This Northland condo with a million dollar view follows that trend with an equally spectacular interior holiday setting!
Story by Ann Butenas | Photography by Matt Kocourek
Interior Designer: Ramsey Interiors | Holiday Interior Designer: Comfort by Design
Just because one downsizes their living quarters doesn’t mean one has to downsize the spirit of Christmas that resides within. When Kathleen Ramsey, owner of Ramsey Interiors, was requested by the homeowners to update this spacious condo in Briarcliff, she wasted no time in bringing a grand new look to the place.
“We basically brought in new furniture and colors, with a focus on transitioning the atmosphere of the outdoors inside,” said Kathleen. “We also re-did the fireplace, as they wanted a bit more architectural detail and Old World charm that offered a warmer and less modern feel.”
Unique to this condo are the colors that help to define its personality, which include pops of purple, teal, yellow and green.
“The trick was to not make it seem like Mardi Gras,” noted Ramsey, who effectively pulled it off, especially when partnering the elements of nature into the design palette, one of the most notable of which is the light fixture in the main living area with its branches and multiple light appointments.
When the homeowners decided to decorate for the holidays, Ramsey knew just the person to bring into the equation: Deb Vogler, designer and owner of Comfort by Design.
“Since the couple had downsized from a larger home into this condo, I simplified the decorating for them,” expressed Deb. “I had to consider the decorations in terms of the time they would spend with extended family; their daily life; and their love of entertaining.”
In order to assimilate with the color scheme of the condo, Deb provided a loose interpretation of the Mardi Gras colors by incorporating some moderately adorned greenery, a few rustic touches, and carefully selected decorations, leaning a bit away from the typical holiday decorations of abundant baubles and bells in deference to elements that provide a strong whisper of the holiday spirit without being too overstated.
The homeowner enjoyed up to 10 trees in her former home and is all about nature, and while this condo did not offer the space to accommodate such a collection, the one artificial tree on display enjoys a bounty of lights to invoke a festive atmosphere.
“Since she loves nature and trees, my focus in decorating was on that aspect,” indicated Deb, who referenced the formal dining tablespace. “I incorporated little owls onto the table and also used greenery throughout the condo where I could.” Deb also integrated branches on the console table behind the sofa and on the armoire.
“The open floor plan of this place is nice, as everything can be viewed from throughout the condo,” said Deb, who also provided decorations for the bar top at the island and the serving area just to the right of the refrigerator and on top of the refrigerator.
Since this was the homeowners’ first Christmas in their new place, it was fun for Deb and Kathleen to work with them in making it their own.
“They were a huge part of it, and we just helped them bring it all to life,” smiled Deb. “It was a great project to work on, and Kathleen knocked it out of the park in terms of her overall design expertise.”
And so as not to lose the scheme, style and setting of the holiday décor, Deb took photos of everything so that when it is disassembled, they can refer to those photos when reproducing the look in subsequent years.
“I worked with the owners on items I purchased and on items they already had,” stated Deb. “Using what I purchased for them, I was able to add to, deconstruct and rearrange to make it unique.”
