Holiday decor: On the wall

For the past ten years we've hosted friends for brunch at our house on New Year's Day when the coffee shop that is our weekly meeting place is closed. We use that event, and the winter holidays in general, as the impetus to rearrange our art. Though we will be the only ones at our house this year, we decided our spirits needed the boost that new art and arrangements provide. 

Mark replaced his three photographs above the Chinese wine tables in the living room with new landscapes. I got to pick a trio my favorites. 

This was a fairly quick and easy project as he just used the mats and frames from the previous photos and rehung them in the same location. 

I set up a display on the table surface below the photos with lots of sliver and gray to complement the photos. 

Mark's preference was to leave it just as it is here; very industrial and sparse. 

No way! I intentionally opted for pairs of pots to hold plants. That's heather in the smaller galvanized pots.

The slightly larger pair of pots got red Cyclamen. I intended to get white-flowered varieties but could not get a pair in the size to fit the pots, so I went with red. 

It occurred to me later, that white flowers would not have shown up against the white wall very well. So red flowers made more sense; though I could not find a pair with matching foliage. Normally I put together much more asymmetrical combinations, but I went with pairs since we had so many.

We've been lighting all the candles in the living room (eight of them!) most nights. It has been such a boost to our spirits, that I just ordered more candles so we can enjoy the light all winter.

Comments

[Kristin]

It's beautiful. I have been tempted to buy more candles, but have had two cats send some of their fur up in poofs, so I am hesitant. I did get several sets of fairy lights for new spots, and that light is very cheerful. Even though it will just be three of us, we have decided to have a kind of English afternoon tea on New Years Day, but for brunch. I will take advantage of any excuse to have scones with cream and jam.

[danger garden]

Looking at the first photo I thought to myself "oh surely she plans to add plants!?"... although I can see the temptation to leave it bare.

(LOVE those containers by the way)

[Linda Brazill]

DANGER — Not surprised you like those containers!

[Linda Brazill]

KRISTEN — Love the idea of English Tea. An elegant and global way to start 2021.

[Kris P]

I understand Mark's aesthetic but, particularly in winter, we need to see a few bold splashes of color!

[ceci]

Wonderful - your selection of landscapes are so evocative of the season. Indoor cyclamen has been very rewarding this year, blooming and blooming. I have no idea what I did right, unfortunately.

ceci

[Lisa at Greenbow]

I am so glad you added that shot of red in your decor. It really livens the arrangement. I find it lots of fun to rearrange items in the house. This year has been a struggle to get myself to do much. For some I am sure it is quite enough. ha...

[Linda Brazill]

CECI — I managed to keep a pair of Orchids I bought last Christmas alive and now they are putting out flower stalks. I think they survived on benign neglect. Amazing how plants get along nicely without us. 

[Linda Brazill]

LISA — I have all kinds of big projects that I keep meaning to start on. I thought the pandemic would be the impetus to do so. But the reality is that life is so confusing and stressful these days, that much less is getting done than I anticipated.