Monday, December 7, 2015

Creating Christmas with Silver and Gold

Christmastime is probably my favorite time of year. Unlike any other season or event, I go all out in decorating the house and garden for Christmas. Although I'm not one to go out and overhaul my holiday decor from year to year with buying new things, I like to think of different ways to display parts of my existing collections of vintage and antique things. I stick to a traditional red and green mix, with plenty doses of gold and silver for good measure. Several of my decor displays for Christmas are everyday displays, mixed up a bit for a holiday look.

This year, one of the things I changed up was a bell cloche that is displayed in my sunroom, year-round. It's usually displaying objects of nature (nests, shells, acorns, pinecones, etc.), but this time it has a holiday spin. For Christmastime, it's a silver bell! I merely took all of my vintage baby cups, both sterling and silverplate, and mixed them up inside my bell cloche for a Christmas display.
At nighttime, the silver bell cloche lights up with an auto-timed, battery-operated wired string of lights. Simple and sweet.
Other doses of silver are being used in my holiday decor. I have a collection of antique and vintage napkin rings, both sterling and silverplate. I use these rings for the family buffet I host on Christmas Eve, for up to 35 of my immediate family. My collection of napkins rings is large, but I also have a subset within the collection of monogrammed napkin rings (pictured below). 
Antique & Vintage, Monogrammed Napkin Rings: Starting Clockwise, Top L: Mollie, Caroline, Jeff, Mary, "G", Clara, Kristine, Robert, Frank, Norma
Another thing I changed for this year's Christmas decor is my collection displayed in my vintage WWII ammunition basket, last styled for my fall home tour, here. Instead of vintage wooden cutting boards, I'm now showcasing my vintage silverplate trays with a tartan runner on the basket's edge. This basket conveniently rests on the floor, beside my refrigerator, leading into the dining room.
In my dining room, there's a mix of gold and silver, some used in everyday display, others mixed in for Christmas, both right at home, side by side. Below is a collage sampler of my mix of silver and gold used in the dining room, kitchen, and stairway leading upstairs.
What's your preference for using silver and gold in your decor? Do you lean toward one or another, or like using them both together? Do you use gold and silver just for the holidays, or everyday? Is it the same for your choice in jewelry? Have your tastes changed over the years with trends, or has just your personal style changed, regardless of trends?

As always, your visits, comments and loyal readership are welcome, and much appreciated!
Rita C. at Panoply

Sharing with any given number of these fine hosts:

No comments:

Post a Comment