Ideas from the Home for the Holidays Showhouse That You Can Do at Home
This year’s Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles holiday showhouse featured some of the best designers in Atlanta and gave us so many creative and beautiful ideas.
After writing a post similar to this last year about ideas from a showhouse that had a hospitality-focus, I decided to make it an annual tradition. This past weekend, I visited the annual Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Home for the Holidays Showhouse and saw some great ideas that I think anyone could replicate at home.
If you’re not familiar with showhouses, the ideas is, 12-20 designers are chosen and each one does a room in their own style. Then in this case, they decorate it for the holidays. Showhouses are fabulous places to get some of the best ideas from some of the most talented designers in the area.
To keep it (sort of) simple, I chose seven to share here. The images don’t do the house justice, especially as took them myself. But, since this post is just about the take-home moments, hopefully they work.
BRILLIANT (AND BEAUTIFUL) WAY TO STORE THE FIREWOOD
On either side of this gorgeous fireplace was custom etageres. The designer used the bottom shelf of each to store the firewood. Brilliant.
designer: Chris Holt
SET THE TABLE
Personally, I think we can do this all year, as long as the dining room table isn’t also the homework table and the crafts table. Whether you have guests coming over or not, this is a beautiful way to add some festivity during any holiday (not to mention use the china!)
designer: Jena Salmon
WRAP WITH THE ROOM
In this Master Bedroom, James wrapped gifts that complimented the colors and the style of the space.
designer: James Wheeler
CREATIVE SPACES
This space is under the staircase (see inset image). Whether you ever actually sit here or just use it to display lovely pieces that don’t go anywhere else (or that you don’t want your guests sitting upon!).
designer: Anna-Louise Wolfe
THE READING NOOK
You can see the long hallway in the inset photo. Where most people would have just put a piece of art or a bench, the designer made it into a useful and cozy space.
designer: Grayson Pratt
OPEN YOUR BOOKS
How many coffee table books do we have floating around? Well, they are just as beautiful on the inside, so open them up and display them! On an easel, a table, a music stand, etc. Great conversation piece!
designer: Maria McLaurin
ART IN THE CABINETS
Granted, this has been done for a while, but it’s still a great reminder. With all of the open and glass cabinetry these days, what a perfect place to display a piece of art.
kitchen and pantry
DECORATE THE SHOWER (& OTHER UNEXPECTED SPOTS)
Do you have a guest bath that you use for entertaining, but rarely use for guests? Why not make it a surprising a fun moment? Anything from wreaths, to Santas, to snowmen.
So, there you go. Find new ways to add moments of surprise and delight in your decorating this holiday.
Consider storing logs in an etargere or bottom shelf of a bookcase.
Set the table - show off that china!
Wrap the Room - you can always wrap empty boxes that coordinate with the room - they are decorations themselves.
Creative spaces - find the little nooks and lost spaces and make them the most special in the house.
Open up your coffee table books rather than just stacking them.
Display art in a cabinet, behind the dishes or other objects.
Decorate in unexpected places.
