Text by Bethany Adams
The Gilliam family had only completed their whole-home renovation two months before the Christmas season. “We spent about a year renovating,” says Karissa Gilliam, who had the pleasure of creating a dream farmhouse from the blank canvas that was their new home. “We pretty much gutted the entire house.” Despite the stress of such a large undertaking and the inherent busyness of the holidays, there was no question as to whether or not the space would be decorated in time for Christmas.
“It’s always a big deal,” says Karissa, who starts decorating November 1 and doesn’t stop until every room receives the festive treatment. “Every year, I just pull everything out and look at what I have, and I always reassess and see what I can do with what I have.” This year, the challenge was working her favorite pieces into the new space while putting the finishing touches on the design as a whole.
Where Karissa did incorporate new pieces, like the flocked red ornaments that inspired the design of the family room tree, she did so in a way that elevated what she already owned. The tree from King of Christmas is an amalgamation of glamorous elements and nature-inspired warmth, featuring mismatched ribbons and berry sprigs. “I literally went out into the woods and clipped tree branches and stuck them in,” says Karissa, who enjoys filling out faux decorations with fresh accents. “I always like to pull in natural elements.”
She took the same approach with the garland strung across the stone fireplace, incorporating everything from cedar to eucalyptus for a full, fragrant effect topped off with touches of red. Hoping to get away from more widespread trends like bells hung from the mantel, Karissa instead reached for a set of quaint snowshoes to finish off the display, balancing them with cozy knit stockings and using faux berries and ribbon to add colorful panache.
Karissa’s collection of Christmas décor includes plenteous vintage pieces, from the Santa mugs showcased in her wall of glass-front cabinets to the shimmering ornaments she displays on a tree in the kitchen. “I feel like vintage ornaments are so few and far between, and when you do find them, they’re so expensive because they’ve picked up in their popularity,” she says. Her own collection consists of personal finds as well as family pieces passed down from her aunt. The tinsel-covered tree is a splash of midcentury glam amid the classic spirit of the kitchen, which receives softening touches in the form of greenery, vintage mugs, and a vignette of sweet treats atop the island.
Across the open-concept space, on the other side of a dining area draped in greenery and cranberry reds, another tree proudly holds ornaments that are likely to become heirlooms in their own right. “When my husband and I got married . . . I wanted to start some traditions,” Karissa says. She started crafting handmade ornaments during one of their first Christmas seasons and has continued the tradition with their son, Colton, in the years since. Hand-sewn trees and mittens, burlap candy canes, strings of wooden beads, Colton’s handprints, and more form a collection of sweet memories tucked in among the lights, greeting visitors upon entry.
Karissa and her husband’s personal space is no less inviting, offering the perfect place to relax and enjoy the charms of the season. “I just love the glow of the lights in our bedroom,” Karissa says. Against the creamy neutrals that dominate the design, the deep greens, rich reds, and shimmering metallics of her Christmas accents are enchantingly cozy.
As their son, Colton, has grown, so has his own enthusiasm for the season, and Karissa enjoys the traditions they’ve come to share as a family. “It’s always been a special time, and he’s always loved it and looked to help me,” she says. From decorating personal trees and crafting ornaments to welcoming loved ones for candlelit Christmas dinners, it seems that holidays in the Gilliam household will always be a family affair.
For more information, visit @gilliamhomestead on Instagram.
