Some of the biggest stars on the Palm Beach decorating scene lent their talents to the event, so that a walk down the garden path at evening time reveals holiday trees lighted and decorated – some in the old-fashioned style and others in the mood of today. There is even a tree decorated with black-and-white baubles, and another features twigs and branches – giving the standard green fir something to talk about. The event is open for tours through Dec. 16; call (561) 832-5328 for details.
Palm Beach is always festive during the winter holidays, and the palm trees along the major thoroughfares in the village are even decorated with big red bows. Red bows are all over town, yes, and in West Palm Beach as well. The world-class health club, Ultima, located at Dixie Highway and Clematis, has red bows about to keep the holiday workout hours filled with cheer.
If you are planning Christmas décor, or even the décor for your guest room, think red. Bed linens can give a guest room great sparkle. Why not cover your bed at holiday time with white linens trimmed in red? And for fun, you can add a small boudoir throw pillow of bright red as well.
I always enjoy accessorizing my bathrooms with bright red and maybe a few emerald green towels for the season. Red is definitely the color for the day, and who gets the credit for all the red? Only one person – and we all know who that jolly old man is – the one, the only Santa Claus in his red suit trimmed in white. I won't forget Santa's cap, either – jolly bright red with a snowball at the tip that simply finishes off the outfit.
I love rooms that are red, and I'm all for painting a room, or rooms, red for all-year-round enjoyment. Here is a scheme featuring red that you may wish to use in your dining room. Paint all walls bright red and all the trim a Santa Claus-snowball white. The ceiling can be covered with a silver-foil tea paper. From the center of the ceiling over the dining table, hang a crystal chandelier with a silvered frame.
For a dining table, choose a contemporary look: How about black lacquer? You can set the table with placemats of a black-and-white houndstooth pattern and accessorize with big Christmas-red napkins.
Glassware can be old-fashioned Waterford stemware, the kind with lots of those great prismatic cuts in the glass. How I enjoy that old fashioned Waterford. Never fret if Grandma left you her Waterford crystal. It works with every style of dining décor – contemporary, French, Queen Anne, ultramodern, even Oriental.
For a Christmas look on your dining table, I would line the center of the table with green fir branches into which you can set bright and thick red candles and red berries. Now, since Christmas is upon us, instead of Chinoisserie black dining chairs with red chenille seats, why not make slip-covered back cushions for the chairs? The slip covers – and they are easy to make – can be fabricated of white satin, edged in red satin with backs tied in bows – yes, red satin bows. The white satin can be used at windows all year long as drapery, trimmed in black braid and hung from black lacquer poles on black rings.
Hooray for the holidays and all those sparkling lights! Be careful, however, not to overload your outlets – and be aware of the costs of energy these days. It's always best to make sure the lights are turned off when no one is there to enjoy the sparkles.
I have been installing the design of a residence in Palm Beach for the theatrical producer and theater owner James Nederlander and his wife, Charlene, this week. The Nederlanders both love red, and because it is a motivating color, always have some touches of this favorite hue in their homes as well as in their theaters. In fact, Jimmy Nederlander directs me in theater design, as follows: "Anything you choose for my theater Carleton, is OK with me – as long as it is red." Mr. Nederlander directs – and red it is!
If you're shopping Palm Beach for holiday presents, think red when it comes to picking out that special accessory for a friend or family member. In fact, why not make your complete gift list red? For the young men on your list, what about bright red polo shirts from any number of manufacturers – La Coste, being my favorite – or from Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren or Brooks Bros. Also on my "like very much" list are red pullover shirts, great for all-year use.
For the homemaker with an eye for energy and for home decorating, may I suggest some red gifts. Here are a dozen gift and decorating ideas that can brighten up the home.
• A large red glass bowl for fruit or for floating white gardenias. Make certain the bowl is not too deep – cereal depth is perfect.
• A set of red-glass water glasses, preferably on stems. Red water glasses always give a dining table some new magic.
• A crystal-draped powder-room chandelier, maybe a small one with a black wrought-iron frame. Crystal can be clear as well as red.
• A red lacquer box to place on a coffee table. The interior part of the box might be finished in black lacquer in the Oriental fashion.
• A red leather desk set with a pencil case as well as a blotter. Leather work can also be gold- or black-tooled.
• A set of handsome bright-red drink coasters – perhaps those that are needlepointed or gros-pointed.
• A set of 12 dessert plates of red glass on which to place the summertime dessert of strawberry shortcake or the Christmas dessert of plum pudding with hard sauce.
• A Venetian mirror, featuring a border of clear mirror and red mirror – but all etched. Inexpensive Venetian-glass mirrors made in India are seen all over the market these days.
• Small red lampshades to place on the candles of a chandelier.
• A red porcelain lamp for an end table. The lamp can have a black opaque shade. Visit the Web site of Christopher Spitzmiller (www.christopherspitzmiller.com) for a look-see at some great lamp designs.
• A shaggy red cotton bath mat for the bathroom and also a set of bright-red washcloths for year-round. Or try some red plastic shower curtain rings to make a white shower curtain sparkle.
• And on the 12th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me – a bright red chef's apron to use whenever I bake Christmas cookies!
Your Family Decorator wishes you all a happy holiday shopping season.
Interior designer, author and columnist Carleton Varney is the president and owner of Dorothy Draper & Co. in New York City, one of the oldest established interior design firms in the United States. Varney's worldwide roster of clients includes many in Palm Beach. He welcomes comments, suggestions and decorating questions from readers. E-mail him at cvarney@dorothydraper.com or write to him at Carleton Varney, c/o Darrell Hofheinz, Palm Beach Daily News, 265 Royal Poinciana Way, Palm Beach 33480.
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source: palmbeachdailynews.com
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