Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and on Christmas morning that sentiment is even truer – after all, it’s what we eat before we unwrap our gifts!
Christmas is not the time to put your house on a decorating diet – especially if you’ve got children. Don’t, for instance, think that it’s excessive to have a parade of prancing forest critters on a tabletop, or that you shouldn’t unleash a spray of stars in a window already adorned with twinkle lights. And don’t think you can’t make it all look stylish. Because that’s exactly what cousins Monika Hibbs (the popular blogger of The Doctor’s Closet, who has since rebranded to monikahibbs.com) and Stephanie Giesbrecht (a designer who runs Stephanie Jean Design in Vancouver) did when they created a wintry, woodland-themed kids’ breakfast in Monika’s Langley, B.C., home last year. And they did it to stunning effect. “Kids appreciate good design,” says the pair. “It tells them that they’re special, and that you don’t only make your place look nice when other adults are coming over.”
Pretty and pale with shimmery hits of gold, vintage accoutrements and cozy textures, as well as a pair of decked out trees, the living and dining rooms are spaces as captivating as scenes from a fairytale. With personalized plates, decorated cookies, milk and hot chocolate, the day was as decadent as any kid would wish for. And though it was created for the little folks in their lives – Stephanie has three children and Monika has one – the holiday set-up is glamorous enough for grown-ups. Spiked hot cocoa, anyone?
Photo Gallery
House tour: A white and gold Christmas morning
Two Christmas trees are better than one
Homeowner Monika Hibbs and her cousin, designer Stephanie Giesbrecht, decorated the living room of Monika’s home for Christmas with two trees instead of one so the kids could participate in decorating the four-foot number. Each child has his or her own twine-wrapped letter trinket to place on the small tree, and a monogrammed bauble hanging on the big one, too. Stockings strung up on a fireplace are often too high for kids to reach – so why not set them on the floor, where they can best be enjoyed? “It creates a really inviting atmosphere and adds coziness, making the under-the-tree area look fuller,” says Stephanie. Not that it needs it. The presents stunningly wrapped in combinations of white, black, brown and gold are beautiful, too.
House tour: A white and gold Christmas morning
Two Christmas trees are better than one
Homeowner Monika Hibbs and her cousin, designer Stephanie Giesbrecht, decorated the living room of Monika’s home for Christmas with two trees instead of one so the kids could participate in decorating the four-foot number. Each child has his or her own twine-wrapped letter trinket to place on the small tree, and a monogrammed bauble hanging on the big one, too. Stockings strung up on a fireplace are often too high for kids to reach – so why not set them on the floor, where they can best be enjoyed? “It creates a really inviting atmosphere and adds coziness, making the under-the-tree area look fuller,” says Stephanie. Not that it needs it. The presents stunningly wrapped in combinations of white, black, brown and gold are beautiful, too.
House tour: A white and gold Christmas morning
Dining room decor
Suspend stars and strings of twinkle lights vertically in a window for a snowfall effect. The simple arrangement adds celebratory cheer, and the kids can help out by adding their own handmade snowflakes to the mix. Kids’ Christmas decor doesn’t have to be a riotous mix of primary colours. Monika and Stephanie stuck to a dreamy meringue-white scheme, lacing in complementary pale accents for a soothing look.
House tour: A white and gold Christmas morning
Tablescape
Monika and Stephanie tucked a small print that subtly says Christmas (the word “mistletoe” is written in a funky, fanciful font) into the wooded tablescape for additional whimsy, interest and texture. In lieu of prints, use greeting cards to place fun messages on your dining table.
House tour: A white and gold Christmas morning
Glamorous sugar cookies
Intricately iced sugar cookie snowflakes and fawns were customized to emphasize the table’s glamorous vintage-classic vibe. (What is it about fawns that recalls old-fashioned storybooks?) Displaying cookies on a fluted plate lends a charming touch.
House tour: A white and gold Christmas morning
Mason jar hot chocolate
Mason jars filled with hot cocoa are topped with mile-high piles of irresistible marshmallows and garnished with peppermint candy canes for dunking. Rest assured, your kids will be happily occupied...for two minutes, at least.
House tour: A white and gold Christmas morning
Christmas morning
Okay, we won’t dock points if you don’t match your jammies, but how fun is this coordinating crew? Stephanie (in solid black) sits with her three kids – Alexa, 8, Cole, 3, and Haley, 10 – while Monika holds her 17-month-old son, Liam. The foot of the tree is tailored for a post-party nap, complete with luxuriously soft faux fur sleeping bags and plush holiday toss cushions. “The kids can have their cousins over, exchange gifts, play and relax,” says Monika. “It’s so cozy and comfortable for the little ones. The arrangement – with the metallics, beiges and whites, not to mention the faux fur – complements the whimsical winter woodland theme.”
House tour: A white and gold Christmas morning
Spirit of giving
If giving is what this season is all about, then sharing must come as a close second. The moms make sure to have shareable treats around so the young ones can start to understand the spirit of giving. (And for cute photo ops, as well!)
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