Decor maven Stephanie Vogler hosts her gal pals for the perfect pre-holiday party, complete with sweet treats and pink champagne.
For Stephanie Vogler, the holiday season isn’t dictated by the calendar – it’s a state of mind that starts in July and doesn’t end until January. That’s because the president and creative director of popular Vancouver housewares store The Cross Decor & Design starts scouting gift shows in the summer and doesn’t stop decking the halls until the last post-season sale in the new year.
It’s easy to understand why Stephanie takes a low-key approach to entertaining at home when the actual holidays roll around. “December is such a busy time with the store that it’s hard for me to see friends,” she says. That’s why Stephanie decided to do things a little differently this year, by hosting a pre-holiday girls’ night for six. “I thought we could get together and share some gift-giving ideas, like what’s trending for kids,” she explains. “It’s meant to be very casual, which is how I like to do things.”
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The perfect holiday home to host a festive girls' night in
A cozy wonderland
The real Christmas tree in the living area was flocked white to give it a wintry look. “We don’t often get snow here in Vancouver, so this gives us such a wonderful feeling,” says Stephanie. Seasonal accessories like textured toss cushions and throws create a cozy vibe.
The perfect holiday home to host a festive girls' night in
Girls' night special
With her all-white space as a blank canvas, Stephanie layered in holiday touches with a white flocked real tree and plenty of twinkle lights. Next, she added warm metallic accents via trays, ornaments and strands of beads. “I’m drawn to things with a sense of whimsy,” says Stephanie of her holiday decor. “But I also love natural elements, so most of my ornaments are made from wool or feathers.”
The perfect holiday home to host a festive girls' night in
Serve yourself station
An evergreen bough and a strand of twinkle lights add an instant festive note to this hallway vignette. In keeping with her fuss-free entertaining style, Stephanie set up a champagne station on the console so guests can help themselves.
The perfect holiday home to host a festive girls' night in
Colourful treats
Sweet macarons in a pretty box are a delectable party favour. “Macarons are such a treat because they’re not something people would typically make for themselves,” says Stephanie of the perfect party favour – a sweet reminder that they’ll have to make room in their calendars for this new tradition next year.
The perfect holiday home to host a festive girls' night in
Just a treat or two
Stephanie served up bite-sized sweets like sugared almonds in small bowls from her collection. Her “keep it simple” mantra also applied to beverages, with a help-yourself champagne station atop a console in the hallway. “I always serve pink champagne when my girlfriends come over,” she says. “It puts everybody in a great mood.”
The perfect holiday home to host a festive girls' night in
Using what you have
“I have a huge collection of tiny bowls, dishes and vases,” says Stephanie. “During the holidays, I love to pull them out and fill them with sweets or pretty things.” Here, on the living room coffee table, a glass vase filled with patinated Christmas ornaments sits alongside crisp white vessels.
The perfect holiday home to host a festive girls' night in
Delicious dessert
Rosie Daykin's interpretation of the traditional yule log is a decadent chocolate cake with chocolate and hazelnut filling. “It pairs nicely with champagne,” says Stephanie.
The perfect holiday home to host a festive girls' night in
Make the house twinkle
Just add twinkle lights – that’s Stephanie’s philosophy for infusing her everyday decor with holiday spirit. “The strand of lights at the end of the hallway adds a nice surprise, and I just sort of tossed it over the mirror for an undone look,” she says.
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