5 minute read
Dwellings
Pro tip: Don’t skimp on the ribbon or the florals.
It’s All about the Ribbon
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Touches of holly decorations adorn the home’s kitchen pass-through.
BrinGinG home A southern holidAy touch
by Lori Helms | photography by Lisa Crates
It’s hard to imagine, standing in interior designer Stephanie Hathaway’s beautifully decorated Mooresville home, that a few short years ago she had taken a leap of decorating faith that could have taken her off the edge of a COVID cliff.
After years of dabbling in her passion for interior design and decorating, Hathaway says she happened to see a “For Lease” sign in a store front on Mooresville’s North Main Street. It was October 2019, and what she had been toying with in the back of her mind suddenly ended up on her tongue when she said to herself, “go for it.”
And she did. She opened the doors of Southern Notions – a home decorating and gift shop – on March 3, 2020. The excitement was short lived, because a few short weeks later, the shop was shuttered thanks to a global pandemic. It was a punch to the gut for every small business retailer in town. by May, her shop opened back up. And by the end of the year, she says she and her fellow shop owners on Main Street were able to report out a great Christmas shopping season. She credits that to the “shop local” loyalism and support of Main Street Mooresville enthusiasts.
Sledding into her third Christmas as a retailer, Hathaway took a couple of weeks in November to convert not only her shop into a winter decorating wonderland, but her home as well. This December, she’s opened her home – and her decorating mind – to share her style and suggestions for turning your own home into a festive retreat. She gave CURRENTS a special tour of what she has planned for her family, and it starts in – of all places – the guest room.
It’s a space her parents occupy for a few weeks in November, when they visit from Indiana to help Hathaway convert her downtown store decorations and inventory for the holiday shopping season. But not all guest rooms are created equal. This one is festooned in a green and red theme everywhere you look,
Nothing says “cozy” better than a few mugs ready for some warm cocoa. Hathaway’s guest room welcomes her parents with a warm Southern decorating touch of cardinals and quilts.
featuring touches of holly as topiaries on the nightstands and garland along the headboard, as well as the quintessential appearance of cardinals wherever one looks. It’s finished with the homey touch of quilted and crocheted blankets, and a serving tray for hot cocoa decorated with greenery and pinecones.
Hathaway carries the same touches into her living room, breakfast room and along her stairway banisters, with a heavy reliance on her go-to decorating touch: “Never skimp on ribbon,” she says. And ornaments are important, too.
“Every year I get a few new special ornaments for my trees,” she says. You read that right, that’s “tree” with an “s.”
“In my own home, I do 10 trees every year,” says Hathaway. That includes trees in every one of her children’s bedrooms, as well as one in her bedroom in addition to the dining, living and bonus rooms, the basement and a home office.
Fill a bowl with an ornament assortment for an easy splash of holiday color.
For those needing a bit more of a head start, Hathaway sells fully decorated trees at Southern Notions and goes to her clients’ homes to help them decorate for Christmas.
“We start with what the client has and we build from there,” she says. “Some of my clients are starting from scratch and some have a good collection of ornaments with their own trees, and they’re just looking for help to spruce it up a little bit and make it look professional.”
Whatever you might need to bring the holiday season to your home, it’s likely to be found at Southern Notions. And shopping there in early December is also a chance to spread some holiday cheer to a local non-profit group.
Hathaway says pictures with Santa will be available at the shop on Saturday, Dec. 10, from 1 to 3 p.m. Pictures are by appointment for $25, with all proceeds going to the Mooresville Community Children’s Theater.
Stephanie Hathaway is the owner of Southern Notions at 178 North Main Street in Mooresville. Visit the shop on Facebook or call 704.957.5014 to learn more about her services.
Pro tips from Stephanie
Festive pillows are an easy and inexpensive decorating touch.
• Take color cues from your home when it comes to decorating your tree. Don’t be afraid to bring in some alternative ornaments and ribbons to coordinate with your décor. Step outside the traditional colors and tree trimmings. I designed a tree for a client’s home this year in a burnt orange, deep green and gold hue, and added beautiful feathers, pearlized gold pinecones, gold elk antlers and a faux fur tree skirt for a bit of glam.
• Natural elements are a great way to add warmth to your holiday home. From magnolia leaves and blossoms to cedar boughs and winter bulbs like amaryllis and paperwhite, bringing in nature tends to have a calming effect and can help balance out the tinsel and sparkle. Sprays of berries, branches and leaves look amazing and are easy to add to any tree. Don’t be afraid to incorporate non-traditional floral into your trees, mantle and tablescapes. Poinsettias are beautiful, but magnolias, roses and hydrangeas create a distinctly southern feel.
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