Two Light Luxury Apartments holiday decorating contest winner proves artfully spreading the holiday spirit can be fun and accomplished on a budget.
Story by Ann Butenas | Photography by Matthew Anderson
When Lauren Omaña, resident at Two Light Luxury Apartments in downtown Kansas City, sets her sights on decorating, she applies a very tasteful hand with both shabby chic and sophisticated elements easily at play.
Accountant by day, Omaña, who had relocated back to the metro area from Chicago last year, could easily transition to career as an interior designer, as evidenced by the festive holiday display she showcased as part of a decorating contest sponsored by her apartment complex. Nabbing top honors in the contest, Omaña didn’t take her first place win too seriously, but she did enjoy putting the finishing touches on her holiday display within her own corner of the world.
Taking center stage is the tree, and what is Christmas without one? When it came to bringing this principle element to her design stage, Omaña didn’t shy away from bringing the outdoors inside. She and her husband Joe Rogers, whom she wed in October of this year, went together to get the tree from a local tree farm. Adding to the appeal of the tree are strategically placed poinsettias in terra cotta pots that offer pops of color throughout the living spaces.
“I painted the terra cotta pots myself and like to change out the flowers seasonally,” noted Omaña, who has a decided flair for bringing champagne tastes to light on a lemonade budget.
“I like to stay on the economical side when I decorate,” she said, emphasizing her love of local discount home furnishings and dollar stores to capitalize on her unique finds. The glass container atop her kitchen counter boasts a perfectly balanced collection of pinecones, ball ornaments, and lemons. As with her terra cotta pots, Omaña will rotate elements in and out of the glass container as the seasons and holidays change.
Other economical yet festive highlights accenting the holiday spirit in this apartment include a wooden Santa placed by the tree; lights and ornaments for the tree; silver plates and coordinating placements on the counter; stockings, garland and some throw pillows. Omaña successfully coordinated all of these accessories to pull together the winning look without sacrificing her budget.
While winning the contest is not necessarily something Omaña will put on her professional resume, she has been told by others she has some talent in the interior design arena.
“I enjoy indulging my creative side,” she smiled, while the accountant in her kept a steady finger on the pulse of her purchases. “Overall, I estimate I spent about $350.00 total on everything, but a lot of it includes items I can use every year.”
