On the DesignQuotient™ blog, DesignCoach™ Los Angeles Designer James Swan answers readers’ questions. Post your design dilemma today.
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This week on the DesignCoach: Keeping Your Holiday Real Around the World
While I ponder and research all manner of decorations around the world I continue chipping away at those that grace my home. Notable destinations around the world, decorated for the holidays, continue to come into my awareness and these I share with you.
Headed to England? Make time for a Holiday Tour of Blenheim Palace. Blenheim Palace is home to the 11th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. Set in 2100 acres of beautiful parkland landscaped by ‘Capability’ Brown, the magnificent Palace is surrounded by sweeping lawns, award-winning formal gardens and the great Lake, offering a unforgettable day out for all.
Blenheim Palace is a unique example of English Baroque architecture. Inside, the scale of the Palace is beautifully balanced by the intricate detail and delicacy of the carvings, the hand painted ceilings and the amazing porcelain collections, tapestries and paintings displayed in each room. On the first floor ‘Blenheim Palace: The Untold Story’ brings to life enticing tales from the last 300 years.
Situated in Woodstock, just 8 miles from Oxford, the Palace was created a World Heritage site in 1987.
Enjoy these pictures of the palace decorated for the holidays.
Closer to my home the decorating project is moving along nicely. Before we look at some of yesterday’s progresss I’ve been asked to review the Here are 5 Steps to Beautiful-Holiday-Design:
1. What resources are at your disposal? Look through the attic, basement and spar closets and gather an accurate inventory of holiday decorations on hand.
2. Create a “decoration map”. Put on paper the areas of your home which you want to decorate. WRITE IT DOWN.
3. Pick your theme. You can use one theme throughout the house or on a room-by-room basis. What inspires you? What makes you smile? What family traditions would you like to feature?
4. Allocate your resources. Knowing what you have tells you what you need. Make your lists and then take a serious look at your budget. Realize that holiday decorations, like holiday traditions, roll-over from year to year.
5. Make your schedule. As we’ve said there are 24 days ahead which are filled with great demands on our time. Set reasonable goals and get everyone in the family involved. Time spent together is always time well spent.
Yesterday I became a cream velvet bow-making machine! It took some practice as the weatherproof ribbon I purchased was more difficult to work with than I had anticipated. Practice does make perfect. The greens and pinecones collected last week before our first snow fall joined in the process of creating sprays to resolve the swags on the stair-railing. A bit of florist wiring, a favorite holiday CD and a few hours of time resulted in a completed stair-railing of which I am pleased; simple, elegant and completely without fuss.
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