Text by Elizabeth Czapski
The connection between the families of Destanee and Seth Franks began long before the couple got married and built their Craftsman-style cottage on property passed down from Seth’s family in the small town of Corner, Alabama, in 2016. The couple’s grandfathers were the best of friends and spent ample time together on the very land where the Frankses’ house sits today. Though Destanee’s grandfather, Pawpaw, passed away the year before they wed, his memory lives on in both Seth’s grandfather, Papa, and pieces of family history woven throughout the home they now share with their two young sons.
“I keep our home simple and cozy,” Destanee says. “I love mixing vintage items with new and adding pieces that have a story. Our home is filled with pieces that have been passed down or gifted from family members. It is so important to me to incorporate pieces of our family in our everyday life. My goal is for our home to tell a story of us—where we came from and things from the people who started our families before we started our own.”
And this translates effortlessly to Destanee’s approach to decorating for the holidays, as she amplifies the home’s already cozy ambience and continues to blend inherited treasures with new trimmings. “I love celebrating Christmas the old-fashioned way,” she says. “A nostalgic Christmas is the theme I lean toward. Christmas is a feeling for me. I want my boys to feel the magic just like I did growing up, and I believe that starts with a home that can tell a story with its holiday décor.”
The story begins as soon you reach the Frankses’ front door, where a picturesque porch extends a warm welcome festooned with swags of greenery, wreaths, and Christmas topiaries, along with rocking chairs that flank a dresser that belonged to Pawpaw and hosts a charming hot cocoa bar this time of year.
Upon entry, a stunning tree twinkles from its focal point beside a stone fireplace in the living room, cloaked in classic red, green, and gold, as well as vintage-inspired, passed-down, and childhood ornaments. “[I wanted] a tree that would remind me of the trees I would see in department stores growing up while holiday shopping—one that would remind me of my [grandmother] Nana’s and great-grandmother’s trees when I was little,” Destanee says of her inspiration.
Layered amid farmhouse architectural features and more refined furnishings, other meaningful decorations are scattered about the space, from a snow globe collection that Destanee’s mother adds to each year to Santa figurines from various grandparents. “It wouldn’t feel like Christmas without all these pieces,” she says.
An elegant display unfolds in the dining room, where a pair of trees—one natural, one tinsel—introduces the palette of green and gold. The table is set with antique dishes, glassware that belonged to Destanee’s Nana—her favorite pieces to bring out at Christmastime—and a dreamy, cream-colored gingerbread cake that doubles as a festive centerpiece. And while the kitchen décor is more subtle, its seasonal splendor lies in all the time the Frankses spend in the space making memories.
“During the holidays, my countertops usually have two toddler boys sitting on them helping me bake, making salt-dough ornaments, decorating cookies—doing everything that keeps the spirit of Christmas alive in our home,” Destanee says. “Christmas music playing, the smell of gingerbread, and giggles coming from our boys are what make my heart the fullest during the holiday season.”
The boys get to choose the ornaments for the tree in their bedroom, and this year, Destanee pulled together a rustic ski lodge theme from their selections. Every year, she arranges for Santa to drop by for a visit. “Traditions in our home are so important to us,” Destanee says. “Creating memories for my boys during this time is most important to me. My oldest looked at me last Christmas and said, ‘Mama, our house is magic,’ and that is all I could ever hope for.”
To see more of Destanee’s style, visit her on Instagram at @southernlifestyled.
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