There's Christmas in Every Corner of This New Jersey Home

Christmas is a big deal to Holly Bebout: She was born on December 14 (hence her festive name); she got engaged on Christmas Eve; and now she and her husband, Steve (a theater director), host an epic annual Christmas party with margaritas, queso and fajitas in honor of her Texas roots. “It’s the best time of the year!” she says. This season, the guests are in for a real treat: The couple just finished a redesign, so their 3,200-square-foot Maplewood, New Jersey, home is as stylish as it is welcoming.

To achieve the casual, eclectic aesthetic she loves, Holly hired designer Sarah Storms, who’s known for mixing bold patterns and poppy colors. Sarah helped the couple create unique, inviting spaces with lots of laid-back character. “We just want people to feel comfortable here,” says Holly. And, of course, they want to put everyone in the holiday spirit! Read on to take the merry and bright tour.

“I don’t like it when houses take themselves too seriously,” says Holly, a Broadway actress turned lawyer, seen here with the couple's son Gus, 12, and family dog Hattie. “I’ve been in homes that are exquisite and homes that are memorable and I’d much rather mine be the latter.”

“We had fun with pattern layering in here,” says Sarah, who mixed different scales, colors and textures to create a playful but still refined look. She chose a multicolored geometric fabric from Stout for the sofa, a stripe from Thibaut for the chair and a dotted line print from Rebecca Atwood for the ottoman.

Sarah recommended white walls on the first floor to keep things consistent, but she went bold (Downpour Blue by Benjamin Moore) on the brick fireplace and added a custom twinkly star rug from Stanton to match. As far as the tree decorations go: "I like a chaotic tree! I want everyone’s weird childhood ornaments from the ’80s, lots of color, a real ‘kitchen sink’ look," says Holly.

Instead of a traditional stone or tile backsplash, Holly chose a bold geometric wallpaper from Flavor Paper. The open shelves help break up the blue, and they’re the perfect place to display favorite pieces like her Christmas dishes. “Steve prefers to wait until after Thanksgiving, but I start using them way, way before!” says Holly. The pendants are from CB2 and the runner is from All Modern.

Holly loves a funky wallpaper, so this metallic pick from Flavor Paper was a no-brainer. “It has a ’60s Jetsons feel, but the neutral colors keep it subtle enough for a bedroom,” she says. The cozy velvet bedding is from John Robshaw and the velvet bench is from TOV. “This is our first year adding Christmas decorations to the bedroom, and I’m so into it!” The Balsam Hill garland lights up at night.

This whimsical basement is the meeting spot for Holly’s weekly mahjong games. “It’s my favorite part of the house!” she says. Sarah painted the ceiling an inky blue (Winding Waterway by Benjamin Moore) to complement the elephant wallpaper from Clarke & Clarke, and she covered the chairs in a striped performance velvet from Stout to protect against game-night spills. The light is from Pooky.

Once Sarah knew that Holly was up for going bold in the basement, she suggested these hot pink cabinets (painted Razzle Dazzle by Benjamin Moore). She kept the rest of the space more subdued with brass hardware from Top Knobs, butcher-block counters and a simple herringbone backsplash from Floor & Decor. Instead of a mini fridge, Holly chose a refrigerator drawer for drinks and a freezer drawer for ice cream. The glass Christmas trees are from Cody Foster & Co.