Christmas Palette

Formal tree
Originally uploaded by The Gypsy Wagon.

This year, I went with a limited palette in the living room and dining room because the wall colors in both rooms are so strong. Behr's winter wheat is the living room paint color, and this room stays rather dark. I used lots of white lights, my collection of ironstone urns and platters, and added golds, silvers and small shots of red and green. The bows on the tree are made of two types of wired ribbon - one is an irridescent deep red or olive green (depending on how the light hits it), and the other is a sheer organdy cream ribbon. I found long elliptical ornaments in brushed gold and brushed silver at IKEA - half price!- as well as garland in the same tones. The shiny surfaces of all of the silver and gold glass balls and the garland, reflect the little light in the room. I added the dried hydrangeas that our house in Maine provided last summer (and for which I am eternally grateful that the movers agreed to pack safely for me!), and then ordered pheasant feathers on line. The mantel shown in the previous post is composed of things that are out in that room all year - I just added the feathers, the lights, the ornaments and some old postcards that I bought years ago. While the family room tree is far more sentimental to me, I really love the way this one turned out. I've done trees in the past that stuck to a theme, but never one quite like this. The living room feels very finished and very grown up, and it's a peaceful place to spend time!