Christmas Before Deployment

The living room makeover starts with a coat of vanilla paint to create a winter-white palette. Large vertical stripes painted with a mixture of glaze and silver metallic paint add some elegant glitz to the walls. The far accent wall is painted a soft, mossy green. A new chandelier is hung in the center of the room to brighten up the space even more.

A pair of old window panes is given new life with some inspiring holiday words. Frosted self-adhesive paper is applied and the words Love, Hope, Joy and Peace are stenciled onto the glass. A freeform Christmas tree is also drawn onto the paper and then cut out. Soapy water is used to peel off the paper.

Living Room Paint – $22, Lighting – $44 and Window Panes – $77
wall paint: Ralph Lauren's Aubusson Silver, purchased at Home Depot
Chandelier: Lowe's – Bijou, 130314

Loveseat Slipcovers – $31 and Rug – $50
slipcover fabric for sofa, fusible web, silver ribbon: Mill End Textiles

Shutters and Wreaths – $26
ceiling medallion for wall decoration: Menards

Living Room Window Treatment – $61

The stockings are hung with care on a cleverly designed architectural wall hanging. A decorative coat rack is given new knobs and then fastened to the center of an old cabinet door hung on its side.

Tray with Family Crest – $5, Stocking Mantel – $8 and Accessories – $63

Ribbon tassels, handmade ornaments and family photos in silver frames make the Christmas tree sparkle. The tree is only lightly decorated, so the family can enjoy the tradition of decorating it themselves. An easy tree skirt was fashioned out of a round tablecloth, a slip and wool felt. The slip is sewn onto the tablecloth, then the wool is embroidered on top.

Sweater Pillows – $16, Chair Slipcovers – $51, Ornaments – $15 and Tree Skirt – $6

Creamed-colored slipcovers go over the homeowners' dining room chairs. The cushions are trimmed in handmade fringe for a bit of drama. On the back of the chair, tussy mussies made from fresh greenery and berries add to the holiday atmosphere. An old chair, known as an angel chair is placed in the corner. It is a family tradition to have an extra chair in the dining room for unexpected guests who stop over during the holidays.

Dining Room Paint – $30, Chair Slipcovers – $22 , Tussy Mussies – $12 and Angel Chair – $2

Traditional-looking valances add even more sophistication to the room. Jeff builds scalloped valance boxes then covers them in a red and cream, almost toile-like fabric.

On each side of one window hangs family photos from Christmases gone by. The photos were blown up and transferred to black and white, which makes them really pop against the warm red walls.

Dining Table – $12, Window Treatments – $81 and Framed Photos – $18
furniture wax: Rockler – black bison
Rub N' Buff: Michaels – Amaco
red and white damask print fabric for valance: JoAnn

Buffets – $150 and Mirrors – $70
mirrors: Menards

Greeting Card Display – $15

Tablescape – $25 and Accessories – $25