Coral Christmas

December 14, 2011

Whether by the coast this Holiday Season or simply wishing for it, our President and Creative Director, Lili Shadab, has the perfect look for an elegant coastal Christmas this season.

“Being in Southern California, I’m naturally drawn to shells, coral and the ocean’s elements. That was our starting point for this Holiday look. Christmas can so easily become bogged down with greens and reds, which can be beautiful but in this case, we relied on white for our foundation. White is bright, chic and very special which makes it perfect for this winter dinner party. We allowed white to be a base through lots of white coral, shells and gorgeous white containers for the centerpiece. From there, we layered with lots of lovely gold and red accents.

“For the table settings, we used these lovely white and red patterned plates and gold-plated glass ware – along with a shot of gold flaked schnapps for each guest to enjoy! Another option for your plates is using whatever white plate ware you have and bringing in red patterned linen napkins with some beautiful napkin rings – we found these on sale at Pier 1! Pier 1, Home Goods and World Market are great for finding lovely and inexpensive embellishments. In light of the holiday spirit, we created the place card settings from little gift boxes and filled them with red roses for each guest then simply placed the name cards on the lid of the box. If you don’t have gift boxes with an attached lid, you can easily stand the card in between the roses.

“For the centerpieces, we’ve incorporated lots of white shells and coral (available at any local shell store) and used these lovely white containers. For the floral arrangements, there are so many amazing options; holly or winter berries are always a great touch. We kept it simple and chic with these red vases and arrangements of red roses. There are also plenty of gorgeous white flowers in season; if you were to go that route, just be sure to incorporate red in the overall look to keep everything in balance.

“A bar cart or drink station is a great added element in a holiday party. Whether you have wine, eggnog, liquor or a few choice cocktails, everyone loves the presentation of a drink station. Another element we loved incorporating was this pretty golden Christmas tree. If you have kids, this is a great use for advent ornaments and such.

“The home is always a very important part in holiday décor so be sure to spend effort on it this holiday season. For this look, we brought in lots of pretty gold and glittered accents. We found this beautiful wreath and covered the rest of the home with gold ornaments, mercury glass and red votives, a few red floral arrangements and then touches of white as well. Look through your own décor items and ornaments for little embellishments – it’s always surprising how much you find you can use!”

Photography by Aaron Shintaku.

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