My Holiday Home
by Katie Borghese, owner of Casa di Francesca
As soon as the final serving platters from our Thanksgiving dinner have been safely stored, I start planning the decorating of my home for the holidays. Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year. Maybe it’s the idea that family will soon come to visit, the thought of enjoying some Christmas cheer with friends or wrapping the toys that have been dancing like sugar plums in my young children’s heads. Each year I decorate the outside of my house with boxwood garlands, holly wreaths and red gingham bows, but when it comes to home décor, I take a simple and affordable approach by adding fragrances that set a holiday mood. Such simple pleasures can turn a home into a sparkling pine forest or a festive gathering by a crackling fire. It is beneficial to choose a scent that is in line with the atmosphere you want to achieve during the holidays. A particular scent or fragrance can trigger memories and emotions, conjuring nostalgic images of Christmas past. Because of this, home diffusers are an easy and affordable way to add enjoyment and enhance the way you experience the entire winter season.
When entering my home, I like greeting my guests with a burst of fragrance. For holiday 2009, I developed a diffuser fragrance called Home for the Holidays. It is a mix of classic holiday scents; sweet orange, pomegranate, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla and pine. It’s a warm and joyful fragrance that brings a flood of happy memories and is the perfect way to welcome guests in from the cold.
White lights, heirloom ornaments and my children’s class projects adorn our tree. In my family room I want the Christmas tree to be the main focus. What better way than to add a pine fragrance like Casa di Francesca’s Peppermint Pine?! The exhilarating pine scent brings the room to life and draws each of one’s senses to the tree. The fragrance brings to mind sleigh rides through the winter woods while enjoying the cool and sweet taste of a peppermint ball. Whether you decorate with artificial, real or no tree at all, a pine fragrance is a great way to add holiday freshness to your home.
During the winter months, we spend a lot of time relaxing in front of a fire in our library. It’s a cozy, warm paneled room; the perfect place for hibernating during cold nights. The English Leather diffuser is a leisurely scent that brings comfort to any home. Aromatic citrus notes of Sweet Orange, Leather, Rockrose and Mugwort blend with a woody heart of Patchouli, Vetiver, Sandalwood, Cedar and a powdery base of Tonka Bean, Vanilla and Tobacco. It is here that I display a collection of Murano glass decanters. Bright colors of glass stacked up on books add the perfect punch of color.
I love introducing bright colors into a room with accessories. It’s an easy and affordable way to change the look of any room. During the holidays it’s easy to over decorate, keep it simple by sticking to a color theme. This year I chose greens, blues and gold. In my library I placed Emerald Green, Sapphire Blue and Gold Murano vases on the coffee table. The glass sparkles like the ornaments on my tree and adds just the right touch of color.
The real action during the holidays revolves around the kitchen. Gingerbread cookies, honey baked ham and warm apple cider are my family’s favorite treats. A gourmand fragrance will keep the fires burning even when the oven isn’t on. Madagascar Vanilla, Eggnog Spice and Pure Pear are perfect fragrances that are sure to make any guest think you are a star chef.
The best part about decorating with fragrances happens after the needles start to fall off the tree and the ginger bread house loses its sugary bling. Fragrances continue on to keep your home happy and warm throughout the winter months. No glass ornaments to wrap, needles to sweep or lights to wrestle, only relaxing and pure fragrance notes full of the spirit of the season.
Happy Holidays!
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
