A Nutcracker Sweet

With a childlike love for all things holiday that has never waned, Andrea waits patiently every year to begin layering her OXR farmhouse in rich greenery and lush Christmas textures and colors. And admittedly, every year she encourages her husband to move that start date up just a smidge sooner than the last! Because, as we’ve seen her wonder on Instagram the last few weeks, how soon is too soon to begin ushering your home into its most magical state? Now with turkey leftovers and pumpkin everything behind us, we’re bursting at the seams to share the first glimpses of the curated Christmas goodness happening at Wilhouse Designs!

As an avid entertainer (so much so that she designed her show-stopping OXR farmhouse kitchen to function as the ultimate hosting dream space), Andrea tends to begin holiday style plans with her festive family gatherings in mind. Though she’s built an impressive collection of holiday treasures over the years, she prides herself on re-imagining them every season, layering in new favorites along the way. So one morning in early November, with sweater weather officially here to stay, Andrea felt it was finally safe to pop over to the holiday décor aisles for a quick peek. Though she was merely on a fact-finding mission for a client and intending to resist all the new baubles and garlands, the excursion reaped a little unexpected inspiration when she spotted a whimsical set of Christmas china. Evoking a bit of “Twelve Days of Christmas” charm, each jewel toned plate almost seemed to sing another line from the song, with visions of nutcrackers, carousel horses, gingerbread houses, and golden accents. From there, the entire table arrangement quickly took shape.

Abandoning the traditional Christmas reds opened the door to a fresh color palette where jewel tones come to shine. A harlequin pattern tablecloth offers a graphic statement for the base, as more organic shapes and textures build up from there. Vibrant teal cloth napkins, a perfect pairing with the gold flatware, pop off the black and white check. That teal also serves to ground the color palette as it weaves throughout the entire scheme, appearing in varying levels of saturation in the candles, nutcrackers, and plate details. Faux garland down the center of the table echoes greenery adorning the range hood beyond. Mingled in the greenery are paper honeycomb ornaments and a row of gorgeous Annie Selke taper candles that continue to weave the color story first inspired by the plates. And to complete a Christmas arrangement tailored to delight both the grown-ups AND little ones in her life, Andrea used her favorite golden orbs to elevate a pair of friendly nutcracker party hosts. The largest of the pair, we’ll call him a rustic Santa of sorts, seems to summarize the entire table design perfectly as he marries the whimsy of the affair with the fresh color scheme. And Santa’s touch of fur that plays splendidly off the antelope bench? Well that’s just the icing on the Christmas cookie!

As Wilhouse Designs eagerly welcomes all the fabulous lights ,ornaments, greenery, and accessories the holiday season has to offer, whether in our clients' homes, or right in Andrea's own backyard at the OXR Farmhouse, we're excited to bring you all along for the ride. We've included sources below for all the treasures in the "Nutcracker Sweet" spread, and be sure to keep checking back for more surprises and festive inspiration all December long!