Welcome to Karen”s first blog entry…

Thom and I spent three days setting up Christmas decorations for the Nashua Symphony”s 2010 Holiday House Tour, in the Victorian home of Michael and Diane Lo Re”. Steve Booth, of Steve Booth Photography, captured the images (below) of the decorations that Thom and I created.

It was a great experience to work in such a fabulous home, renovated over 18 years by the owners. While Thom and I created and provided many of the interior and exterior Christmas decorations, Diane”s kitchen designer of many years, Steve”s wife, Sue, from Vintage Kitchens of Concord, New Hampshire also provided her decorating skills. In addition, Jean Hallstone, from the New Hampshire Orchid Society provided many lovely specimen orchids throughout the house. The homeowners, themselves not only provided a wonderful canvas for adding holiday decorations, but worked with us by providing china, linens, and other decorations that they had purchased for the event.

Starting with the Dining Room…

Here”s the dining room, with a spectacular real Christmas tree, over 8 feet tall! Thom made the bow, that was used as the tree topper, which might have been done during the Victorian era.

A close-up of the dining table, for which Diane, the homeowner, provided linens and lovely china, and Karen and Thom did the rest…and an orchid for good measure in the black and gold urn in the center of the table.

The Front Hall…

Thom working on the front hall evergreen and floral arrangement.

The Living Room…

Thom working on the evergreen and floral arrangement on the top of the piano in the living room; Diane and Sue provided the poinsettias for color in front of the piano. Tall angel candle holders and lovely urn-shaped alabaster pieces highlighted the mantel.

The mantel over the living room fireplace…

The Breakfast Room and the Kitchen…

Karen working on setting the table for tea…

Rob Godin working on setting up the Christmas tree in the Breakfast Room and putting on the crowning touch – one of Thom”s bows.

Karen and Rob talking in the Breakfast Room.

Diane, the homeowner, in the Breakfast Room, just before the Holiday Tour began.

The Kitchen – window wreath…and orchids.

The main area of the upstairs that we decorated was the dressing room off the Master Bedroom; we provided pictures of Victorian Christmas cards and Thom and Rob set up a real tree. There is a lovely stained glass window as you climb the stairs. Diane and Mike set up a feather tree, with vintage ornaments on the landing.

The finished product.