Dreaming of an Orange Christmas

Red and green are the traditional colors of Christmas, of course, but when I think of the holidays, I also think of orange. I remember visiting historical homes, such as Bayou Bend in my hometown of Houston (pictured below), as a child and seeing Christmas decorations made of oranges, apples, pineapples, and pears. 

Christmas display at Bayou Bend.

Photo Credit: Bayou Bend/MFAH

"Bayou Bend is the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston museum for American decorative arts and paintings. Displayed in the former home of Houston civic leader and philanthropist Ima Hogg (1882 - 1975), the collection is one of the finest showcases of American furnishings, silver, ceramics, and paintings in the world. The house is situated on 14 acres of organically maintained gardens in Houston's historic River Oaks neighborhood."

I am sharing some photos of homes decorated by Mary McDonald, Stephen Shubel, Pamela Pierce, Jan Roden, and Michelle Stewart. These designers have incorporated the color orange into holiday decor by using citrus, which in many cases complements orange furnishings or artwork that is part of the homeowners' everyday decor.

I found the following photographs of designer Mary McDonald's Beverly Hills home on the Veranda website. I love the way the orange trees and the fruit in the garlands complement the orange that seems to fill her house year-round. Her literal use of peacock blue adds drama to an already magnificent space. Orange and blue are complementary colors, but she has used them in a way that makes a powerful statement. As she explains in a Wall Street Journal article dated October 8, 2010,"I can't say there's any rule about colors that go together. It's more about the value of a color, its tonality. You have to strive for balance." She further notes, "I also tend to use a palette of just two or three colors evenly placed around the room." The orange and blue appear to be part of the stained glass window in the picture below, and they reappear throughout the following rooms: 

"Mary McDonald's Beverly Hills home, decorated for Christmas, is aglow under a French 19th-century crystal and dore bronze chandelier and stained-glass windows."

Interior design by Mary McDonald.
Photography by Miguel-Flores-Vianna.

"Winter Warmth" by Victoria Amory.

Veranda (December 2008).

"Queen Anne settee in needlepoint. Pillows in Clarence House leopard velvet and Ralph Lauren velvet. Reproduction French stool in velvet and Scalamandre damask. Anglo-Indian chair in fabric by Manuel Canovas. Ikat on table. Ralph Lauren hurricanes. Tony Duquette candlesticks. French empire mirror."

Beverly Hills home of Mary McDonald.

Interior design by Mary McDonald.

Photography by Miguel-Flores-Vianna.

"Winter Warmth" by Victoria Amory.

Veranda (December 2008).

"Sheraton urn on Regency table. French 1940s chairs."

Beverly Hills home of Mary McDonald.

Interior design by Mary McDonald.

Photography by Miguel-Flores-Vianna.

"Winter Warmth" by Victoria Amory.

Veranda (December 2008).

"Custom velvet drapes. Reproduction Italian lamps. Swedish Empire daybeds."

Beverly Hills home of Mary McDonald.

Interior design by Mary McDonald.

Photography by Miguel-Flores-Vianna.

"Winter Warmth" by Victoria Amory.

Veranda (December 2008).

"Reproduction Italian lamps. Swedish Empire daybeds. French sconces. Spanish 18th-century oil. J. Robert Scott chairs; bolsters in Clarence House velvet."

Beverly Hills home of Mary McDonald.

Interior design by Mary McDonald.

Photography by Miguel-Flores-Vianna.

"Winter Warmth" by Victoria Amory.

Veranda (December 2008).

"Flanking doorway in McDonald's home, Anglo-Indian, Regency-style inlaid chairs with cushions in Ralph Lauren linen; pillows in Ralph Lauren velvet. Custom velvet drapes. Peacock feathers, fans and faux birds from India, pine cones, velvet ribbon and dried, real and faux fruits embellish the holiday greenery."

Beverly Hills home of Mary McDonald.

Interior design by Mary McDonald.

Photography by Miguel-Flores-Vianna.

"Winter Warmth" by Victoria Amory.

Veranda (December 2008).

"Peacock feathers, fans and faux birds from India, pine cones, velvet ribbon and dried, real and faux fruits embellish the holiday greenery."

Beverly Hills home of Mary McDonald.

Interior design by Mary McDonald.

Photography by Miguel-Flores-Vianna.

"Winter Warmth" by Victoria Amory.

Veranda (December 2008).

"Regency marble-top, gilded console. French 18th-century portrait in giltwood frame from Paris. French 19th-century dore bronze candlesticks. Bronze stags and Christmas decorations are from the homeowner's collection."

Beverly Hills home of Mary McDonald.

Interior design by Mary McDonald.

Photography by Miguel-Flores-Vianna.

"Winter Warmth" by Victoria Amory.

Veranda (December 2008).

"Original oak beams lend rustic charm to interiors filled with antique, vintage and new furnishings collected in France. Napoleon III chair. A 19th-century ottoman."
San Francisco designer Stephen Shubel's Loire Valley 16th-century home decorated for Christmas. 
Interior design by Stephen Shubel.
Photography by Thibault Jeanson.
Text by Gregory Firlotte.
"Loire Holiday" produced by Carolyn Englefield.
Veranda (November - December 2005).

"Original oak beams lend rustic charm to interiors filled with antique, vintage and new furnishings collected in France. Sofa from Habite, Paris. Old World Weavers leopard silk velvet on pillows. Bust, 19th-century, sits atop 1930s pedestal."

San Francisco designer Stephen Shubel's Loire Valley 16th-century home decorated for Christmas. 

Interior design by Stephen Shubel.

Photography by Thibault Jeanson.

Text by Gregory Firlotte.

"Loire Holiday" produced by Carolyn Englefield.

Veranda (November - December 2005).

Italianate home constructed in 1995 in Houston, Texas.

"A December drizzle highlights the glow of the windows onto the rear terrace, with its antique limestone fountain and oversized French Anduze urns." 

Interior design by Pamela Pierce.

Photography by Tria Giovan.

"Tailor-Made Trimmings" by Lydia Somerville.

Southern Accents (November - December 2003).

"A 19th-century still life above 18th-century French limestone mantel. Custom lounge chairs slipcovered in Rogers and Goffigon camel hair. Curtains in Old World Weavers toile."

New construction in Houston, Texas.

Interior design by Pamela Pierce.

Photography by Peter Vitale.

Text by Nancy Perot Mulford.

"House Warming - Invitation to Comfort" 

Veranda (November - December 2006).

"A seasonal still life combines a pumpkin, fruits, and pastry stands of graduated sizes."
Charlottesville, Virginia home of Jan Roden, interior designer and owner of And George.
Photography by Gordon Beall.
Written by Ted Loos.
"A Fresh Look at Tradition" produced by Senga Mortimer.
House Beautiful (December 2003).

"The dining table features a composition of cake stands with compotes of roses, peonies, and kumquats, wreathed by whimsical snow covered trees."
Houston, Texas home of Michelle Stewart and her family.
Interior design by Michelle Stewart.
Photography by Tria Giovan.
Written by Jill Kirchner Simpson.
"White Christmas" produced by Susanna Showers Moldawer.
Southern Accents (November - December 2005).

"The antique French tole chandelier with swags of crystal beads adds a touch of glamour. The dramatically scaled still life of oranges is by Mexican artist Gustavo Valenzuela."

Houston, Texas home of Michelle Stewart and her family.

Interior design by Michelle Stewart.

Photography by Tria Giovan.

Written by Jill Kirchner Simpson.

"White Christmas" produced by Susanna Showers Moldawer.

Southern Accents (November - December 2005).