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Interior designer Nona Griffith transforms her home into a winter wonderland
Eleven months of the year, Nona Griffith’s design philosophy is based on a “less is more” principle. But when it comes to decorating for the holidays, this ASID designer is a self-confessed addict who likes to fill every corner of her home with holiday cheer.
“Every year I buy a whole new theme,” she confesses. “It’s disgusting. I need help.”
But in all seriousness, Griffith, who has been doing this since her sons—now in their 30s—were young, knows the winter wonderland she creates for family and friends is well worth the effort.
“At my holiday parties, I see adults become like little children again,” she says. “They say it brings them back to their childhood fantasy.”
Almost every room in the house has a tree with a different theme. For her living room, Griffith decorates the tallest live tree she can find, using crystal ornaments amassed over a span of 30-plus years. In the family room, she sets up a children’s table next to her “snow tree,” an artificial tree that uses a fountain mechanism to shower tiny balls of Styrofoam through the branches. This tree’s theme varies, though the color palette always consists of red and white. The Mardi Gras tree in the game room—dressed in pink, turquoise, black and green—is “a favorite with the young people,” she says. Even the guest bathroom gets its own special tree. The “butterfly tree”—swathed in bronze, green and gold—is placed in the rarely used shower.
While it is time-consuming, Griffith’s approach isn’t complicated. For her children’s tree, she once wrapped all the presents in pristine white paper and tied each with a red bow. Coordinating the gift wrap to the theme is one way she infuses holiday décor with elegance and personality. Using objects with personal significance is another.
“I think it’s important to include your own personal treasures in the décor,” she says. Hers include needlepoint stockings crafted by her sister. Every year, they make an appearance in the family room, which is dressed in traditional red and green.
Griffith expresses her merriment at meals, too. On her dinner table, she uses a photo of each guest as a place card, and at each setting she places an ornament or a small, wrapped gift for guests to take home. Personal touches such as these make the holidays in Griffith‘s home memorable to all who visit—for years to come.
Sophisticated Holiday Entertaining
Inspiration from the designer behind the Starry Starry Night Gala
Twenty-five years ago, Clare Webber was working at a San Francisco publishing firm when a friend called for advice about flower arrangements for the executive dining room at Bear Stearns.
“They were hideous,” says Webber, who, fortunately for her friend, agreed to manage the floral program for the next two weeks. As she left the building and headed back onto Market Street, Webber ran into another friend who worked at the Bank of San Francisco. Turns out they, too, were looking for a florist.
Only 20 minutes had passed, and Webber had two clients and a new career. Soon after, the budding florist found herself producing parties as well. One had a guest list of 500, including Al Gore. And recently, for Starry Starry Night, the Voices for Children annual gala, Webber transformed Joan Waitt’s private residence into a luxurious star-studded outdoor ballroom.
While not all her parties include politicians or celebrities, Webber approaches each one as important. Her sources for inspiration and design ideas can be translated into any space—big or small, residential or commercial.
Outdoor events are always tricky, because designers must “compete with nature,” Webber says, but evening parties are even more challenging. For Starry Starry Night, she played cool sea-blue tablecloths against vivid orange centerpieces, creating an island of color in the nighttime vista.
Regardless of the time of day, however, Webber says the first decision should be “where to put the big ‘pop’ in the room.” It’s the first step in prioritizing all the details of event planning.
A Star Bar in the middle of the party space provided just the pizzazz needed for the gala. Selecting the bar as focal point was an easy decision. With lights in various colors, the bar became the center of attention and provided a chic spot for delivering libations.
“When planning, I pretend to be the guest,” Webber says of the technique that works to create a memorable first impression at every event. “You have to pick something that really resonates. Then you’ll have your guests hooked.”—ARAVIS MOORE
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