If you are like most people, it is suddenly November and the thoughts of how to pull the house together can be overwhelming!
I’m Chris Shields, a Colorado-based specialist in designing and decorating homes that grow love and graciously welcome people in to create lifelong memories.
In today’s post I’m going to give you two decorating and hosting tips you can do now that will help you get ready for the holiday season that’s just a few months away.
Freshen Up Your Rooms with New Paint Colors Before the Holidays
Vista Design Consultations: Expert Guidance Before the Holiday
Holiday Table Setting Ideas: China & Tableware Worth the Investment
Conclusion: Bringing It All Home for the Holidays
When I start designing and crafting a room for my clients, one of the first questions I have focuses on a foundational element of the space – color! Color sets the personality of the room, and I intend to capture your personality in that color.
Starting with a room color refresh now gives you plenty of time to select a great color, get the sheen right, and get the space painted - whether you do it yourself or you schedule a professional painter.
If you have been designing and decorating your own home, you might have found the task of selecting paint colors for your own home stressful since everyone has their own rules or opinions on how to do it correctly. Here are the questions I ask to help my clients home in on the perfect color for their rooms:
The answers to the above questions will be subjective, but that’s the point – they will focus on who you are, and they will lean you into color selections you’ll resonate with immediately.
For instance, if you are selecting a color for your dining room where you’ll host family and casual friends and want to feel energized and ready to linger for boisterous conversation, you might lean into these colors:
Let’s say you’d love a new color for your living room where you’ll host and entertain your boss or your company’s investors and you’d like it to feel sophisticated, expansive, and rich; you might contemplate these colors:
Finally, if you want your space to amplify your favorite furnishings or allow the drapery in your favorite color or pattern you already have really pop out from the walls, lean into these ideas:
If you follow these color selection tips today, you can have a room with a whole new energy and presence within the next few weeks and be ready well before the holidays arrive!
A great resource for some of my favorite sophisticated paint and finish lines is Lovejoy & Company, right in the heart of the Colorado Front Range and Denver. L&C carries one of my preferred lines of quality paints – Farrow & Ball. Whether interior or exterior, Lovejoy can help you home in on enduring finishes for your home projects.
I’d also like to share a great professional resource for painting. Remember, a great professional painter starts by telling you how they will keep your place clean as well as your furnishings free from drops of paint! My go-to for all my design projects is Colorado Quality Painting. Chris Tippen and his team of pros are courteous, thorough, extremely detail-oriented, and will deliver fresh spaces and jaw-dropping results.
If the above ideas are already having you feeling a bit frozen on what to do next, I know my immersive design and decoration consultations will help you move forward with creative momentum.
Sometimes what a home truly needs is clarity. I created our Vista Consultation service for design-conscious homeowners who may be navigating a single room refresh, a functional challenge, or a long-overdue update.
Here is what you’ll receive as a part of this service:
Whether you are selecting paint colors, refining a floor plan, designing custom drapery, or simply trying to move forward with confidence, Vista Consultations provides focused guidance tailored specifically to your home.
Many homeowners enjoy tackling projects over time, and Vista was designed to support exactly that.
We currently have a few spots in our schedule for thoughtful DIY homeowners who simply want expert guidance along the way.
Now is a great time to begin and be ready for the holiday season ahead!
There are a couple of words in the design and decoration lexicon that we need to address. Over the years, I have experienced the stigma surrounding these two layers of any quality design project: China for the tables and drapery for the windows!
Today I’m going to touch on a couple of topics and resources for setting the table nicely. Yes, China can still have a floral pattern, but when was the last time you really checked out the world of fine plates and cutlery? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say, “I just don’t want my grandmother’s China.”
Whether you want a floral or botanical pattern on your tableware or not, don’t knock Grandma for her taste and talent for setting an inviting table. Isn’t setting a gracious and welcoming table what it is all about?!
Here are the questions I ask to help my clients home in on the perfect China and cutlery for their entertaining tables:
Your answers to these questions will help you create focus with the wide variety of makers and styles available.
For instance, if your style is more modern and earthy, you’ll probably love a set of hand-glazed China from midcentury and maker-driven Heath Ceramics.
If food is the focus and you want to show off your Chef skills, why not turn up the heat with a unique set of white China with just a touch of flair like those used in French Brasseries? Shown below are some from Williams Sonoma.
Since the topic is getting ready for the holidays, why not lean into your best Burl Ives Silver and Gold and bring a touch of formality and tradition with these Hannah Gold Trim wares from Blue Pheasant pictured below?
Now is the perfect time to make your life easier when the holidays arrive in November and December. There are still things you can update in your home now that can give your rooms a new personality and create the perfect setting for your festivities.
It’s not too late to pick a new room color that captures the mood and audience of your parties while amplifying the great furnishings and artwork you may already have. Being months out means you can still get on a reputable painter’s schedule.
If you find yourself using the same dinnerware for your daily needs as well as your special occasions, why not consider bringing home a distinctive new China pattern that makes your heart beat? Remember, it doesn’t have to be “Grandma’s China” as many new makers are appealing to a new generation… but let’s give Grandma some credit for making things feel special (and her China was a part of that)!
In the end, I believe having a well-designed and decorated home is all about learning who you are, what moves you, and finding the perfect things to express it. Design is a thoughtful process that we have years of experience doing for our clientele. You are not a one-dimensional character… you are many layers of stories and experiences that help create your taste. We’d love to help you express exactly who you are in the design and decoration of your home!
Drop us an email and let us know how you make your home special for this time of togetherness.
We currently have a few spots in our schedule for thoughtful DIY homeowners who simply want expert guidance along the way.
We’d be happy to help get you ready for the holidays ahead. Click here to schedule a Discovery Call.
For over 18 years, Chris Shields has approached his design projects holistically. He is analytical and inquisitive. Both qualities inform his understanding of his client’s needs, surroundings, and aesthetics, and both are called on when Chris creates interiors that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also profoundly personal.
