“The best gift is time spent with friends and family. Truffles and pasta with butter
and a bottle of red aren’t bad either!” —Shannon McLean, fashion designer
“The week after Thanksgiving we go out in search of the perfect Christmas tree. For decorating, we play Bing Crosby and Perry Como. The scent of pine combined with their voices on the sound system make each
holiday season special.”
–Christina Sullivan Roughan, Roughan Interior Design
“My favorite holiday tradition, especially for Christmas, is to be sitting by a fireplace staying warm, preferably with a glass of red wine in hand. I reflect on the year that has passed and focus on the year ahead.” —David Easton, David Easton Inc.
“I have a wonderful memory of Mark Hampton’s Christmas parties at his home on Park Avenue, where old fashioned
comfort and songs around the piano were served with tasty treats.”
—Kevin C Hall, Hall & Associates Interiors Inc.
“I love the Christmas tree in the old cemetery on Sagg Main Street in Sagaponack. I drive by it every day.” —Claudia Thomas, fashion executive
“At my holiday table, I’d love to have the cast from Holiday Inn. I watch it every season and never tire of it.” —Kerry Delrose, Delrose Design Group
“After the tree is decorated, I turn off all the lights in the room and lie under it looking up through the branches and listen to music the way I used to when I was a little girl.” —Carolyne Roehm, designer and author, A Passion for Interiors
“Poilâne Bakeries in Paris makes a round loaf decorated for the holidays, which can be
ordered online. People are always surprised to receive fresh bread from France.”
—John Barman, John Barman Inc.
“At Christmas my family—all 14 of us—meet at Sandy Lane in Barbados and tuck in for a week of nirvana.” —Lisa Jackson, CEO, Lucca & Co.
“My favorite holiday event was dinner the
Saturday before Christmas at Carolyne Roehm’s. I loved the way she had set up dinner with decorations in the great hall and how she brought in carolers and then musicians to play afterward. It was so beautiful and aesthetic, no gaudiness, just charm and elegance.”
—Robert Couturier, Robert Couturier & Associates
“On Christmas Day
we stay in our pajamas
all day with our two boys.
We relax, enjoy each other’s company,
and eat all day long!”
—Bill Taibe,
Chef at leFarm, Westport
“At this point in life, I think everyone has just about everything they need, so I’m giving people black turtle stools. I’m going to put big
bows on them!”
—Lisa Stamm, The Homestead Garden & Design
“Decorating our Christmas tree with our two girls with the ornaments they made in school.” —Olivier Peardon, CEO, Brunschwig & Fils
“The first Christmas I spent in South Hampton, I hosted a Christmas feast with friends and my parents, who had flown in from Ireland. After our meal we went to midnight mass. When we came out a light snow
was falling and I remember thinking, this
moment is perfection.
—Jarlath Mellett, designer and owner of Jarlath Mellet
“The holidays are about family and friends around a beautiful table with good food,
great wine, a bottle of 25-year-old Macallan and Davidoff cigars.”
—Bob Appelbaum, President, Clarence House
“A few weeks ago a friend and I were scouting Ruby Beets and I pointed out several pieces of vintage creamware. They were the same pattern her mom had growing up. I waited until she was distracted before buying them. Let’s hope I can hold out till Christmas to surprise her!”
—Mark Epstein, Mark Epstein Designs, Inc.
“My favorite holiday tradition is going to see the New York City Nutcracker ballet. It will never get old for me.” —Edward Tricomi, co-owner Warren-Tricomi Salon
“I love New York City.
The streets are filled with great energy and everybody is in a good mood.”
—Joel Warren, co-owner Warren-Tricomi Salon
“The holiday season is a joyous time for connecting with my family and my community.”
—Elizabeth Eakins, Elizabeth Eakins, Inc.
“We spend the holidays at our summer home in Bridgehampton. On Christmas Day we have a big family meal and at night our three grown children have carried on their quirky tradition of hosting an evening paddle tennis tournament with their childhood friends.”
—Jay McLaughlin, J. McLaughlin
“My big Italian family, my wife and kids, putting up the tree and lighting the menorah! It doesn’t get any better than that.” —Dan Barsanti, HB Home
“I adore Christmas Eve.
First we attend an early
candlelight service, then
it’s home for cocktails,
shrimp casserole and White Christmas.”—Ronda Carman, All the Best Blog
“I slip away from the Christmas Eve table just after dessert and phone someone’s cell with a voice disguised as Santa to convince the youngsters to get home quickly and into bed. It works every year!” —Andrew T. Mitchell-Namdar, Mitchells Family of Stores
“On Christmas Eve we take our three children and their significant others for a blow-out steak dinner at my family’s restaurant, Peter Luger, in Brooklyn.”
—Ellie Cullman, Cullman & Kravis, Inc.
“Potato pancakes! My mother, the greatest style setter I have known, was famous for her ethereal, crispy potato latkes.”
—Judy Cohen, Judith Cohen Design
“Wrapping the gifts! I usually have a theme. Last year it was a potato stencil of a Christmastree that I inked onto brown Kraft paper.—Honey Wolters, Ruby Beets