Do you love to be HOME for the holidays as much as I do? I’m thrilled to welcome you inside our holiday home.
Please come into the living room, I’ve started the fire, let’s sit and have a cup of coffee or tea in here.
This year, our theme at FrenchGardenHouse is A PARISIAN NOEL. It sounds very fanciful, but really it just gave me a little bit of a “theme” to stick to.
I love Christmas so much, and celebrating the birth of our Savior, that if I don’t reign myself in, I can go a little crazy. {shocking, I know!}
Every Christmas brings a new opportunity to reinvent our decorations at home, using different techniques, colors and themes. This year, since I received my new Tree, I decided to decorate in a totally different way, with colors and ornaments that look like French jewelry.
I was blessed with this gorgeous 9ft. Evergreen Snap Tree, by Tree Classics.
I’m so happy to be joining some of my most special designer friends again this season for our bHOME for the Holidays Home Tour. My bHOME friends always inspire me with their creativity and the beauty they create in their homes.
Also, it’s a thrill to sponsor the GIVE-AWAY for this tour. Make sure you read all the way to the bottom of the post to see how you can enter to win a $250.00 gift certificate to our own FrenchGardenHouse!
If you are joining me from any of my other friend’s gorgeous holiday homes, WELCOME. If you’re a regular, I’m so glad you’re here. For all of you who aren’t quite sure how you ended up on this tour, I hope you’ll feel at home and join me at FrenchGardenHouse again!
At the bottom of the post, I will be sending you on to all the other holiday home tours. {And a source list is included at the bottom of the post.}
In the living room, our cathedral ceilings make smaller Christmas trees look really small. So I opted for a 9 ft. tree again. I added gold glittered fern and leaf picks to really catch the glittering lights, and they glimmer and glow in the evening. My colors echo a Parisian jewelry box, rich metallics, deep reds, and brilliant blues and aquamarines.
To personalize our tree, I added antique French Crowns and Tiara’s. Because you knew that there would be some antiques on the tree, right?
This year, I set up a small table in front of the tree for afternoon tea with a friend. Or a romantic dinner with John.
I decided to go all out and set it with an antique lace tablecloth, garnet red KPM dinner plates, antique French silver, ruby flashed glassware and my favorite red embroidered linen napkins.
Because Christmas is the perfect time for a little all-out romance, and using the most beautiful things you own.
Here is the little table set up with some antique silver pieces, to be used for a small luncheon.
On the opposite side of the room {you can see the tree in the antique French gilt mirror} I displayed one of my favorite antique Christ child figures.
From an old cathedral or church, wearing his original crown and velvet clothing, isn’t he so beautiful?
I always try to display something beautiful on our antique hand painted sideboard in the living room. The windows on the other side and the tree usually capture everyone’s attention, but this little area is another place where our antiques really shine, especially during the holidays.
What I love most about this antique religious figure, is that he carries a lamb on his back. I, like many of you, have a complete “thing” about sheep.
And this one? This symbol of the Lamb of God, is especially precious.
The antique “Napoleon” Mannequins from France are also simply dressed for the holidays.
On our coffee table this year, I placed a vintage Florentine tray holding an antique crystal biscuit jar with a simple bouquet of winter white roses with seeded eucalyptus. A few Christmas ornaments and one of my favorite signature candles is all this needs to add a simple grace note.
My flowers during the holidays are always white. They are calming, and you can never have too many fresh flowers.
And I added some greens to the antique French basket on top of our armoire too. The first picture shows it “in progress” – I decided I needed more greens!
I dressed the mantel in the living room dressed simply with greens, two topiaries in black French urns, and a stunning 17th century madonna & child. Bought on our recent buying trip to Italy, this is such a precious piece.
While they are still mine before a lucky client purchases them, I’m displaying them in their full glory on the mantel in the living room.
Do you have a favorite scent that reminds you of Christmas? For me it’s the scent of our FrenchGardenHouse Holiday candle. Perfumed with the fresh scent of fir needles and fir balsam, cedar wood and grapefruit, the fragrance flourishes into holiday orange, eucalyptus and bergamot. Everything about it says “holidays!”
I am probably the biggest consumer of these candles, I light one in the early afternoon and keep it lit until we go to sleep in the evening.
I’ll let you peek into my “secret” wrapping room, but don’t tell anyone what you see in there!
I decorated the French gold mirror with a dried rose-leaf garland, and an over-sized holiday decoration I love. It’s covered with real German glass glitter, which really makes it sparkle when the lights are on in the evening.
Our gifts are wrapped in gold and white this year, with gold ribbons and embellishments. I’m adding gold leaf picks, tassels with a lot of sparkle, or glass ornaments to every package as a special surprise.
{A beautiful stack of gifts is also a perfect and easy holiday decoration in your guest room or entryway.} Our Parisian Atelier ornaments and tassels are almost sold out, but we’re expecting another parcel of tassels in silver from the Atelier this week.
Here is what our living room looks like after dark. The tree all lit up truly sparkles!
I hope you have enjoyed this little glimpse into our holiday home at FrenchGardenHouse. I’m not done decorating yet, I’m still sprinkling little holiday touches around the house.
You can see what I’ve done to the mantel now that our fresh garland arrived HERE {I like to play around with several options for our mantel before making a final choice!}
I’ll be sharing some of our other rooms over the next two weeks with you.
Antique French Pink FleurdeLis Crown | Vintage Art Deco Salt&Pepper Set | Antique Silver Server | Vintage Silver Plate Bonbon Server
Signature HOLIDAY Candle | Gorgeous Holiday Paisley Napkins | Parisian Atelier Gold Tassel Ornament | Moi et Toi Glasses
Now for the GIVE AWAY:
I’m honored to sponsor this GIVE AWAY for the bHOME Tour for the Holidays!
Enter to win a $250.00 Gift Certificate to FrenchGardenHouse.com just in time for the holidays. It’s easy!
All you have to do to enter is visit FrenchGardenHouse.com and tell us what antique has captured your heart in the comments. You can get extra entries for following @FrenchGardenHouse on Instagram,and FaceBook too.
Just tell us in the comments, we trust you! The give-away is open to readers in the USA and Canada. Good luck! Winner randomly chosen on 12/7 and notified by email )
I hope you are having a beautiful week, decorating your home for the holidays and enjoying this heart-warming season.
BE SURE TO VISIT MY FRIENDS FOR MORE HOLIDAY INSPIRATION!
French Garden House
Welcome to our back room.
Lidy,
I love the religious antiques. I am partial to the prayer books. Love your statue with the Lamb of God…beautiful.
I am not a big social media person,therefore I am not on Instagram or Facebook,but I know my daughter follows on both.
It’s always such a pleasure to visit your beautiful home Lidy. Every image is divine and your tree is truly magnificent. Thank you for the tour of your living room and your generosity in sponsoring the giveaway.
Merry Christmas,
Kerryanne
That little antique white table/stand that the Christ child stands upon on your sideboard. I’ve noticed it before and love to see it displayed. Thanks for sharing your lovely decorated home with us.
carol
Simply stunning, Lidy as I knew it would be!
Your living room for Christmas is just lovely! I visited your shop and just love the breadboards and the beautiful french nightstands.. thank you and Merry Christmas.
Oh Lidy! This makes me want to hop on a plane and join you in front of the tree and sit at that gorgeous table filled with the most exquisite things! I find myself crushing over those amazing French antiques in your room and on the table…your theme this year is indeed how your home feels every day….celebrating France and the French decor….Your home is like spending an enchanting holiday in Paris!!
Your tree is magical, and the wrapped packages! Ooh la la. I am always smitten with the antique linens-
I love everything in your home. I especially love the antique Madonna and Child on the mantel.
I would love a visit to your shop one day. Thanks for sharing.
Beverly
I love the crowns and jewels on the tree. I use a lot of my mothers jewelry the I inherited but would not wear myself. They sparkle on the tree and brings back a little of my mom to Christmas.
Joyeux Noel! The exquisite Madonna with Child is such a beautiful reminder of why we celebrate this holy season – merci!
Joyeux Noel! The exquisite Madonna with Child is such a beautiful reminder of why our family celebrates this holy season – merci1
Beautiful
Love all your decorating tips! I have a Christmas Tea each year and you have given me some great tips I plan to use and simple too. I have a crystal biscuit jar I will use in the same way. I also have the antique basket on my linen closet in hall and will add some greenery as you did. Thank you so much for your beautiful postings. They make my day!
Happy Holidays!
Jackie Wild, Natchez, MS
The copper fish poacher is amazing.
The Madonna and Child are such a beautiful work of art
that capture the true meaning of Christmas.
I love that you have placed it high on your mantel, its beauty
radiates the entire room.
Your home speaks “love” in every sense of the word.
Lidy, your home is simply stunning decorated for the holidays! Your tree is so pretty, and I am swooning over that gorgeous antique lace tablecloth. Thanks so much for the tour! I hope that you and your family have a happy and blessed holiday season!!!
Oh my what inspiration!!!! Your home is beautiful!!! I have visited your store… I could not pick just one thing everything is beautiful if I could I would get one of everything…God bless.
Norma, thank you. I wish you the happiest of holidays!
The Madonna and child on the mantel are my favorite all though the other decorations through the house are lovely.
Your home is gorgeous. This my first time on your site. For Christmas I especially like the antique religious figure carrying the lamb and the way she is looking up to the sky. I love your cabinet with glass doors next to the fireplace. Truly a lovely piece! I also really like the gold mirrors in your pictures and the one you use as a tray. Love that idea.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from my family to yours!
Thank you so much for giving me the idea of displaying on my mantle a religious statue inherited from my grandmother not only at Christmas, which is such a special time, but also throughout the year. I look forward to your posts and always take away so many wonderful ideas. I wish you and yours an abundance of blessings this holiday season!
Cindy, I LOVE this! Thank you for blessing me with this, I love the idea that you will display your grandmother’s statue! xo
Lidy, I love your entire house. It is beautifully decorated for Christmas!I love the antique Christ child figure. It has such a presence in your home! Have a blessed Christmas!
I think the hand carved rose wood curtain tiebacks speak to me. I wonder whose hands have touched these over the years and the beautiful homes and families they have served.
I love the surprise of seeing the beautiful crowns decorating your tree. Especially in the pink Fleurdelisé crown. The entie house is like a Christmas dream.
I love the Antique Minature silver French Art Nouveau Table Jardinere, the floral details, the elegance of the lines, just beautiful. There are more then this one that caught my eye, but this one is truly beautiful.
Dear Lidy, your Christmas decor and antique pieces are breath taking. I love the table cloth and the crowns on the tree are so beautiful. Have a very merry holiday season!
xoxo Jo
What a lovely holiday setting you have fashioned! I love it all, especially the religious figurines you have incorporated into your rooms. They really blend the spiritual and decorative sides of the season. However, if I had to choose just one thing from your shop it would be one of the black, hand-painted tole trays. Any one of them would look spectacular in my kitchen. Who knows, maybe Santa will leave some $$ in my stocking!
Thank you for sharing your beautifully decorated home! My favorite piece is the the Madonna and Child, absolutely beautiful! You are so talented. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Your home looks amazing, Lidy. Love your festive French Christmas decor. What a generous giveaway…I’m drawn to so many things in your shop but the transferware and linens (a weakness) are calling my name. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Merry Christmas Lidy,
I love all of your decorations this year and every year. I always looks forward to your posts. All of your beautifully curated items at French Garden House are exquisite, I would love any of them. I look forward to the rest of your holiday posts!
Dawn R.
I love the mother of pearl mermaid shell tiara
Lidy, I’ve been taken away to Paris! What a beautiful holiday your have created at home. Oh, my that dinner!!! Just lovely! Merry Christmas to you and yours! XO Christy
Liddy, I am smitten with your french boulangerie boards.
Your home looks beautiful. Your tree is exquisite as is your table and all your Christmas decor.
You have exceptional taste.
I follow your blog and instagram which are always a treat.
The opera crowns are amazing as they sparkle in all the jewel tone colors Fit for a princess of the king
A tie would be the gorgus table setting of regal silver looks straight out of Douton Abbey. Perfect to wear the opera crown to dinner
Merry Christmas
Love the Boulangerie Breadboards! I follow on FB and Instagram.
I love the small table set up by the tree with beautiful antique silver pieces for a little lunch. (Is that a slice of pate I see on the plate?
Your tree is absolutely gorgeous! Every year, I see wonderful trees here and in magazines and say “I’ll do that!” But my husband loves what we put on our tree every year, even though I sometimes think it looks like a hodgepodge of ornaments (we have things from everywhere we lived during his Army days). But every year, once it’s up and decorated, I also think “It looks good, I like it!”
Beautiful!! I need the white settee, difficult to choose a favorite from your shop though. Following you in instagram.
Everything looks so beautiful!
I love the Antique O & E G Royal Austria Hand Painted Blue Forget Me Not Plate Set of 4! So beautiful
Your home is absolutely stunning at Christmas Lidy! Wow! Do you host something nightly to take advantage of the setting?! 🙂 Love it! Thank you for the generous giveaway. Xo ~julie
Thank you Julie! I should host something, shouldn’t I? Once all the decorating is done, I’m going to, for sure. Happy decorating, friend. xo
Absolutely lovely! So many beautiful items in your shop….I am partial to the French green glass canning/storage jars, the breadboards and picnic baskets! I see a theme to my likes…enjoying food with friends! Thanks for offering a gift certificate to one of your fans! Merry Christmas!
Absolutely stunning Lidy!! Save me a seat at that table by the tree – I am headed over! Such a delight to be touring all around with you this week!
Lidy, your home is gorgeous all year long, but it really sparkles at Christmas time…I can’t wait to see what else you do for the holidays. I love all your antiques and personal touches and the giveaway is fabulous! Its been fun being on the BHome tour this week…
Pick one? Are you kidding me? I wrote down EIGHT! The Silver Sheraton Hotel Pitcher was really cool, and I loved the Wahless plates–I have my mother’s plates from Austria and they look very similar! I LOVED the breadboards, they are probably the most likely to be displayed in my house, so they are probably the winners! Beautiful finds!
And, I “liked” your Facebook page.
The decorations are beautiful! I’m itching to decorate, but not sure it’s going to happen this year.
Oh, how I could spend that! But the 19th Century Original Sunday Oil Painting Roses really called my name. That and a couple of dozen other things.
Following on Facebook and Instagram, too!
So many giveaways and so little time…Lidy how on earth are we supposed to pick one item in your stunning Christmas decor? Well I’m gonna have to go with the obvious, the Madonna and child would never leave my families home if I had that gorgeous thing, it’s just lovely!! Sadly I don’t think a $250 gift certificate would even be a layaway payment on that stunner so no need to worry about where we would put it. Now there is always the lottery…again have the merriest Christmas, Tracy
I loved the antique buffet!..perfect!
Thank you for sharing your beautiful home and gorgeous Christmas tree. The Christ child statue carrying the lamb is precious, and a sweet reminder why we celebrate! I collect Florentine trays, and love to see how you use them in your home. Joyeaux Noel to you and your family.
Your home is so beautiful! And what’s not to love at the shop! But I’m especially fond of the pottery, antique linens and hand painted items! They bring such character into a home.
I love the compote with 4 doves. I bought this at a store but it only had 3 doves. I still love it!
I love: “I decorated the French gold mirror with a dried rose-leaf garland, and an over-sized holiday decoration I love. It’s covered with real German glass glitter, which really makes it sparkle when the lights are on in the evening.” Also the antique French gilt mirror, beautiful! Can your tell I have a thing for mirrors?! LOL!
This is my first visit to your site. I look forward to perusing it in the future.
That green speckled enamelware lunch pail is darling! – All of your merchandise is beautiful. Thank you for sponsoring this giveaway. I enjoyed the holiday tour of your incredible home.
This is my first time reading your blog and it is exquisite! I will definitely be following on IG. I would love any of the items featured. Thanks for the giveaway
Dear Lidy, this is such an inspiring post full of charm and beauty. Being a textile artist I am always drawn to your antique linens, such as the ‘antique lace with reindeer motifs’ on your website. Wouldn’t that be a perfect backdrop for Christmas? You have inspired me to find a corner in my very small space and create some sparkle.
Lidy your home is exquisite and everything looks so gorgeous with all of your Christmas touches! I’m in love with all your antique silver! What a fabulous giveaway… thanks for sharing! XOXO
Your home is exquisite! Every detail is absolute perfection! I’m excited to follow along with you on Instagram and Facebook for even more inspiration! If I could receive any item from your shop, it would most definitely be the Antique French Large Round Breadboard. We’re just finishing up a kitchen renovation, and this would be the perfect finishing touch! Thanks so much for the opportunity and have a splendid day!
You’re home is SO lovely with all those extra little touches that takes it over the top in a Great way. Hope you and your family have a Wonderful Holiday Season. The shop is drool worthy and its hard to pick just one Mine are the large round breadboard, the blue ironstone footed pedestal or the flower bucket be it a hare turkey or a squirrel
Thank you for the giveaway and the chance to enter
I am over the moon for the religious statuary, and the Christ Child in the velvet and gilt with the lamb has totally captured my heart! You have inspired me to incorporate some of my own religious art into my Christmas decor and to dream of someday owning something as precious as one of your beautiful pieces.
Wow hard to choose! The Carved Madonna Santos with the Crown! So unique! Moving into my French country home in 3 months! Can’t wait to decorate!
Your home is so lovely! It is difficult to decide which antique piece is my favorite. The Antique French Tole Peinte Green Scenic Toleware Tray is amazing. Thanks for a chance to win your giveaway.
I absolutely love your gold french gilt mirror. I have seen it before in other posts and it reflects the tree light as well as candle light in the room. It goes so well with all your decorating each season. I read your posts each time they are sent. I get many good ideas from them Thank you for sharing your decorating ideas with us all.
Lidy your home is so gorgeous, and at Christmas, even more so. You know I’m a fellow Francophile, so the minute I read “Parisian Noel” I was in!! I love every detail! You’ve managed to make it dressy and classy, but still warm and cozy. What a wonderful place to celebrate Christmas!
And thank you so much for your generosity in donating the giveaway to your store. That is going to be one lucky reader!!
Merry Christmas to you!
Sheila
xo
Your home is lovely. I enjoyed seeing the antiques, especially the lace tablecloth you put out and the cathedral icon. I did visit your shop and it is delightfully filled with the kind of items I like and would use in my home. One thing caught my eye and that was the wood carved roses curtain tie backs. I adore lace window covers draped loosely back with some kind of tie. Lovely!
Lidy,
I love all the beautiful statuary that you brought back from your last trip!!! Your Christmas tree is gorgeous during the day and at night. please enter me into the drawing.
Thanks, Denise
Your posts are a magical adventure.
My favorite antique is the Battenburg cloth.