Designer deconstructs Christmas decorating
- Interior Designer Kendra Porter-Moul owns Chrysalis Interiors.
- Contact (503) 559-7283 or email chrysalisinteriors.com
Every Christmas season, Tom Anderson and Tass Morrison bring in dozens of Tupperware boxes full of holiday decor to decorate their Sublimity home.
The boxes line a whole wall in their garage in the off season across from the fall decor and next to the Easter boxes. But in December, they are toted into the home where, for the past six years, interior designer Kendra Porter-Moul pulls everything out and turns the couple's open floor plan into sparkling holiday eye candy that stops you in your tracks the moment you walk into the front door.
More than 20 arrangements featuring faux greenery, miniature lights, feathers, Santas, berry garlands and picks, spray-painted pine cones and birds cover tables, chandeliers, a piano, hutch, even clocks, mirrors and the crown molding above a door. Everywhere you look, there is a touch of Christmas.
"I love being surrounded by beautiful things," Morrison said, "and Christmas is a special time."
The couple, both retired now from school administration, also like to host parties, including the Stayton-Area Rotary holiday party.
"It's nice to share with others," Morrison added.
It's also a designer's dream.
"This is the highlight of my year to find someone with so much to work with," Porter-Moul said. "It's a challenge to imagine how to make it different each year with the same products."
And yet each year, Porter-Moul does just that. She says the process takes her three to four full days. She says she starts by picking out a theme from what is available, something there is a lot of. This year, she focused on Tass Morrison's love for feathers, spreading them out throughout the home.
But as Tass Morrison says, "Not everyone has a Kendra."
So we asked Porter-Moul to share some of her secrets with us.
Start with what you have.
One of Morisson's Tupperware boxes is full of scarves she has collected that have a holiday feel to them: reds, golds, ones that sparkle and shine ... Porter-Moul uses them to tuck into arrangements. In a chandelier in the entryway, a white feather boa twisted among greenery around the lights looks like snow. "Raid your closet," Porter-Moul said.
Buy new things after Christmas.
Morrison adds to her collection in January when Christmas decor goes on sale. And when people know you like something specific, such as Santas, you're likely to get a lot as gifts. Morrison has more than a 100 Santas, a good portion of them displayed this year in her dining room bench window. She and her husband also buy Santas when they are on trips during the year. All are marked with a date, the place bought or who bought them for her.
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Don't buy prelit greenery.
Porter-Moul and Morrison say lights are likely to die before the greenery goes bad, and they are hard to separate and more expensive. Instead, buy faux greenery or use boughs from trimming the tree and add your own lights.
Buy battery-operated lights on timers.
The women say battery-operated lights are worth the extra money because there are no cords to plug in and timers take care of all the work of turning them on and off, which comes in handy when you have them all over the house. Porter-Moul especially likes rice lights for their ease of use and how they look. Morrison also suggests battery-operated timed candles, which are not only easy and safe but don't put off soot.
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Think in terms of layers.
Displays that look complicated can be broken down into parts. The centerpiece on the couple's dining table is simply scarves used as runners bunched up with berry garland and feather boas. A vase is tucked into a wreath sitting in the middle. A cardinal couple top the arrangement, serving as the focal point, or wow factor.
"It's a whole bunch of simple things layered together," Porter-Moul said.
Craft a unique holiday tree this Christmas
She suggests thinking about using greenery, fabric, strings of lights, spray-painted pine cones and ornaments. She also says she loves picks, those faux flowers or berries that are on a stick that can be fit into anywhere from Christmas trees to arrangements. Also, three picks end to end make a wreath, she said.
Have something special in each arrangement.
"What you want to be the wow should be a special thing to complete it," Porter-Moul said.
She starts each job by pulling everything out and organizing by "wow factors," such as the cardinal couple used in the centerpiece, a large Santa or a feather reindeer; greenery; shiny items, such as Morrison's scarves or things with glitter; accent pieces such as feathers, flowers, pine cones and picks; and lights and candles. Creating these piles lets her evenly disperse them among the different arrangements.
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Mix and match.
Porter-Moul said subtle things pull a room together. Several pieces of sequined garland, feathers or other like items can be added to wreaths, centerpieces, trees and arrangements to allow the eyes to find patterns. But you can also mix light colors and styles. Morrison has both white lights and gold lights throughout the same room, but each are repeated nearby so none look out of place.
"Keep it balanced," Porter-Moul said.
Work with standing colors.
Morrison has a blue wall near the entryway, so Porter-Moul created an arrangement against it that features Morrison's blue Christmas items, from a Santa dressed in blue to blue birds and lights. But add some complementary colors too. Morisson's scene is set off with a red scarf.
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Display your Christmas art.
Morrison hangs most her holiday framed art in a hallway, but other pieces are used even off the wall, standing under the piano and tilted against the wall above a clock.
Ornaments aren't just for the tree.
Porter-Moul uses ornaments in the Morrison house on garland hanging on the wall. She also suggested adding them to wreaths. Even pre-decorated wreaths can be added to to tie in your themes and make them match other arrangements.
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