Boxwood and salal leaves adorn the front door wreath.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010
While Kristin Peake of Kristin Peake Interiors in Rockville, Maryland, was working on a project, the homeowner—who had just moved to McLean, Virginia—pleaded with the designer to dress her home for the holidays. With no time to spare, Peake began scouring the DC area for enough fresh greens to transform every inch of the 6,000-square-foot home into a winter wonderland.
She erected an 18-foot tree in the great room, festooned with over-sized blown-glass ornaments in russet, citrus and orange hues. Three more full-sized trees graced other rooms in the house, while miniature trees decorated the rooms of the owners’ three children. Christmas lights were placed on remotes and timers throughout.
Fresh greens, says Peake, are the most important element in holiday décor. She used boxwood and salal leaves adorned with kumquats for the front door wreath (one of 18 outdoor and four indoor wreaths), and Noble and Fraser fir branches to drape the mantel in the living room. Stephen Chambers of Field & Chambers Floral Events created fragrant arrangements of boxwood, grape vines, twigs and fresh fruit; he also added clusters of boxwood, calla lily and moss in the dining room.
Peake freshened the greens throughout the season—a chore she actually enjoyed. “I love decorating for Christmas,” she says. “So many people just don’t know what to do, it’s nice to be able to create that vibe for them.”
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