Decorating my kitchen for Christmas has always been a stressful situation for me. Although this is not the biggest room in the house, I would have to say that there are nearly as many decorations in the nook area as in the great room, just on a smaller scale. The amount of boxes full of decorations for the nook is 27 plus two 7′ trees, an 8′ cabinet, a 9′ cabinet, a 7′ tree box, and one bag that contains the 48″ wreath that hangs over the breakfast bar. Both cabinets need to be assembled each November and then disassembled in January for storage and both 7′ trees need decorating with more than 20 different type of decorations. It is definitely a process, but well worth the effort.
Transforming what starts off as a cozy, somewhat traditional room into a Winter Wonderland took years of tweaking. Finally, though, I think I got it — although every year there are more things that get tweaked and improved on. The pictures I took of the nook were taken during the day, because although still very beautiful and bright at night with all the lights on, the pictures do not do it justice. Plus, the lights only get lit when we have company so it is very important to me that all the decorations I spend weeks putting out, look as beautiful unlit as they do lit.
The transformation:
This room has to be the most complete when it comes to transforming it for the holidays. Everything from the window treatments to the chair upholstery are changed. The entire perimeter is utilized and every wall features some sort of decoration.
This 9′ cabinet was built by my father several years ago. I painted it and added the 150 star lights to the front.
This 8′ cabinet was built by my father as well, allowing me to display the animated angels my mother and grandfather bought me several years before.
There are two of these angels on either side of the flower arrangement my mother-in-law bought me. The angels wings move.
The trees on either side of the 9′ cabinet have more than 20 different types of decorations, more than 200 total.
The doorwall must remain functional, so is limited to changing the valance, adding some snowflake film to the glass, and topping with a simple decoration.
Last year when this was added to the doorwall, it just did not seem complete. I added the bow between the sign and ornament this year. I think it makes it pop.
All the valances are changed and white sheers are added to the windows. Waterfall lights are hidden behind the sheers and light up the room at night.
The chairs are reupholstered and I made a simple chair cover for the back.
In the 22 years we’ve lived in our home, we have never sat at the breakfast bar. This enables me to decorate under the bar with a tree box made by my father.
The oldest decoration in the nook are the angels on either side of the wreath above the breakfast bar. They were my grandmothers and are at least 60 years old.
This room takes nearly a week to decorate because of the assembly of cabinets and decorating of two full trees. Obviously the wiring is also rather tricky as there are only three outlets. This year I put the entire room on remote switches so I don’t have to crawl under the trees to turn the lights on.
I love it when we have a white Christmas here in Michigan, but that isn’t always the case. Fortunately for me, having my own private little Winter Wonderland right in my kitchen makes every Christmas a white Christmas, and for this I am — Simply Grateful.
Simply Grateful Housewife 