The month of December is full of joy and cheer. Indoor and outdoor spaces are beautifully decorated and festooned, from restaurants and coffee shops, to parks and plazas, and, of course, shops. Shops enchant with magical windows and visually inspiring interiors. We asked four talented shopkeepers to share their festive decorating styles. Kabinett & Kammer and Patch NYC, use colorful vintage ornaments whilst Midgley Green and Patriae work with nature and forage for natural elements. All four styles are unique and beautiful, keep reading for decorative advice and tips on how to recreate these looks at home.
SEAN SCHERER
KABINETT & KAMMER
Kabinett & Kammer is an art and antiques shop in Andes, New York in the western Catskills. Artist, Collector, and Shopkeeper, Sean Scherer has been collecting vintage Christmas ornaments for years and he enjoys decorating Kabinett & Kammer and his home every season.
How would you describe your Christmas decorating style?
Vintage and classic for sure, but not too cute, my feather trees are my favorites. I see them as art objects in their own right.
What elements do you use?
Vintage ornaments and garlands, beeswax candles from Greentreehome and flowers!
What is your approach to decorating Kabinett & Kammer?
Festive and vintage. The tree in the center of the store displays my vintage Russian and Czech beaded ornaments.
How do you carry the theme into your home?
More of the same. I have four trees in my house.
When did you start collecting vintage ornaments?
I’ve been collecting for years. Mostly picked up at estate sales years ago. Best time to shop for vintage holiday items is off season. Summertime is best for bargains.
Any other tips or advice?
Decorating with flowers, grocery store flowers even. My trick is to keep it to to two tones like green and white or green and red. Just get enough to mix, the one pictured was 6 different bunches for $30 total.
KATHERINE MIDGLEY & SEAMUS GREEN
MIDGLEY GREEN
Midgley Green specializes in contemporary crafts from British makers, alongside beautifully designed and functional homeware products.
How would you describe your Christmas decorating style?
We love tradition and nostalgia so those two things play a big part in our decorating style. However, there is a paired back, understated vibe that we look to achieve. I suppose we try to balance between the decadence of festive cheer and contemporary simplicity.
What elements do you use?
Easy, as many natural materials as possible. Katherine is known as ‘the branch lady’ now, you rarely see her without some kind of woodland find in her arms. The sculptural forms of branches are always the starting point for us. This year we’ve woven old mans beard (a hedgerow staple found around us) and eucalyptus blooms throughout the branches that hang in the shop. Nestled within the branches you’ll find victorian tree clips with small candle spells in them, these add the nostalgia that we mentioned earlier. Bunches of eucalyptus are hung around too, making sure that beautiful smell permeates around the shop.
How do you approach decorating the shop?
Making sure as much of our decorating is made from natural materials is our approach. Whatever we can forage or find is generally our theme. For example, if Katherine has found a huge branch covered in lichen, that will most likely be the centre point for other elements to play off. Throughout the shop we try grouping colours together, this year our front display is based on the whites of ceramics, blankets and candles that we have in. The white follows up into the tree clips that arches over the display and then sends the eye around the room.
How do you interpret theme in your home?
Exactly the same way as we do in the shop, as much natural foraging is done as possible. One of our favourite reasons for this is that the foliage tends to be fresh and vibrant at first, but as the season passes by the greenery that we collected dries and ages. Displays get more and more wintery as you head into January, and come the 12th night it’s definitely time to pull everything down for a fresh start to the new year. Our ethos is to have a selection of cherished decorations, terrariums and candles holders that we get out every year, these are always accompanied by swathes of found ivy, twigs and drying hydrangeas. Eucalyptus is a favourite because of its smell and the fact it dries that wonderful muted green colour.
JOHN ROSS & DON CARNEY
PATCH NYC
Patch NYC is a decorative home goods shop and design studio in Boston’s Southend. Their approach to decorating the shop is colorful and humorous. Follow them on Instagram to see their amusing juxtaposition of ornaments.
How would you describe your decorating style?
At home, we like a real mix of vintage holiday decor….pieces from the 20’s up to the 70’s. We also like to mix in decorations that we have made or purchased from Germany for the PATCH NYC shop. In the shop we like to highlight the holiday merchandise that is for sale which means we have ornaments and bottle brush trees everywhere.
What elements do you use?
Most of the older pieces are glass or metal mixed with our paper mache creations and even some crochet pieces created by John’s mom.
What is your approach to decorating the shop?
The decor in the shop changes throughout the season. We like to start early and then just keep adding as we get more deliveries. The decorations get more and more layered as we get into December. We currently have a plaster bust of Caesar in one window and a stick tree in a Victorian stand in the other. Both windows are pretty full with ornaments which we have to keep replenishing as we sell out of specific styles.
How do you carry the theme into your home?
We always take one of all of our favorites as we unpack each order of ornaments.
December is the one month when we don’t mind the shop being extra full and over the top with decorations. Often we have customers who just stand staring at the display and taking it all in before they can even think about shopping. It’s pretty sweet because they usually have a big smile.
BARBARA PISCH
PATRIAE
Patriae is filled with antique hemp textiles and products made in-house fm those antique textiles, new and antique home goods, vintage clothing, and handmade objects.
How would you describe your Christmas decorating style?
Casual, incorporating elements from nature. Looking to winter fauna and flora for inspiration.
What elements do you use?
Mostly foraged natural elements like holly, sticks, wild grasses, reeds, and berries, displayed in my collection of vintage monochromatic vases. I then add some paper crepe florals from Harley Rose Studio, wire-wrapped decorative eggs from Slovakia, and a wreath made from antique hemp and linen textile scraps.
What is your approach to decorating the Patriae?
Creating a feeling of magic, fantasy, and wonder.
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