Day 5: my favorite designs at Holiday House New York City, plus five designer's holiday decorating tips to share

Today, 

I bring you the final round up post 

of my favorite designs at this year's 

Holiday House in New York City.  

It's been a week of Holiday House 

musings here on Nest by Tamara...

In addition to bringing you the small corners of genius detailing and overall splendid design, each designer generously shared with me a holiday decorating tip inspired from their project.  I hope you take their advice to add to your holiday table and decor this year.  

Shall we recap the decorating ideas here for you to tab?

5 tips from the interior designers

of Holiday House 

on decorating for the holiday season

1. Use fabrics from mens suiting and wool in your home for a rich, European feel.

Partrik Lonn created a Scottish-inspired cozy den and packed a lot of style with rich fabrics and interesting art and accessories, including many items he found while traveling to Scotland last year with Traditional Home magazine editors. He suggests bringing back items from travel to add that story into your designs.

2.  Frame large panels of wallpaper to create temporary installations into your home...maybe vintage holiday wallpaper?  This is what J&G Design duo suggests, and they used this very same idea in their elegant, sweeping hallway and stairwell.  

2. Create a balloon cage on your wall or ceiling to showcase balloons and add a festive note to your holiday decorating.  The Cullman & Kravis team wielded great advice, and they used this creative idea in their birthday celebration sitting room.  An elegant plexiglass  balloon cage above the fireplace was easily installed to corral a collection of helium balloons!

3. Incorporate the rich color green into your home during the holidays for a natural look with greenery such as boxwood or pine swag. Patrick J. Hamilton's St. Patrick's Day inspired room utilizes the rich color in many ways, 

paying homage to Pantone's color of the year, emerald!  

4. For a little bling and a festive note, add touches of gold to your home during the holidays.  Franklin Eighth duo recommends bringing a little bit of gold into your home this holiday with accessories and tree ornaments.  See below how they incorporated gold elements into their Jazz-inspired Ladies Lounge.

If in New York City this month,  

please stop by to see the many splendid rooms designed for a worthwhile cause to help contribute to the research to end breast cancer.  Founder and Chair Iris Dankner brings us this fabulous, inspiring event each year -- Thank you Iris!  

With Christopher Hyland as Co-Chair and 

Traditional Home magazine partnering, and with Design Chairs Alexa Hampton, Mario Buatta and Thom Filicia on board, 

 there is great design and publishing support. 

The house is open to the public until 

December 18 

at

The Academy Mansion

2 East 63rd Street in New York City

Additionally, there is live music and wine tastings on Thursday evenings from 5-8 pm 

as well as many other special events.

Please check out the details on the 

Holiday House website  

Let's have one more glance at my

  favorite spaces this year...

 the design duo from Franklin Eighth (Sarah Sarna and Tina Ramchandani) 

brings us a dazzling Jazz-inspired Ladies Lounge 

In honor of Jazz Appreciation month, 

Franklin Eighth combines myriad textures and elements together to create a sophisticated, edited lounge that works well in this small space.  Showcasing many features of the Art Deco era, they created a neutral palette infused with gold and bold gestures of black and white, and the end result harkens to the 1920s and the music era of that time.  All of this comes together with a fresh, modern perspective.   

 pillows made from fabrics: Caitlin Wilson Textures and Pierre Frey

designs made by Home Interiors, Anthony Giaramita 

 I love the combination of this wallpaper with the sconces.  Wallpaper, Feather Fan by Cole & Son sold exclusively through Lee Jofa; Escher Wall Light by Donghia; paint, Benjamin Moore Super White

 the large oversized mirror works to expand the narrow space and illustrates the varying shapes and items.  I love the simplicity of the upholstered skirted table made with organic linen created by The Merry Window.  The geometric floor overlaid with a black leather piece is refreshing and innovative. Black and White hair hide and Black leather hide by Edelman Leather

White sculptural pieces add an architectural perspective to the space and topped off again with this lovely, simple roman shade made in the same organic white linen from The Merry Window adds  just the right amount of detailing.

 When I asked the ladies for their advice on holiday decorating to share with my readers, they both chimed in simultaneously that the use of gold this season is very modern and injects a freshness to design.  For the holidays, it is easy to add gold into your home by way of accessories, tree ornaments and table top ideas.  Look for my post tomorrow with my holiday tabletop ideas including photographs of my upcoming Thanksgiving table festooned with lots of gold mingled with colorful accessories, and against a neutral design where I utilize both antique and bargain-item finds.  

Congratulations to Sarah and Tina, 

and to all of the designers 

who put their heart and soul into this beautiful project!

Happy Nesting

XO Tamara