How-To: Design With The Holidays In Mind

You can’t design a house just for Thanksgiving! Yes, we know that a whole house is meant to function day to day and make your lives easier, but, we would be remiss to exclude those special occasions in our planning process.  Thoughtful design means we’re considering all the ways you’ll live in your home throughout the year, not just the most frequent uses. There are several opportunities we want to consider during design phases that will provide you the support you need when the time comes.  When you plan ahead, you can reduce stress and enjoy a lighter holiday season with your family and friends.

Where will we put the tree?

Each holiday comes with its own variety of pomp and circumstance and sometimes the traditional holiday decor can be overwhelming, making a house feel cluttered. If a family we are designing for celebrates Christmas, then we certainly want to know during design where the Christmas tree will be going.  For some, this could be a bump-out at a street-facing window to display the tree and its lights for the neighbors and passers-by to enjoy.  For others, a cozy corner in a library or family room is where the tree will reside for the season.  We want to know if furniture will need to be relocated during this season and make sure that there is space enough for everything in its temporary location.  

If your family celebrates Hanukkah with a menorah or puts together an ofrenda for dia de los muertos, then you need to consider how and where that will be displayed, especially if you have small kiddos that might be less careful with candles.  This can be a great time to include a dining room built-in with a deep countertop to host these family treasures, or consider building out a bay window with a solid surface base that can be used for your holiday display. You might also want to put the smoke detector at the opposite side of the room, so you don’t unintentionally set off any alarms.

How can I fit 24 adults and 6 children in this dining room?

Whether it's holiday entertaining or a weekly family supper, knowing the maximum capacity for hosting a dinner is always a must.  During design we ask clients how many people they like to host and how they feel comfortable accommodating them. Does dining need to be seated, or will a buffet with scattered seating be more appropriate? If you host very rarely, but want to be sure everyone has a seat at the table for Thanksgiving, then we recommend creating an open concept plan where you can add leaves to a dining table that might push into the living room space on special holidays,  If you host seated dinners regularly, then creating a larger dining room that is always ready would be the way to go. 

Don’t forget those summer holidays in your planning too.  While New Year’s brunch will likely happen inside, those Independence Day BBQs are just as important.  We love outdoor dining areas, especially in Colorado, where we can create large openings between indoor and outdoor spaces that allow a welcome flow for guests to enjoy their surroundings.

Where are all these people going to sleep?

Always a conundrum - will kids get sent to the basement floor while granny and papa take their rooms? Or are air mattresses saving the day?  What about bathroom space? All important questions to consider during the design phase of a new home.  While we love an attic bunk room for holidays and sleepovers, we know this isn’t often feasible. We do recommend having at least one bathroom with a shower that doesn’t need to be accessed through another bedroom.  That way guests sleeping on the pull-out couch still have a place to clean up.  We also wouldn’t shy away from a murphy bed in a room used regularly as an office.  If you plan ahead, the murphy bed can be designed with beautiful trim and molding so that it hides away seamlessly until the guests arrive.

One last thing we’ll note is storage.  Keep in mind where the garlands and cobwebs will be stored when not on display.  Create accessible storage for decor, hosting dishes, and all the little things that make your house come alive at the holidays.  Maybe this is in a basement or attic, or even in the garage, we just recommend keeping it temperature controlled so candles don’t melt and dishes don’t break with extreme temperature fluctuations. 

How do I plan for color that will still look great during the holidays?

We love color and always encourage our clients to find ways to include color throughout their home.  From pain and wallpaper, to lighting furnishing, color can show up in so many ways.  Pick colors for your home year-round that you love.  If you’re energized by bright yellows and greens, then your house should showcase that.  

When it comes time for the holidays, decor comes in every color.  Use your existing color palette and build on that.  This might mean finding a silver tinsel Christmas tree rather than traditional green, or choosing a green and pink holiday scheme rather than the traditional red.  I love seeing Thanksgiving decor in jewel tones, or if your every day is a more neutral setting, even complimenting your winter whites with gold and black accents for New Years is a great look. If you love the colors of your home, then bringing those to life at the holidays can bring even more joy during the festive season.

However you celebrate and whatever your home looks like during this season, we wish you very Happy Holidays!