Home for the Holidays

1 Kathy Waller and Rob Mudd, former owner and president of design-build construction group Denham-Blythe Company, enjoy hosting holiday get-togethers in their 1970s-era Westmorland ranch, which Mudd completely redesigned inside. “The open spaces inside and out” were what appealed to Mudd when he purchased the property 32 years ago, he says.

Home Holidays for the

Westmorland Home Shines Each Christmas Season

By Robin Roenker Photography by Walt Roycraft

2 Guests to the home are immediately greeted by a large, well-light wreath designed by The Corman Marketplace. The entryway chest is given the holiday treatment through the addition of a holiday sleigh and several Santas. “I love the look of old Santas,” Waller says. “And the greenery comes from our own yard.” The wooden clogs—located near the front door—were brought back from a trip to Holland.

There’s no place like home for the holidays, and Kathy Waller and Rob Mudd make a point of adding just the right festive touches to their unique Westmorland property to ensure it shines each winter season.

Waller has worked with designers at The Corman Marketplace in Lexington to source most of her holiday design elements, including the custom-designed fireplace wreath and mantel swag, a large, lighted wreath in the home’s entryway, and many of the ornaments for the family Christmas tree.

“The tree is the focal point of our living area,” Waller says. The couple chose blue and gold tones for their tree decorations, taking cues from their hand-woven living room area rug, which was sourced in Turkey.

“We used velvet ornaments along with layers and layers of gold roping and Magnolia blossoms to create these beautiful elements of texture within the tree,” says Chad Salyers, design director at The Corman Marketplace, who helped the couple create their ideal holiday design.

To accent their unique, asymmetrical marble fireplace, Waller and Mudd worked with Salyers to create and place an offset, double-wreath design above the mantel, while the mantel itself bursts with color thanks to an extra-large swag created with multiple ribbons and natural greenery.

“The scale of this space—the architecture of this room—is immense,” Salyers says. “So, the scale of the ribbon really needed to match the scale of the room. By adding the offset wreath above the mantel, we also really celebrated the asymmetrical design of the fireplace.” Waller enjoys adding a festive touch of holiday spirit to every room of the couple’s 1970s-era ranch, whose interior Mudd completely redesigned after purchasing the property 32 years ago. In the kitchen, the couple’s beloved collection of handmade earthenware dishes—made by Sarah Culbreth of Tater Knob Pottery & Farm in Berea—is joined by a colorful countertop grouping of gingerbread houses. Meanwhile, the center island adds a fun dash of color through the unexpected pairing of a lantern, an antler bowl filled with berry-covered ornaments, and natural greenery.

In the nearby dining room, the couple selected holiday décor with a religious theme—including a centerpiece depicting the Three Wise Men—to complement the striking stained glass window of Mary hanging on one wall. The window, once part of a Catholic college where Mudd’s father was a student, has special meaning for his family.

Throughout their home, the couple isn’t afraid to intermix items that are old and new, modern and rustic, ornate and streamlined. Many of their favorite pieces come from their international travels.

“It’s really just about what catches our eye and what’s unique,” says Waller. “We love supporting small local artisans, whether it be here or internationally.”

That approach goes hand in hand with Salyers’ own method for holiday design.

“Don’t think, just do, that’s kind of my little catchphrase,” Salyers says. “I like to tell my clients, ‘Don’t think about things too much. Don’t analyze them too much.’ To me, it needs to be about an emotional response that you have to an item. If you love it, you love it.”

3 Holiday décor for the dining room—including a centerpiece depicting the Three Wise Men sourced from The Corman Marketplace—was selected in keeping with a religious theme to complement the striking stained glass window of Mary that hangs on one wall. The room’s furnishings, meanwhile, are truly international: the couple acquired their dining table and chairs in Holland. The watercolors hanging in the back corner of the room were sourced on the Spanish Steps in Rome, while the urn underneath them was purchased during travels to Greece.

4 At holiday time, the couple’s collection of handmade earthenware dishes—made by Sarah Culbreth of Tater Knob Pottery & Farm in Berea—is joined by a colorful countertop grouping of gingerbread houses, always a popular seller at The Corman Marketplace. The center island’s holiday lantern, antler bowl filled with berry-covered ornaments, and natural greenery add a fun dash of color to the room. The kitchen’s unique track lighting was sourced from Murano, Italy.

5 This close-up view showcases the natural beauty of a hand-carved Japanese cherry bowl and a wooden salt and pepper shaker, part of the couple’s extensive collection of handmade arts and crafts. Above the table, a metal chandelier brings a bold pop of modern flair to the breakfast area.

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HOME CREDITS:

Holiday Interior Design Chad Salyers, The Corman Marketplace Lexington, KY

Kitchen Granite Countertops G. J. Gerard Counter Culture Plus Lexington, KY

Custom Cabinets Designed by Rob Mudd Built by Barber Cabinet Company, Inc., Springfield, KY

Blinds The Blinds Man Lexington, KY

6 Christmas decorating is a passion for Waller, who worked with Chad Salyers, design director at The Corman Marketplace, to bring her holiday ideas to fruition. “I wanted there to be cohesiveness to all the rooms,” Waller explains. In addition to the striking tree and holiday mantel, other items of note in the living room include Mudd’s unique collection of Spanish armor displayed above the fireplace—just one of many pieces he has collected during his world travels.

7 The breakfast area—which flows just off the living room—is wide open for entertaining and features an additional dining space and windows that overlook the home’s sizeable backyard. The space allows for ideal views of the couple’s live Christmas tree, which they source from Neiman’s Tree Farm in Lexington each year. The guitars shown in the background belong to Rob’s son, Nicholas Mudd, who has his own band.