Family-friendly design does not mean giving up your beautiful treasures or always having informal spaces. My living room mantel is formal and to decorate it for the holidays I like to add some of the beautiful gold ornaments we have collected over the years.
By displaying them on top of the mantel I keep them out of reach of small children and small dogs who like to dart past the tree! Sometimes having a YES Space means just displaying your objects in a thoughtful way so you are not constantly saying “No, don’t touch that!”
I pile the ornaments into the base of this antique candle holder and add items like the simple white topiary trees. I like to take the mirror and the painting and candlesticks on the left that are always there and just add sparkle for the holidays.
The netted ribbon just looked messy. So off came the ugly scarf and we are ready for Santa!
Decorating is sometimes just a matter of trial and error, finding the balance and finding your style.
Find your Joy!