Laura with daughter, Sarah, and pup, Stella.
“The tree decoration changes every year. This time, I wanted it to be very organic and put a lot of dried flowers among the branches of the tree, which I set up in the corner of my living room.”
“I had purchased a number of things from Terrain and also used all of my old ornaments that came out of attic storage. Some of the ornaments are family heirlooms, but many are things my children made over the years. Gifts were decorated with Kraft paper, gilded burlap ribbon and, on the one shown here, a vintage copper bird.”
“This vignette was in my dining room on an old dresser table found on a buying trip in New Orleans. The large clay pot is from Terrain and is surrounded by magnolia branches and birch containers holding heather and ferns. It felt like a woodland wonderland.”
“My Annieglass dinnerware was a wedding gift and works beautifully with my vintage side plates and silver bird napkin rings. I don’t use tablecloths, so I used fabric placemats so that I can see my beautiful walnut dining table, which I had originally made for my husband’s conference room.”
“I always decorate with a lot of flowers. Poinsettias were chosen for both color and seasonal availability. Pine branches, ferns and heather all added a lot of texture and wonderful nostalgic scents. The potted plants sit in a variety of vessels— all fairly organic and hearty.”
“We set the table as we would normally have done if everyone was coming over. We always set both the dining table and the kitchen island as we never have enough space to seat everyone at one table. The dinnerware that we used at the island is from Calvin Klein and the pomegranate acts as a holder for the magnolia leaf, which is a place card. The napkins are actually dish towels that I sell in my studio.”
“I wanted it to look as though we were outdoors.”
“I have these pots at my front door year round, but they get seasonal changes. I added a lot of pine branches and berried branches. I also had a number of birch sticks that I had purchased for my orchids but used to add a light accent with red branches for more color.”
Last year, interior designer Laura Michaels, daughter Sarah and their King Charles Spaniel, Stella, celebrated a farewell Christmas in her house that had just been sold. “As it was my last Christmas in this home, I wanted it to be decorated in every room,” notes Michaels. “I bought tons of pine garland and hung that from my chandeliers, on my mantel and at my front door. I tucked in lots of succulents and even more ornaments, berry branches and bits of greenery. It has such a natural appeal, and the smell was incredible. I love to be surrounded by plants, especially in the winter when everything else is so gray.”