I’m Mother Nature’s biggest fan! I live my life embracing the beauty and the abundance of her creations and imagination. That will never change. However, after much deliberation and eagle-eyed shopping, I have chosen to decorate Rosebrook Gardens’ interior with crazy faux greens! Forget “ho, ho, ho”–this years it’s “faux, faux, faux!”
Yes, my “Charlie Brown Chic” Christmas tree, the fireplace mantel and the garlands and swags that currently adorn my home are all synthetic pine, imitation cones and artificial berries. And truthfully, unless I told you they were man-made, you would never believe it.
At the same time, no matter how much Fun Faux gets incorporated into this holiday décor, there are some staple pieces reminding us there’s no substitute for the real thing. I love to decorate with amaryllis bulbs, paper-whites and lush terrariums, which can be found easily and last a long time.
For the outdoor decor, the wreaths and swags and pine branches are 100% natural, but inside we are singing Deck the Halls with Artificial Holly! Speaking of artificial, people always ask if my miniature schnauzer Daisy is a stuffed animal – especially after she goes to the beauty parlor for a blow out! No, she’s not a fake puppy, she’s genuinely genuine, down to her beautiful red coat.
Whilst the smell of fresh cut pine branches brings a smile to the lips and spring to the step, pine needles littering the sisal carpet are a pain. And painful too, when your springing step lands on one in the middle of the night. So for my mantle I obtained plastic pine and adorable silvered reindeer (wearing little furry collars!) from terrain and Holidayed up my home to the nines!
I love the ease and convenience that comes with faux trees – no watering required! Plus, I can relax and enjoy my sitting room more knowing I don’t have branches covered in fresh pine sap directly above a crackling fire. One must always be cognizant of safety during the holidays. There is no fire hazard with a man-made pine tree.
That said, you need to be aware of holiday lights, and don’t leave them on all all day. Even the highest quality imitation décor can be damaged by hot lights over a period of time. Besides, lights look best when the sun is starting to set, and twilight comes over the sky. A cool winter sky, colored violet by the setting sun, looks magical married with the friendly warmth of holiday lights. Old Man Winter doesn’t scare me when Rosebrook Gardens is brightly lit, welcoming and warm!
On the other hand, big fat multi-colored lights do scare me a little–or at least they scare my design eye, unless you are into a complete mid-century–so please be sure to decorate with clear white lights only. Certain colors bring specific holidays to mind – green and red for Christmas, blue and silver for Hanukah, black, red and green for Kwanzaa, just to name a few.
So, a monochromatic scheme allows you to decorate just once, and enjoy your hard work through the holiday season, and into the New Year. Green and winter white are a winning combination, and my palette of choice after the first frost. Even my floral arrangements embrace this color scheme. Now all I need is a little white fur jacket for Daisy and a green dyed faux mink for Violet.
Happy Everything!
