A DOWNTON ABBEY-ish CHRISTMAS
My house is a 1,000 square foot, 178 year old Ontario cottage. The ceilings are low, the thermostat is always on high and the grandest thing about it is nothing. Yet I still decorate it as though I'm living in both the upstairs and downstairs of Downton Abbey. One part scullery maid, one part old grande dame. Oh Downton. I do miss you.
I have crystal chandeliers, life sized portraits, and scrabbled together wood pieces on the brink of disintegration. It really is like the art department from Downton Abbey came by one day and dumped half of Mrs. Patmore's and half of Lady Mary's things into my house then shook it up like a snowglobe.
There's no hiding who you truly are when it comes to Christmas decorating. And I'm classic Christmas all day long. Take a look at your Christmas tree. Go ahead. Do it right now.
That Christmas tree is YOU with pine needles. It probably reflects how you like to dress, your general mood and who you truly are. That's right. You are your Christmas tree. This of course does not hold true if you happen to hate your Christmas tree.
I may have a fondness for Mid Century Modern, and sleek, contemporary pieces but if you shoved me in a hole for the rest of my life and said you could only decorate that hole in the ground with one style, it would be in the style of Downton Abbey snowglobe. Which I suppose means that I should start looking for a gold leafed pine box for use in the future.
This year for my Christmas decorating, to really enhance the Downton Abbey feel, I highlighted my old riding gear (a la Lady Mary), added some greenery and a few olden days touches and called it a day. I didn't use HALF of my normal Christmas stuff yet it feels more cozy and Christmassy than ever.
Happy Christmas. Enjoy the tour.
You learned about the DIY Christmas tree candles and the Dried Orange Slices a couple of weeks ago. Together they create an instant classic Christmas tree. I also shoved a few oranges slices into a wreath on my front hall table.
Along with my riding stuff I also put out some of my silver plate. Nothing says Downton Abbey like silver serving pieces. Just ask Carson.
Starting on Monday, December 6th you can see my 2021 CHRISTMAS HOUSE TOUR HERE.
I even changed the art over my buffet to the right of my couch to be more Downton friendly. Also the colours work perfectly for Christmas.
Other things that make this work? Nuts and oranges laid out ready for scarfing down. And not nuts from a jar. Nuts that you need to use a nutcracker with.
Dried orange slices also went onto the garland around the fireplace and wherever I could put an evergreen branch or garland I did.
How did I have so many branches? 3 weeks before Christmas I had an evergreen that was growing too close to the house cut down. Before all the branches went into the chipper I flung myself at the giant piece of machinery and dragged a bunch of them out of the jaws of death. Or maybe I just said, Hey, leave me a few branches, to the guys who cut it down. I'm kind of foggy on which scenario actually happened due to an overactive imagination brought on by being part Irish.
This is the one corner that feels more modern than I'd like it to but sometimes you have to work with what you have. I hung a few of the vintage ornaments I've been collecting over the past decade or so on my magazine rack.
If you like the look you can make the exact same magazine rack in a couple of hours. Here's the tutorial.
Yeah. Antlers. They get me every time.
Upstairs (the garland, mirrors and stirrups) meets downstairs (antique cheese box).
This white tree is another one of those compromises. But I won't give it up. It's the one thing that's exactly the same in my house at Christmas no matter what. White tree decorated with pinecones of all kinds.
There's the antique, life sized oil painting and scrabbled together bit of wood saddle stand.
Keeping things authentic, the table runner is just pine cones and only pine cones all lined up in about a 10" wide path down the centre of the table with a few oranges stuck in.
The greenery is a branch from the tree I saved. It is just about to be cut into tiny pieces and hung from the bows on the Black Bookcase Presents. The tutorial to making those bookcase filler presents is here.
Here's an interesting note. That mason jar is spilling out Italian chestnuts. Chestnuts roasted on an open fire are gross. They're horrible. Don't be fooled by the song. They're like hot, sweet, chick peas, all mealy and weird. EVERY year I think it'll be different. EVERY year I roast chestnuts and think the outcome will be different. It is not. Ever.
More tree branches await a good hacking and placement in the house.
My house obviously isn't 100% authentic Downton Abbey. Not even close actually. But when you walk in the door and the fire is roaring and those gross chestnuts are filling the house with their deceivingly delicious smell, you have know you're in a warm, cozy place, where doing things by hand is important. Where life is simple and hard at the same time. Where you'll be served cookies on a silver tray but won't get a sideways glance if you spill crumbs all over the couch. What do I care if you spill cookie crumbs?
One of the housemaids will clean it up before I even know it happened.
Wendy
I do very little Christmas decorating now, as opposed to the whole house in years past. I agree less is more. My favourite decor is natural....greens, pine cones, moss, this year hundreds of acorn caps. I left the nuts for the squirrels. Everyday when I walk my dog through the woods I find another treasure. The best part is it can all go back to the forest in January.
Terri J.
Love it.
Sherry Sidner
You hit the nail on the head Karen! As a fellow lover of Downton Abby you have captured the essence of that time of classy elegance with a twist of homey comfort. I love everything about it and of course my fav is the white tree. I have a thing for pine cones too. Thanks for the fun tour!
Christmas blessings - Sherry @ Edie Maries Attic
Carrie
Your home looks gorgeous Karen!
Loving the ornaments! I have 1 antique ornament from mine and my husbands parents tree that I put on ours, that they used when we were children. I can't tell you how little I feel when I put them on. Its like stepping back in time!
Now, about those nasty chestnuts. You do know the definition of insanity is doing something over and over and expecting a different result?? Lol lol lol😜 So, maybe leave those for decorating purposes only? (That is, if its OK with Mr. Carson!) 😁
PS. I miss Downtown too and I caught site of your elf on the shelf.
Is there anything you don't sneak in there? Haha
Merry Christmas to all!🎅🎅
Ev Wilcox
Wow, Karen-your home looks wonderful. I miss downton Abbey too! The old-looking white pickup truck is prob my favorite item. And I have two ornaments that are twins to yours, but I don't put them on the tree anymore. And I sorta am my tree, as you said. Now that my adult children have their own trees, I can and do finally have a theme tree which suits me. It is simple with not a lot of color with soft white lights-quiet-not a riot of colors to wreck my eyes!
I do hide a pickle though, and since our gathering will be here this year-it is a fun thing. Pickle presents already bought, just needing to be wrapped. All gifts assembled and ready to be wrapped-I am really rockin and rollin this year, thanks to your encouragement. Thank you for that-you have no idea how much more I am at peace this year. Once again, thanks for being you.
Thandi
Aaaaargh it's so hot here I cannot even think of putting up decorations because I'll get all sweaty again. I'm just going to lie in a cold bath until the sun goes down. Maybe then I can face putting up shiny things.
MaggieB
I love it all, Karen, mainly coz I'm an eclectic kind of gal, but mainly all of it is just so you, definitely not predictable, and always with an interesting twist or tweak from the previous year.
And it will be a snug as bug home to eat, sleep, read, and who knows, 5 minutes where you might let yourself relax so you can enjoy the fruits and nuts of your hard work. Cheers! 🥂
Tina
I love the idea that we are our tree! My tree is little and plain with only ornaments that I've made or that mean something special to me, just simple. With one strand of STUNNING lights. Me? I'm plain and simple, t-shirts and jeans but always with BLING jewelry that is eye catching and unique.
Judy DeLacy
I love, love, love how the house turned. You certainly have a good eye when it comes to decorating. I'm drawn to "cozy" and "comfortable," and you hit the nail on the head.
Chestnuts. I love them. Growing up in New York City, there were street cart vendors selling roasted chestnuts during the winter months. At home, we roasted chestnuts as part of our Christmas tradition. The were delicious. All year, my sister and I looked forward to hot apple cider and chestnuts. :-) I also remember there being are large serving bowl of nuts. I think my Mom had collected six or eight fancy, ancient looking, nut crackers. For some reason, I always managed to pinch my fingers when cracking the walnuts.
Karen, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Kate
Beautiful!!!
TucsonPatty
Love your elegance with Margaret's decorations. I also miss Downton Abbey. Love your white Christmas tree, I'm kind of a Santa nut, and just realized there are no Santas at your house! I quit decorating for Christmas inside the house about 14 years ago when we got two kitties and my daughter was afraid something would happen to them with the tree or decorations. Found out how easy it was to not do it anymore, and now I'm the crazy lady on the corner with her stinking Halloween decorations up because I can't seem to get up the gumption to get them put away! Yikes. My plan is to do it tomorrow. (Hey, I've been saying that for quite a few days - weeks - now, haven't I. In my defense, they were pretty awesome.) Great decorations, Karen!
P.S. I've been sending emails to the FCC folks about Net Neutrality. Thanks for that information!
Danni McLaughlin
It looks absolutely beautiful. I hope now you can kick it until Christmas. XO from PDX
MrsChrisSA
That is truly magnificent. I kinda feel bad now that I decided not to decorate this year.
My grandchildren now live in New Zealand and hubby, youngest daughter and I are going to visit my sister and her family for Christmas so I just thought sodd it!! Now..... I may just do a few decorative touches...........................
The only thing that freaked me out a bit about your decor are the riding boots on the server - age old superstition about shoes on tables etc.
It is really a work of art though!! Beautiful!!
Biggi
Is that the peppermill you turned? It’s 🙌
Suel
Karen, Merry Christmas from Western North Carolina! I love everything about your decor and your inspiration and skill. Thank you so much for sharing. I'm copying your photos for next year when I hope to have the time and the presence of mind to get busy.
PS: I love Canada, you put gravy on fried potatoes.
Karen
No snow here yet Suel! Supposed to be some showing up tomorrow so we'll look just like NC. ~ karen!
Paula
We have snow just northeast of the city. (Toronto).
Connie
Doesn't everyone put gravy on fried potatoes?
Marilyn Meagher
I love those vintage ornaments
Karen
Thanks Marilyn. I once got a HUGE box of them for $10 at Christie's! (most of them didn't have the top for hanging the hook off of but whatever. I improvised! ~ karen!
BILLIE SCARA
I LOVE YOUR HOUSE IT LOOKS SO COZY AND I COULD VISIT AND STAY FOREVER LOL ITS LOVELY . PS VISITING AND STAYING FOREVER IS AN OLD SOUTHERN THING , WHICH I AM. BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI OR AT LEAST IN THE WOODS NORTH OF THERE . I TOO LOVE XMAS AND DECORATE WITH EVERYTHING I EVER HAVE AQUIRED OVER A VERY LONG TIME AS I AM OLD . MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR; MAY THIS NEW YEAR BRING YOU ALL THINGS GOOD
Karen
Thank you very much Billie in Mississippi! Home of my favourite pickle, the Wickle. ~ karen!
Elaine Ward
Billie Scara, I am from Wiggins. What town north of Biloxi??
Karen you are so much fun and have a great sense of humor to boot!!!
Karen
Thanks Elaine! ~ karen!
Katie Schneider
Maybe a post could be about properly roasting chestnuts. I've only had them once, from a street vendor in Granada, Spain, and they were terrific...though maybe that was also because I was a college student studying abroad in Europe and it was *almost* the holidays.
Tina
LOL, I bought fresh chestnuts at a market in Europe when I lived there and took them home to roast on the weekend. The next thing I knew, the kids were finding maggots on the kitchen floor! They were coming out of the chestnuts! I can't bear to even look at them anymore.
Kate
We have a chestnut tree at home, and butter, brown sugar and allspice go a LONG way towards delicious chestnuts (I mean, what isn’t better with a lump of butter?)
Grammy
Lovely. All of it. Margaret looks so "at home" amid all the decor.
My favorite part: Your beautiful vintage ornaments on the magazine rack in that otherwise empty corner. It surprises me a little that I am so enamored of that, but I am.
Tina
Yes, I want the ornament ladder! And, as long as I'm making a list, the ornaments, too.
Patti
Man I am so in love with everything about your Christmas look aside from the peachy colored draperies. Maybe get some rich vintage taffetas?
Karen
Ha! I hate them too but I haven't had a chance to replace them. In my defence they aren't peachy. :) It's a bit of an optical illusion that happens between light coming through them and the colour produced by the camera. ~ karen!