures above), and the olive bucket beside the French doors (seen in photo below).

If we step outside the French doors, we'll be in our courtyard, with the landscape garden beyond. Most of the garden is sleeping for the winter, but the pansies will perk up intermittently throughout the winter when the temps rise and the sun shines, Other plants in the garden will provide fresh cuttings for the season, including magnolia, nandina, red twig dogwood and holly trees.

The garden flag and statuary are also styled for the holidays, as you can see below. The little bookworm dons a hat and scarf in winter months, and two of the four seasons are sporting candy-striped socks as stocking hats.

I hope you'll come back as I ready my home and share more of my Christmas decor this season. I'm still busy decking the halls and making my lists, so there will be plenty more to come.  In the meantime, you're more than welcome to enjoy a look back at my Christmas Home & Garden Tour 2013 - it's still one of my most popular blog posts here at Panoply.

If you've enjoyed this partial tour, then I encourage you to search on any key topic (see "Search This Blog" above my profile picture) for additional reads, and leave a comment with any questions or opinions you want to share. My subjects range from my vintage adventures with my two sisters (together, we call ourselves Panoply), to home and garden topics, and how they all blend together in this panoply of life. I'd love for you to subscribe to my posts, or join my circle of friends on Google+ (both options are on my sidebar at right).

I hope you enjoy the rest of the stops on this two-week tour hosted by Brooke at Creative Country Mom. There promises to be plenty of pin-inspiring material, and there's also a holiday-themed link party where you can join in the fun by adding your own inspiring posts.

Happy Holidays! 

Rita C. at Panoply

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The Rug Compromise

If you're just tuning in to the sunroom rug drama, you can find the last installment here. This is the my compromise, the last chapter in the drama. For now, anyway.

I know, it looks nothing like the rug I initially chose, but it's a versatile rug and I like it well enough that I would also use it elsewhere in the house. After hours of shopping rugs online and in stores, this is the one Mr. P. and I could both agree on. It was what felt like an overwhelming amount of leopard in the previous choice that Mr. P. couldn't handle. Once he said he liked this rug (it was more like "I like the tile, but I know you like a rug"), I unrolled it completely and slid it under the chaise. Then, when he left the room, I moved a couple things around.

The leopard slipcovered Parsons chair was moved more central to the seating arrangement (it was across the room before). The leopard throw was brought back and placed on the chaise. That's better, at least for me it is.

A leopard lumbar pillow that matches the chair slipcover is on backorder. It will likely come after I've started moving more holiday reds into, and autumn browns out of, the mix. Like a recipe, I'll know the right mix when I have it.

Many times a compromise will carry you a lot further in life. No one has to admit being right or wrong. Cold wars aren't good for much of anything, whether big or small. Sometimes, time passing is all you need. After the holidays may be long enough before I get that leopard rug for my office, we'll see. ;)
Do you compromise well in life?  Are there some things you simply cannot compromise?

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Okay, I'll Just Buy Some Shoes - AND a Rug!

Just a quick update to my post on late fall decor changes a couple weeks ago, It's a Jungle Out There (in the Sunroom)!  Within 24 hours of putting the new rug and other accents in the sunroom, words were spoken between Mr. P. and me. I chose to take the high road, and single-handedly rolled that sucker up and re-packaged it, and left the house to return ship it via UPS. I was am not happy.

If I can't have the rug I want....

I'll just buy some shoes. 

So I can walk (or run) away from the drama. Or go style my spaces at the antique mall, where no one but my sister and I get a vote on what stays or what goes.

I'll take a new pair of boots, too, while I'm at it. I might need to kick something.

On second thought, I'll take two pairs of boots.  I have a feeling I'm gonna need them.

Oh yea, I'm still getting a rug, too.  I'm on a mission now.

Thank you to those who weighed in. You simply validated my choice. The only thing I regret is sending that rug back so hastily. When I purchased it, I wholeheartedly anticipated using it in my office (my space) after the holidays. In the heat of that moment when words were spoken and I caved, I guess I cut off my nose to spite my face with my quick return action.  

I've spent hours looking for another rug, both online and in stores, to find one that hits a nerve - in a good way.  Reds are either too orange, or too burgundy. Most of the blacks are too traditional. Neutrals are....well, neutral (I like a little more commotion). Way too many rugs look too trendy, and what everybody else is doing. I may just have to buy that rug back. Seriously. Stay tuned....

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Panoply Big Booth Moves - Again!

Okay, so the local Panoply team (sister M & I) had our booths set for Holiday 2014 last week at the antique mall. We had yet another big move in our spaces this week, bringing the total to three in a span of the last four weeks. We're possibly proving the theory that big moves can prompt big sales, and big sales prompt big moves.

We've added a few new (old) pieces in the styling mix this week. Speaking of mix, the dresser below is my sister M's latest project, and is the first of the items brought in that I'm sharing. This piece of furniture came to my sister through her husband's family, and was originally painted a pale yellow, faded and dulled with age (sorry, no before shots of the piece or its original hardware).

Mirror/dresser in MMS Ironstone, French Enamel

After first lightly sanding, M applied one coat of Miss Mustard Seed's milk paint in Ironstone. Although she liked the color, she still felt the piece was without much more character than its original state. She then applied MMS French Enamel as a second coat and sealed it with MMS Antiquing Wax (applied with a cloth). The new drawer pulls are from Anthropologie, a ceramic white with antiqued metal base. The escutcheons are original to the piece.

Dresser detail

The true color of this dresser is really somewhere between the two photos immediately above. We have fluorescent lighting in our mall that I constantly try to dodge, and our ambient lights, while pretty in our space, don't do photos justice. Pair all the light with adjacent black anything and you have yourself an ameteur photographer's nightmare. I try to take photos with and without lights on, but this day was a long, tiring one, and I was also dodging potential customers. The piece did turn out really well, though, and we love the new look in our space.

Main booth overview, styled with latest additions: dresser, floor lamp, art glass, side chair

Next to the dresser is a really great slag glass floor lamp, made of vaseline and jadeite colored glass. It was acquired from an estate earlier in the year, was unsold at the barn sale in September, and now fits into this mix.

THIS. This (below) is a framed art glass piece I acquired from auction several years ago, and it is resting on metal pegs, in front of the vintage mirror already on the pegboard wall.

Main booth wall: Framed art glass, positioned in front of wall mirror

The design in this art glass is a ming tree in blues and greens. Just inside the wooden frame of the design is another border frame of beveled, clear glass.

Framed art glass, closeup

Again, with the blues and greens of the furniture and floor lamp, this space is working.

We sold the primitive, marble top washstand that was recently in the area pictured above (it was with four Shaker ladderback chairs). In addition to the washstand, one upholstered chair sold, and the floor lamp behind it, during the first week of November. If you recall from prior posts (recap photos follow at end of post), we had two blue upholstered chairs which we moved to the primitive side, in front of our shutter shelving unit.

The replacement chair for the one, blue upholstered chair that sold last week, is in this sturdy straight back chair with a needle-point seat (below).

Side chair addition

This chair serves very well, just ask my brother-in-law, who had a hip replacement a year ago. He needed a chair with arms that he could get up from and sit down in on his own while recovering, and this one did the job. It is so sturdy - definitely suitable for a man.

The Shaker ladderback chairs went back to the primitive side of our space, just in front of our shutter shelving unit.

Once again, here are the Before and After shots of how our spaces morphed in the last week:

Main booth space: (Before) - primitive washstand, Shaker ladderback chairs; (After) - Mirror/dresser, floor lamp, side chair

Primitive Booth Space: (Before) - Upholstered chairs; (After) - Shaker ladderback chairs

Main Booth: (Before) - Corner cubby with 'Mantiques' case resting on top; (After) - Mirror.Dresser

Many of our dealers have an advantage in sales at our antique mall, simply because they work one or more days a week as clerks in the mall. We do not work in the store, other than styling and fluffing our booths once a week. We've had a great start to November, pushing us to our latest changes in our spaces for the third time in a month. We're enjoying the ride, and are ready for the next wave.

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Panoply Booth Spaces - Holiday 2014

The last two weeks have been concerted efforts to get our antique mall spaces ready for Panoply's 2014 holidays.  I'll let the photos do most of the talking.  Caution! You're about to enter the Panoply holiday zone.

Vintage Christmas Corner

We are not huge fans of the typical kitsch of vintage Christmas, but we do like to take the opportunity to cluster some items in a display that lets our customers know we're in the spirit. You'd be surprised at the guys who look at the toys!  We had a 1960's Hot Wheels case with diecast cars that sold as soon as we put it out!

1950s game boards, Christmas tree vintage brooch art, 1938 ad print, Victorian skates

The Christmas tree altered art 3D print is made of vintage jewelry (photo above, top rt). I had this displayed two years and someone actually stole a huge, clear central brooch right off the frame!  I just repaired it with new (old) jewels this year, and hung it higher. I guess desperate people do desperate things.

1938 ad print:  "Christmas Morning - Comin' from de Store"

1913 Original Erector Set;  Vintage '40s, '50s, '60s toys; holiday sheet music

Our Salvation Army vintage kettle, bell interpretation, with architectural angel; green & red vintage glassware

We also added a few items to the shelving unit in our 'living room' corner, along with some textiles in the form of toss pillows and footstool.

Ice skates, textiles and other vintage holiday smalls added to the "living room"

Vintage textiles are a Panoply staple, and we try to group them to make it easy for those who are looking for the holiday selections.

Vintage holiday textiles

Last year we housed all our Shiny Brites in a galvanized wash tub; this year they rest in a coal hod. The wooden jug on the floor next to the "HILLBILLY" altered (WV) license plate sign was once used for moonshine.

"Hillbilly Holiday": Shiny Brites stored in coal hod; wooden bowl full of New Year's Eve noisemakers

Over in our original booth space (we often call it the main booth, but only because we rented it first), things are more subdued.  The holiday looks more like Thanksgiving, with natural tones and decor.

Holiday Kitchen Corner: subtle changes to the decor with textiles, wreaths

I'm sort of a turkey platter hoarder, and any time we're on the hunt and see one well-priced, I generally pick them up. I sold one at the barn sale in September, and have the one pictured below, a favorite of mine, in the store right now. I have a few more in storage that are variations of the 'Tom Turkey' (not the rare one) transferware version at the ready, should this one sell.

Turkey platter

Just a few weeks ago I posted on some flips we made in our booth spaces (Prim(itive) to Proper). It accomplished what we wanted - sales of some furniture - so we changed things up again in preparation for our holiday displays last week.  No sooner than we got home, we got the call that a couple more pieces had sold (nesting tables we had separated for surface display), so we took in a couple more tables (below).

We've had several Annalee characters sell in the store, and the one below is all that remains.

1963 Annalee Santa with Stocking; brass bugle candlesticks

Last year I purchased new window candles for my home, so I brought in two sets I was storing (electric, along with battery operated photosensor ones that were never used) to see if others could use them.

Wool throw, welcome lights and silver bells in case

Glassware seems to do well during the holiday season particularly. Below is a nice and heavy, fluted cake pedestal with dome.  Resting on the pedestal are five "Boopie" sherbet glasses.

'Boopie' sherbet glasses under vintage cake dome.

Sometimes when we do the booth space shuffles, it's hard to even remember how it looked just prior to any change. That's one of the many reasons I love photographing our spaces, and keeping the many online albums I have. Below are a few photos of "Now and Then" shots - capturing how the spaces look now, and what they looked like just prior to these latest changes. I did the same sort of recap in the Prim(itive) to Proper post link I referenced above.

Now and Then:  Christmas Corner was Previously the Old School Vignette

Now and Then:  the bench in old school vignette now sits where the garden table (now in the Christmas corner), and the four-square display with 'Mantiques' case resting on top were previously.

Now and Then: four-square display with 'Mantiques' resting on top is in the kitchen corner; the green primitive cabinet sold.

The collage below is a photo that will prompt us when we see a 'hole' upon returning to our spaces. These shots always help identify what sold.

Collage of holiday smalls throughout the booth spaces

So, Panoply is ready for the season. Now all I have to do is get back to my own personal holiday planning! I do love the Christmas holiday season, but I plan to stick with my tried-and-true menu plan, as well as my traditional red and green decor, with perhaps only a few changes, as time and enthusiasm allow.

How about you?  Do you stick with a tried-and-true approach to holiday decor, or do you like to have different wow factor elements each year?  Are you traditional in your color scheme?  Real or faux tree(s)?

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