See Jonathan and Zooey’s Whimsical Christmas Decorations at the Park House
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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Park House!
Jonathan and Zooey love to celebrate the holidays. In fact, Jonathan is basically the real-life version of Buddy the Elf this time of year. So it’s no surprise to hear they go all-out when it comes to their decorations. They fill their historical home to the brim with modern tinsel trees, stockings, sugarplums, and nutcrackers galore. And because you made the Nice list, Jonathan is giving you a sneak peek at all the merrymaking, as well as a few tips to turn your space into a winter wonderland.
They worked with Stephen Brown and his team at Glitterville Studios to create a whimsical Christmas dreamland throughout their home, and it turned out better than we could even imagine! “We love the color, we love the sparkle, we love the glitter,” Jonathan says. “We want something that feels fresh—our own personal holiday theme this year is velvet and bows or tartan and tinsel.” So, Stephen got to work crafting the holiday home of their dreams. Over five days (and countless hand-tied bows and handmade baubles!) the Glitterville team turned the Park House into a stunning winter wonderland. Watch our video to take a peek behind the scenes and see exactly how Stephen made the magic happen and keep reading for even more insider details.
Throughout their home, you’ll find bits and baubles of whimsical holiday decor that feels jovial and creative, with nostalgic elements that make it perfectly the Park House. They pull off the aesthetic by decking the halls with classic pieces—ornaments, garlands, and bows—but layering in unexpected items and decorations that have a bit of a twist, like oversized baubles, papier-mâché goodies, flying reindeer, and holiday characters with plenty of sparkle.
With so many adorable characters, themes, and holiday scenes around the house, Jonathan likes to keep it cohesive by sticking to a similar color story throughout. This way, it feels just like a journey through the North Pole. “I like it to be a little bit nostalgic, a little bit fun, with a whole lot of holiday spirit,” Jonathan says.
You know Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen… But did you know that Jonathan has all of our favorite reindeer floating right in his foyer? It’s true! Dashing over the entryway cabinet and up into the chandelier are all of Santa’s favorite sleigh creatures.
“We like to have different themes for different areas,” Jonathan says. You can see that on the variety of trees alone! Not to mention all the various beautiful Christmas vignettes throughout the home, like a sweet gumdrop fountain and the cutest après ski village atop the fireplace mantel.
Inside the living room tree, you’ll find handmade ski characters, hot cocoa mugs, holiday cabins, and of course, plenty of sparkle! Layering these different elements with bows, light bulbs, and different shaped objects creates a holiday display that makes a stunning impact.
“As a costume designer, which is where I started,” Stephen says. “We believe that anything can be a hat as long as you put it on your head—and anything can be a Christmas ornament as long as you can tie it to the tree!”
“The main event is our Christmas tree in the family room, because that’s where we do the family photos, that’s where we put the presents—that is the pièce de résistance,” Jonathan says. “And this is the most incredible tree.”
“Everything in moderation,” Stephen says. “Including moderation. My theory when decorating a tree is you put a lot on this side, until it leans that way—then you put a lot on this side, until it leans this way, and eventually it all evens out.” Stephen’s more-is-more approach to decorating is exactly what makes Jonathan’s home feel so merry and bright! The color, the texture, and the whimsy come together to create something truly magical.
Of course, we all know how much Jonathan and Zooey love their nutcracker collection, too. From the giant gumdrop nutcracker guarding the door to their handmade characters throughout the home, each one has its own personality and special kind of whimsy.
His favorite this year is a beautiful glimmering nutcracker that was actually hand-jeweled by Stephen at Glitterville. “He’s like the boss of all the nutcrackers—or should we say the diva,” Jonathan says.
Jonathan is also sharing tips on how to up the holiday spirit in your home this year, whether you want to refresh your usual wintertime decor or you’re getting ready to throw a holiday party to remember. His expert advice will help you transform your space into a magical festive wonderland—it’s his gift to you!
Don’t Be Afraid of Going Bold
“If you have a theme that you love, a color palette that you love, maybe the kids want to get involved picking out some of the colors—just have a little fun,” he says. “If you never go bold, you’re never going to create something truly incredible.” Whether it’s adding in more sparkle, combining colors you don’t use often, or going all-out with a festive theme, just make it your own. He adds, “Do something that’s going to take you out of your comfort zone, and do something truly magical this holiday season.”
Plan In Advance
”There are lots of different rules when decorating for the holidays, but of course as we know, rules are meant to be broken, so it really depends on your comfort level. One of the big ones is if you have little kids or big animals, you want to be careful with stuff they can knock over or that can shatter, like glass. We have a lot of glass, a lot of tinsel—things like that. However, we also have some ground rules, and the kids are really great at not knocking things over. Just make sure you plan in advance. The more robust you want your decorations to be, it’s going to take a little bit more work to make sure you get the right stuff.”
Combine Decor Old, New, and Hand-Made
“We reuse most of our Christmas decorations from year to year, and sometimes we’ll introduce something new, like our cute little gingerbread people. It’s nice to have a little bit of the old, a little bit of the new. Some of it is just made out of cardboard—you can do crafts with the kids and glitter it up a little bit to make something that’s a little whimsical, and then you can tie it in with your design. We love to see stuff that’s been made by the family and some that’s professionally made.”
Refresh Your Usual Scenes
“If you have something that’s really recognizable that you decorate with year after year, you can mix it up by using it a little differently,” Jonathan says. Take the solarium, for example. This year, Stephen took the colorful champagne bottles they used last year in the living room tree and strung them along the olive trees inside the solarium for a sweet and celebratory gumdrop-themed look that feels fresh and festive.
Layer Your Lights
“Different kinds of lights offer different dimension. You’ll see we have large C9 bulbs, but we also have LEDs that have a soft twinkle on and off, in addition to another LED that’s on all the time to provide illumination. We have three different strands of lights all tied together and it creates a beautiful illusion.”
Get Real
“If you have an artificial tree but you miss the smell of a real tree or how full it can look, here’s a trick: We went to a tree lot, and they gave us their trimmings from real trees. We stuffed those real branches into our tree. You can smell it—it smells great—and it adds a real natural element with the branches filling it out.”
Top With Tinsel
“…And don’t be afraid of tinsel! I don’t like it when it’s a blanket of tinsel tossed everywhere, it should be done in tasteful ways so you can still see your ornaments. I have all these beautiful glass ornaments and they look really classic, but I wanted to bring that whimsy with the tinsel, too.”
If you have plans to make your home into a dreamy festive haven just like Jonathan and Zooey, be sure to tag us on Instagram @DrewandJonathan so we can marvel at all your beautiful work! And don’t forget that you can shop Glitterville decor online, too. Most of all, we hope you have a very happy holiday and a merry new year.
Shop Glitterville Holiday Decor
Megan Stein
Megan is the Senior Director of Editorial and Content Marketing for DrewandJonathan.com. She has over a decade of experience in the home and lifestyle industry, with previous roles at The Pioneer Woman, Country Living, and People magazine. She loves to inspire readers with beautiful, approachable design ideas, as well tips on how to bring their visions to life. She’s also shopping obsessed, and is dedicated to discovering the best products to make life easier, whether it’s testing a top-rated vacuum or the finding the perfect rug to complete your room.
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Bree Pulver
Bree is the Senior Digital Editor at DrewandJonathan.com. In the past, she’s worked for publications focused on home improvement and sustainable living. Bree’s Pinterest board is filled with cozy textures; vintage patterns; sculptural furniture; and moody, warm-toned colors. She has a degree concentrated in the intersection of writing and architecture, which influences her passion for exploring creative solutions to unusual home layouts and stylish renter-friendly decor. She’s a self-proclaimed pro at finding the best antique furniture in the most unlikely of places (but her cat Blue can certainly back these claims).
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