Welcome!
Welcome to my home! A wreath always says welcome, adorned with a bow of course! (I once had a friend say my slogan should be “put a bow on it” and it’s kind of true…I do put ribbon on…a LOT of things 🙂 ).
A personalized door knocker (last year’s Christmas present from my in-laws!) too, says something about the family behind that door.
Knock knock knock. Please, come on in!
Entryway
Here is our entryway, or as some call it, the foyer! This year we have my husband, Scott’s grandfather’s vintage train on display. Assembled on this antique table I found at Curiosities, an antique mall in Beaverton, OR. It’s just the perfect size for our little space.
I use to have our 3′ outdoor cafe table from Ballard Designs in there before but it was just a tad too big and a bit too short. This gives just enough space to greet guests without running into the side of the table, having them leave our home with the lovely gift of a bruise from their visit. 😉
Just past the entry table, is our “hot cocoa” station where we are ready to serve our little (and big!) guests once the cocoa is brewed. A set of collected vintage Santa mugs await the bubbling, marshmallow topped beverage.
Front Room
To the right of the foyer is our front room. We have 12′ ceilings in this room so naturally, this is where the live tree from Furrow Farms sits. Here is where we open Santa’s gifts first thing in the morning. And lucky enough, my sister, brother-in-law and my nephew will be with us for Christmas morning! We’re all so excited to have them here. We’ve sent a note to Santa, letting him know there will be even more stockings to stuff with goodies and trinkets at our house this year.
And of course, my favorite tradition: decorating gingerbread houses! The kids decorated these gems last weekend when Papa Cliff was visiting. Proudly displayed in the front window, I love how their personalities come out in their designs. My daughter, the perfectionist with rainbow order trim and my son the “more is more” creative with a gingerbread man sledding down the roof! Tee hee!
The Dining Room
Connected to the front room is our dining room. Our toile chairs were one of the first pieces of furniture we bought for our first house and each year I keep thinking it’s time to update the fabric. But…then Christmas rolls around and they just look so darn pretty and perfect with all the red!!! Am I the only one that wishes she had a warehouse to trade out the furniture I love depending on the season…?! 🙂
The Bar
Currently, the buffet table in the dining room is set to serve up our Holiday Cocktails! While the kids are in the foyer, the adults can be in the dining room stirring up one of the signature drinks of the season. My “Eleete” Italian Bramble or the Ginger Fizz are two of my favorites, not just for their taste but for their color of course! 🙂 Red, red and more red please!!!
The Kitchen
In the kitchen is where our 5′ nutcracker resides this year, along with all our holiday cards on the chalkboard wall. I usually have him in the foyer greeting everyone that enters but this year, I decided to have all the nutcrackers in the same room. You’ll see… he has a few more little friends… 😉
The Family Room
And finally, the room where our whole family will be lounging around, opening presents all day on December 25th. Adjacent to the kitchen is our family room. With 9 adults, 1 teen and 3 kids here on Christmas day, there will be a few standing, a few sitting, a few on the ground, a few on the couches. It’s crazy chaos but that is what makes the holidays what they are…special!
And what better room to display the collections I have gathered and received in this very room?! The nutcrackers! I have lost count on how many I have (maybe YOU can count in the pictures!) but I started collecting them when we moved to Oregon, 16 years ago. I think I’m “about there” with collecting any more (or, I need a bigger house to display them!) 🙂 but I do love putting them out every year.
Displayed along side them is my second favorite collection: the Santa pictures!!!! Framed in white, you see the kids grow year after year on Santa’s lap. It’s so precious.
The details are what make a home. #designinglifesdetails
Thank you for stopping by and taking a peek into our detailed holiday home! I hope I have inspired you to nestle into your own home, enjoy the traditions and especially enjoy being with the ones you love this Christmas.
Happy Holidays, friend!
xo, Meliss
Melissa K Manos Designs 