As promised - an exclusive peek at the holiday decorations in my home
You may recall my blog from a couple of weeks ago when my housekeeper, Laura Acuna, was busy unpacking all of the new Martha Stewart Christmas decorations from Grandinroad. Since that time, Laura has been hard at work decorating for the holidays, using collections both new and old. I must tell you that I am very impressed with the beauty and quality of the Grandinroad products, and because they were fashioned after my favorite decorations, they fit right in with what I already have and use. Please enjoy these photos of this lovely décor, as my home is being transformed into a winter wonderland.
1 An overview of the brown room with a charming village as a centerpiece
2 The village is sprinkled with artificial snow.
3 Sharkey looks adorable amidst the holiday decor.
4 A white feather tree in a faux bois planter.
5 Little Christmas trees beneath a glass dome in the servery
6 Empress Tang is so curious.
7 Copper tinsel trees are decorated with copper balls and pine cones in the servery.
8 I love how the glittered animals look in this Noah's Ark set.
9 These pleated green paper trees look great with my white tea and coffee set in the bird room.
10 The nuts on this wreath have all been dusted with gold and sit atop a table.
11 The little Grandinroad buildings are a great addition this year.
12 A gorgeous tinsel tree
13 Such beautiful detail
14 A sweet glittered bird
15 My silver tree in the hallway
16 The silver tree is adorned with these funny mouse ornaments.
17 A centerpiece of more silver and glittered birds - very elegant
18 This is my drabware manger set, which I made several years ago.
19 In the green room, these feather trees are dripping with icicles.
20 Such lovely detail - from Grandinroad
21 More details of the green room.
22 The fireplace in the green room - As you can see, the wall panels were painted using a faux bois technique.
23 I love these polar bears from Grandinroad.
24 More charming buildings
25 These represent Francesca and Sharkey.
Where oh where did Martha acquire the Noah's ark set? I remember it from last year and would love to know if it is an antique or is available somewhere. Thanks!
Posted by: Genevieve | December 21st, 2009 at 12:09 am
Love, love, love all the decorations Martha! Laura has done an excellent job!
Your holiday guests will certainly be entertained as they examine all the lovely items in your home.
I have one question re Noah's animals. Did you purchase the little animals, two by two and then add your glitter, or did the entire set come as a unit - glitter and all?
Posted by: Donna Olson | December 21st, 2009 at 12:39 am
Lovely!
Love the decorations.
Love the dogs!
Posted by: Pamela | December 21st, 2009 at 12:56 am
Oh my, the copper tinsel trees are lovely....
Posted by: Barbara M | December 21st, 2009 at 1:08 am
Good morning Martha! lovely Christmas decor! Sharkey and empress Tang looks so so cute! I love your tinsel tree, I put birds on one of our Christmas trees which I decorated with gold and silver ornaments and it looks amazing, thank you for your inspiration. Wow love your drabware manger set were did you make them? they look like fine porcelain, so beautiful.
Love your collection at Grandinroad, so inspiring.
Best wishes for the holidays!
Rowaida Flayhan
P.S When I tried to go to the link Grandinroad that you posted I got this site http://www.grandinraod.com/ instead of http://www.grandinroad.com/.
Posted by: Rowaida Flayhan | December 21st, 2009 at 1:26 am
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Oh my! Beautiful!
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Posted by: MMC in San Diego | December 21st, 2009 at 1:28 am
Your decorations for the holidays are just gorgeous, Martha! Silver just adds a sparkle that just can't be replaced for adding Christmas spirit, doesn't it?! I really enjoy that the holiday decorating has really moved beyond the traditional red/green of my childhood and now almost any color scheme can magically turn into a Christmas scene! I myself love pinks for Christmas! Add silver with it, and it's just beautiful! Thanks for sharing! Suzie Button
Posted by: Suzie Button | December 21st, 2009 at 1:29 am
After seeing so many white/silver decos I really started to miss these colors.
Posted by: Ewa | December 21st, 2009 at 3:02 am
hi there!
LOVE the decorations...just wanted to let you know the link to the Grandinroad website was incorrect...
merry christmas!
Posted by: corinne johnson | December 21st, 2009 at 4:36 am
Absolutely beautiful! While looking at the sweet village homes, I was immediately transformed to my childood at Christmastime! However, my favorites are the glass miniature Francesca and Sharkey! Thank you so much for sharing these delightful, and beautiful photos - kudos to the decorator!
Posted by: Patti | December 21st, 2009 at 6:55 am
It is truely a winter wonderland. You make us feel so welcome when you take us into your home.
As always I look forward to your blog every morning. I'm sure you have a fresh tree love to see it.
Have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year.
Bernadette
Posted by: Bernadette | December 21st, 2009 at 8:08 am
The decorations are adorable!!!! The dogs, "mignons"! but what I love the most is your tea and coffee set! I adore collecting china, and have tea in a different cup every day, according to my mood...see myself having tea in your green room. Thanks Martha! You made me travel far ....
Posted by: Cristina | December 21st, 2009 at 9:59 am
Martha everything looks beautiful. Where did you get the Noah's Ark set? Just lovely.
Posted by: tanya | December 21st, 2009 at 10:15 am
Unbelievable!!!!!
Posted by: kim | December 21st, 2009 at 10:17 am
Love the decorations. I have been collecting Dept. 56 houses for years now and your houses are interesting.
Happy holidays to all my fellow bloggers.
Posted by: Mel | December 21st, 2009 at 10:25 am
Hi Martha,
I bet all those lucky enough to see the inside of your house never stop oohing and aahing! Your brown room is so beautiful and even more so decorated for Christmas. Laura did a fantastic job, although I miss the gnome this year! lol. I love those Grandinroad buildings - little villages are so nice.
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Thanks once again for sharing. I zoomed in on the brown room and pretended I was sitting right there next to Sharkey. It was cozy! Trish
Posted by: Trish | December 21st, 2009 at 11:10 am
Absolutely beautiful Martha!!!! I especially enjoyed the photo you took of the little mouse nestled in your tree. That would make a wonderful Christmas Card.
I am also very impressed with your skills as a photographer. Ever entertain the thought of putting on a photo show with all your great photos?
I am sure it would be well attend in New York.
Thank you for keeping us posted throughout the year. I personally appreciate it very much.
Posted by: antonia rankin | December 21st, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Absolutely lovely. God bless, Laura. She must be working day & night like Santa's Elves. Enjoy the holidays. Merry Christmas, Laura, Martha, and all who read this. Judy
Posted by: Judy Corras | December 21st, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Ahhh the lovely birds in all colors, including silver! Have a wonderful holiday season...I tried the olive oil bread last night from your Baking Handbook. It baked so beautifully. It was my first try. From the same book for more gift preparation, I did the parmesan-rosemary crackers and the whole wheat loaf bread. Those recipes were a real hit last year so I repeated them this year. Tonight I will bake off the baguette which I love from last year's list. I might also do the cinnamon bread recipe. The Stollen recipe from December's Living looks delicious too. Both would be great for the Christmas breakfast table. Tomorrow I will move onto the cookies. And if it goes well onto the pies the next day. I love that Baking Handbook, Martha. Wishing all of the MSO family a joyful holiday season!
Posted by: Teresa Touey | December 21st, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Beautiful photos, absolutely LOVE the Noah's Ark. Oh and the Francesca and Sharkey little representations...SO cute!
I notice that Sharkey seems to follow you/your cameraman around more than Francesca...where is she usually when all these gorgeous photos are taken?
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Martha, heard you on NPR yesterday morning, a nice surprise.
Posted by: Tyler | December 21st, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Beautifully done. Your decorations are lovely and Laura did a fantastic job with them. I particularly enjoy the various monochrome trees. My favorite of all, though, is the drabware manger scene. Stunning.
Posted by: Shin Ae | December 21st, 2009 at 1:12 pm
My favorites: The beautiful copper trees and the large silver tree! I also love the faux bois technique around the fireplace and that beautiful color of green! Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: The Designer Insider | December 21st, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Somewhat unfortunate that you didn't decorate your own home for Christmas though don't you think?
Posted by: john mccrae | December 21st, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Thanks for posting the pictures. But I must say it is Laura who should be getting all the praise for such beautiful Christmas displays, as it was her hard work getting everything done!! And she probably has to dust everything as well!!
Posted by: Sharon Hines | December 21st, 2009 at 3:36 pm
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EVERYONE lend a hand, for a lone hand takes all the pleasure to itself! ajs
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I'm sure you hung some icicles, a carton of red glitter globes, and sprinkled seed to the partridge in the pear tree! ........ and more and more and more!
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Now off to visions of sugar plums.....well deserved!!
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Happiest Day to You.
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Posted by: andrea and the weimaraners | December 21st, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Very lovely. I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year.
Posted by: Mary | December 21st, 2009 at 4:42 pm
The decor is stunning...and thanks for sharing! I love all the little houses/buildings. I hope these will be offered again through Grandinroad.
Enjoy the ambience as you prepare for the holidays...a nice spot to be in at this time of year.
Posted by: sherey | December 21st, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Is the table marble? It gives the effect of ice that's been skated on by the villagers.
Posted by: Layla Morgan Wilde | December 21st, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Love the table assortment and the table! Happy Holidays. I was listening on NPR the other day, and no blue tree in the picture LOL Well have a great day and Holiday Martha. Love the blog.
Posted by: kristin svens | December 21st, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Martha - How do you keep your cats from destroying all of those decorations? Especially the cute little mice on the tree....
Posted by: Gary Wright II | December 21st, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Hi Martha,
Thanks for the exclusive peek....lovely and enchanting wonderland !!
How kind of you to allow your fans a glance into your private world for our pleasure and inspirational ideas.
May your holiday and the approaching New Year be blessed by the true meaning of Christmas for you and the ones you love and hold dear.
Posted by: Becky HK | December 21st, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Hi Martha, Enjoy it I did!!! Laura did a fantastic job of decorating everything! Please let her know how much I enjoyed all that she did! Franny and Sharkey certainly enjoyed the decorations and their blog was wonderful, as usual. It was like being there and enjoying all of that beauty. Thank you, Laura, F&S for making my day! It's getting cold here again with snow up north. Should be cold and sunny for the rest of the week. Hope it warms up where you are, too. Thanks again for sharing. Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | December 21st, 2009 at 11:00 pm
The birds and some of the ornaments harken back to decorations of my mother's era, the 20's, 30's, etc. As a child I yearned for the modern ornaments on my childhood friends' trees. Now I wish we had the ornaments of my mother's childhood... so much character and detail. Thanks for bringing them back.
Posted by: lil | December 21st, 2009 at 11:51 pm
Canitoe Decorations
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White feathered trees that have little white balls,
Moose on the mantle that have no stalls;
A stroll thru the village covered with snow,
Sharkey in the brown room with eyes all aglow:
In the servery little Christmas trees under the dome,
Copper tinsel trees with copper balls and pine cones;
Noah and his Ark with glittered animals two by two;
In the bird room green paper trees and tea/coffee to brew:
Varied dusted gold nuts form a wreath on a table,
A while ago Martha made a Manger set, with stable.
Sweet glittered birds on a gorgeous tinsel tree,
Silver tree with silver balls in the hallway for all to see;
Cute detailed ornaments include acorns, snails and funny mice,
In the green room feathered trees with dripping ice
Books by the dozen, golden bows and green candles flickering,
Polar bears guard the fireplace, Empress Tang is snickering.
Mini buildings by Grandinroad, such as church with steeple,
Are great additions to the collection, including people.
The keeper of the house, Ms Laura, has won the prize
And Martha is well pleased with this treat for sore eyes.
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cms
Posted by: celia stock | December 22nd, 2009 at 12:29 am
So inspiring! Love all the glitter. After watching one of your episodes years ago I glittered a bag-full of small $1 store plastic animals and hang them on a small fir tree every year. They are always a hit!!! I gathered some more fun ideas from your incredible decorations. Thanks for ALWAYS being my inspiration. Regards - Linda Black
Posted by: Linda Black | December 22nd, 2009 at 1:39 am
Loved the decorations. It is hard to say which one I loved the most. I loved the drabware Manger set, the Noah's ark, the glittered birds, the mouse in the tree, and so many other things. Thanks for sharing the photos with us. I wish you and my fellow bloggers a very Merry Christmas. It will certainly be a white Christmas. We have 23 inches of snow here.
Linda
Phila., PA
Posted by: Linda | December 22nd, 2009 at 5:40 am
The nice people at Grandinroad gave some of my money back on my polar bear purchase when I informed them that my set was not well paited like other sets I had seen - esp Martha's set. They are very friendly there.
Cheers!
Posted by: Chad | December 22nd, 2009 at 9:43 am
Oh My! Such beautiful decorations! Thank you for the wonderful peek inside your home.
Posted by: Ramona | December 22nd, 2009 at 11:32 am
Believe it or not, my most favorite vignette was the little French bulldog figurines representing the girls - they were adorable!
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If you're able to find the time, Martha, please snap some photos of your outdoor decorations...I'd like to see your outdoor greenery displays on your home, or any of your 'out-buildings'!
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Merrymerry Christmas, my Martha!
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Posted by: Cindy Bricker | December 22nd, 2009 at 1:32 pm
So, Beautiful and thank you for the peek into your holiday decor:)
Posted by: Cynthia | December 22nd, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Martha,
You are my hero(ine). My village is my favorite part of Christmas decorations and I have little hills with a ski lodge and another with a cathedral atop overlooking a tranquil little village. I don't have all the rooms you do to display my things, so mine are atop tables and a piano and add much charm to our home which draws many Christmas visitors. Have a wonderful holiday season...I'll be watching all you do in the New Year.
June Smith
Posted by: June Smith | December 22nd, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Martha, I have the exact drab ware set (minus a camel). My mother-in law gave it to me 31 years ago. It was a display that had been used in her church;then, she acquired it. It says CS 78 on the bottom of it. I assume that is the person who made it. I can she you a photo if you would like.
Posted by: DonnaJean Gifford | December 23rd, 2009 at 3:54 am
Oh I love the idea of the village down the center of the table. I've wondered how I could display my village since tv cabinet gone. I have lighted village but do have some that are not. Very night idea. Have a nice holiday.
Posted by: Joan Lowder | December 23rd, 2009 at 8:31 am
hi Martha!!!!!
Your holiday decor is just beautiful - I
just loved the arrangement and setting.
How I wish I could just duplicate everything
in my own home. I have a few funny circumstances
to relate for the holiday. My husband made your
piecrust recipe and when I asked him where he got it from he remarked very seriously, Martha
Stewart- "she's my role model". I love it!!!
Oh, and another event for the holiday.
I went to deliver the beautiful holiday martha
Stewart coffee mugs to a friend last night and
guess what???? A mug was badly cracked!!!!
A bit embarassing but we'll forgive Martha!!!!
Have a blessed holiday and you are given permission to be my husband's role model!!!!
Maryann Mazzaferro from snowy Rome, New York
Posted by: Maryann Mazzaferro | December 23rd, 2009 at 2:57 pm
I remember the first issue of Martha Stewart Living I ever purchased was the 1992 December issue with Martha on the cover examining the next item she would place on the tree. Perhaps the photo was staged and Martha never placed that iridescent translucent ribbon on the tree-- it was all that eye candy and decorator over the top escapism shelter magazine fodder.
Posted by: HBE | December 23rd, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Loooove the ark! How fabulous is that?
Couple questions: Where did you get that gorgeous grey, velvet pillow behind Sharkey? And do you ever call Empress Tang "ET" for short? Just curious. Lol.
Posted by: Marie | December 24th, 2009 at 5:00 am
just beautiful, what a winter wonderland only wish I could have that. my tree is just red Santa and may snowman
Posted by: Johanna | December 27th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
I have been trying to convince my husband to paint our fireplace green Maybe if I show yours to him, he will decide its OK! What color green is it. Do you have details on the faux bois? Thanks for sharing your beautiful decorations. Beautiful!
Posted by: Lynne wilburn | December 28th, 2009 at 1:06 am
Simply elegant. I love that village centerpiece idea!
Carolyn
Posted by: Carolyn | December 28th, 2009 at 8:29 am
I am positively impressed! My favorites were the Noah's Ark set, the Nativity, and the walls painted by using the faux bois technique. Just lovely!
Rachele
Posted by: Rachele | December 29th, 2009 at 11:06 am
Hi Martha,
I love how you share all of the seasons with us. The decorations are magical and I was wondering if
you had a link for the Noah's Ark.
Best Wishes,
Marsha Lundy
Posted by: Marsha Lundy | December 31st, 2009 at 1:33 am
I really liked this article, this one is certainly going towards my stumble upon account
Posted by: Wilson Lyas | August 6th, 2010 at 11:24 pm