Santa Claus KATHLEEN FLATTERY ABRAMS
DO YOU HAVE A
66
WBM december 2020
OVER the river and through
the woods, evergreen trees
thrive in the maritime forest
indigenous to the Cape Fear
region. While it’s possible to forage for
native juniper and cedar boughs, the
Douglas fir used to decorate this mantel
likely traveled, like Santa, from more
northern climates to shimmy down the
chimney.
The live evergreens, when layered with
baby eucalyptus, silver dollar eucalyp-tus
and gold tinted grevillea, provide
the perfect ingredients for this design
inspired by the warmth of Ron and
Kathleen Abrams’ home.
“From the moment you step across the
threshold, Christmas is everywhere,” says
Dana Cook of Julia’s Florist.
The Design Challenge: Kathleen
Abrams, an interior designer for McKen-zie
Baker Interiors, decorates her holiday
home with traditional reds and greens,
nativity scenes and nutcrackers. “She gave
us free will to decorate her mantel for her
Christmas celebration. We wanted to
simplify the arrangements with natural
materials,” Cook says.
With design manager Wendi Fayad, she
chose high petal count Mondial roses in a
soft ivory color. Inspired by the maritime
print, the design team added a string
of white starfish linked with strands of
copper wire and showcased the installa-tion
with white twinkle lights.
“We also incorporated her personal
collection of gold and silver Christmas
trees into the array,” Cook says. “Our final
touch was the wide gold ribbon woven for
light reflection and a dramatic impact.”
The base of the hearth is grounded with
a vase of magnolia stems and a throw
pillow, fire tools, and a ginger jar from
Abrams’ collection. The fireplace is a
central gathering area in the family room
where the furnishings are arranged in a
U-shape and the stockings are hung by
the chimney with care.
Residential & Commercial | kathleen@mbi.design
o 910-762-4222 | c 910-231-1959 | f 910-762-4455
3115 Wrightsville Ave., Suite H, Wilmington, NC 28403 • www.mckenziebakerinteriors.com
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