Holiday Decor

Home Holiday Décor

Text by Joanne M. Anderson Photos by Christy Wallace

In 1910, Howard Taft was the 27th president of the United States and the 10th chief justice of the United States, the only person to have held both offices. Joyce Hall founded Hallmark Cards. The average wage was 22 cents an hour. Eight percent of homes had a telephone, and the average house price was $2,500. The 4,400-square-foot house in Pulaski that Blake Le and Shannon Collins purchased in the spring of 2018 was probably on the high end for the day, maybe $5,000. Imagine. A 3-story house with a big wraparound porch, hardwood floors and multiple fireplaces for the cost of basic kitchen appliances today, not including a wine cooler or trash compactor. And the main attraction of this house? Well, for Blake there really wasn’t any. He’s an artist who likes modern lines and contemporary structures. For Shannon, it was the newel post. Imagine. Buying a large, white, century-plus old house because of an interior post. Well, as the old saw goes: Stranger things have happened. Newel posts stand at the bottom (or middle occasionally) of a staircase. They are often decorative and serve as an anchor for the railing and handrail. It’s an architectural detail that evolved from simple, tapered square posts to elaborate columns with large caps and carving in the post. Many held vacant space inside where important papers or drawings could be stored. Some newel posts had a button where a hole had been drilled once the mortgage was paid off and the paper was stuffed inside.

Well, of course, they didn’t buy the house just for the newel post, but imagine their surprise when they discovered a light switch at the top of the stairs that did not seem to turn on anything. They queried a previous owner about this who revealed that another light switch next to the front door was covered over for non-use. Well, Shannon got a hammer, busted the plaster and found the disengaged switch. And then, he removed the top of the newel post, simply elated to find wires inside! Since there was no light over the staircase, the pair added one, but now they also had electricity in the newel post for another light. Hey, can’t have too many lights on staircases for safety and aesthetics. The all-white house was painted almost immediately in a medium Williamsburg-like bluegray exterior paint which then nicely contrasted with the white trim. They added matching sconces for more interior lighting in the den and living room. The third floor often houses guests, which is ideal for having two bedrooms, a full bathroom and private staircase from the back. The beautiful front stairway only goes to the second floor.

The elaborate Christmas decorating begins when Halloween ends. Shannon stands aside and “lets the artist do his work”. While there may be only three large Christmas trees in the house, every room and the elegant staircase are meticulously decorated in color themes that accentuate the rooms and spaces. The front sunroom, likely once a porch, held a cream

and soft mauve color scheme last year with gigantic fur-edged stockings hanging off the marble top Victorian side table. The dining room carried a candycane theme to the max, as the walls are already painted red with all white trim, the perfect Christmas color scheme. And who says trees have to rest on the floor. The breakfast nook with its classy white shutters and built-in bench flanked by wainscoting holds a charming small tree decked out in ribbons, pine cones and ornaments. The house is not decorated so much on the outside for the simple reason, Shannon explains, that it would have to be decorated on all four sides. Residing on the corner of 9th and Jefferson, the exterior of the house can be seen from every side from somewhere. The decorations and trees do not stay up year-round, yet are so enjoyed during the festivities of the holidays. And while Shannon is immersed in the old house, newel post and antiques, Blake has come to love and appreciate the character and quality this old house embodies. Decorating it is like frosting on the cake.