REFRESHing Christmas Trees

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Christmas 2021 is nearly here and who isn't ready for a little hope and happiness? While our desire for "making spirits bright" might be a consistent theme year after year, the way we express our holiday cheer in our decor, has changed drastically.

Gone are the days when holidays have strict color palettes attached to them-- Christmas can be SO much more than just red and green! This year, navy blue is all the rage (I jumped on that trend for my Christmas cards) as well as pastels and metallics. Christmas tree shapes that previously might have been considered "Charlie Brownish" are in high demand. Asymmetrical, sparse, and skinny is IN, and so is flocking, something that leaves your Tannenbaum looking freshly snowed upon.

So, now that you know the sky is the limit, let's explore some Christmas trees THE REFRESH team recently installed at hotels, restaurants and outside our cottage office.

1). OUTDOOR CHRISTMAS TREES

The Kerri-Lee Mayland Company reflects Old English architecture, complete with two little cottages in the town center, our office being one of them. The history all around, has us constantly reminiscing about the past while inspiring some of our design, including our vision for this year's Christmas decor. We decided on traditional New England Christmas decor (think: Norman Rockwell who lived his later years in nearby Stockbridge, Massachusetts) including a vintage sled, and a good old fashioned outdoor Christmas tree. As luck would have it, our first snowfall of the year timed out just perfectly for this Bulletin photoshoot, and the freshly fallen snow on the Bittersweet berry garland, and the fluffy, fragrant pine boughs is picture-postcard material.

Tips for outdoor decor:

2). PEACOCK INSPIRED PALETTE

Speaking of birds...

Growing up in Victoria, British Columbia, I have distinct memories of visiting Beacon Hill Park and seeing peacocks roaming the park grounds. I was fascinated with their plumage, and followed the birds around waiting for them to fan their feathers, showing off their glorious colors and patterns.

(Scrub ahead in this video to 6:23 to see the peacock in full regalia, thank you Gillan Travels for this walk down memory lane for me! Not so fun fact: the pond with swans is slightly traumatic for me thanks to one of them clamping their beak on my toe and not letting go! LOL)

Now that you understand the history these birds and I have, you will get why I loved having the chance to work with a vibrant teal, blue, and green palette. In this case, the colors were inspired by an oil painting at The Hartford Marriott Downtown. We had five trees to work with, a console garland, and some real peacock feathers, so we began to figure out what would go where. The feathers fittingly became tree toppers, and the green and blue ornaments and gold bows was shared throughout the peacock forest. The result is unexpected, and refreshingly lively.

3). SIMPLE SNOWY AND CHIC

The L Bar is a downtown hot spot that attracts travelers passing through the capital city, while also bringing foodies into the city to enjoy elevated pub grub, cocktails, craft brews and fine wines. It has clean, stylish lines and soaring ceilings, so using a 12-foot-tall tree was a given. I liked the lines of the existing architecture and the sophisticated upscale vibe, so I didn't want to detract from the space, just enhance and bring some sparkle. I kept the tree clean and green, with lots of twinkle lights to play off the silver wall art, and the neutral tones throughout. A final addition of bleached wood lanterns, flameless candles and a light dusting of faux snow, and L Bar instantly felt seasonal without feeling stuffy. No need for any reds or greens or heavy plaids here... or frankly, really any color at all for that matter. Despite the calculated simplicity, it still proudly proclaims, "Season's Greetings!"

So those are some of our trees, I would love to hear about YOURS!

Share your holiday color schemes, ideas and traditions in the comments, and I will be checking back to chat with you all.

XX Kerri-Lee