As the holiday season approaches, creating a warm, inviting home filled with festive cheer becomes a priority for many. December can be a whirlwind of joy, but without preparation, it can also bring stress. By starting your holiday planning now, you can craft a cozy, glowing atmosphere that makes your home the heart of the season. Here's a guide to help you plan and design ahead for a happier, more relaxed December at home.

Monolithic Design Concept

The goal was to create a welcoming first home for residents of Bloomfield Hills. To achieve a monolithic design was implemented, using the same material across the entire space, from the floor to the walls and even the staircase. The staircase, including its underbelly, is fully clad in stone. A wooden ceiling provides a visual break from the stone cladding, yet maintains the monolithic theme by extending to become the flooring on the first floor.

Living Room Aesthetics

In the living room, prominent columns are treated architecturally and coated with a concrete-like texture paint, enhancing the earthy feel of the villa. A screen is used to create the illusion of added space, making the room feel more expansive.

Upper Level Design

The upper level features an atrium, a seating area, the master bedroom, and two guest bedrooms, all designed in the same cohesive style as the rest of the home. Textured paint on the walls, rather than flat paint, adds depth and interest to this level.

Lighting as a Focal Point

Pendant lights hanging in the double atrium serve as a striking feature. These can be used as a focal point in any space, either as a single piece or in a cluster, to elevate the ambiance.

Master Bedroom Highlights

The master bedroom stands out as a favorite space in the villa. Its high headboard in a regal Chesterfield pattern emphasizes its role as the primary bedroom. An attached bathroom is separated by a vintage glass screen with openable shutters, enhancing the sense of space.

Luxurious Bathroom Features

The bathroom boasts a unique washbasin counter made of petrified wood, a semi-precious material that instantly adds glamour. High-quality products are essential to match the luxurious design of this space.

Innovative Toilet Technology

The Caring Integrated Toilet is a standout feature, combining sleek design with advanced functionality. It includes an automatic open-close lid, adjustable bidet settings for water position, pressure, and temperature, a heated seat for chilly mornings, a warm air dryer, and a deodorizer to tackle lingering odors. 

Guest Bedroom Design

The guest bedroom, designed to complement the advanced toilet with an equally sophisticated aesthetic. Like the master bedroom, it uses glass to create a sense of added space, ensuring the room feels open and inviting.

Statement Furniture Pieces

A key design tip: a single striking piece of furniture can anchor a room without the need for additional embellishments. Let it be the focal point to make a bold statement.

Entertainment Zone in the Basement

The basement is designed as an entertainment hub, complete with a TV, pool table, and bar. The bar serves as the room's centerpiece, while a wall creatively uses wallpaper as artwork, adding visual interest without overwhelming the space.

Accessorizing Tips

For a monochromatic palette, we suggest accessorizing with a curated installation of similar objects, varying slightly in color, shape, or size. This approach creates a cohesive, singular statement rather than a cluttered mix of unrelated items.

Making Your Space Festive

To make a home like this festive, consider adding flowers, candles, and colorful carpets. Holiday light installation in Bloomfield Hills with experts recommend using cushions with prints or embellishments, vibrant floral elements, and plenty of color. Lighting, such as fairy lights, and metallic accents in gold or silver can brighten and elevate the space.

Lighting and Decor Ideas

An interior designer emphasizes lighting as a transformative element. Fairy lights, candles, and hurricane lights can create a warm glow. For a festive touch, place fairy lights in jars for outdoor displays or use glamorous gold, silver, or crystal-studded candles. Velvet cushions and bright-colored throws add seasonal warmth and vibrancy.

Wall Transformations with Wallpaper

Festivals are the perfect time to refresh your walls with wallpaper. Options range from bold, metallic-toned designs to embossed patterns. Use wallpaper on a highlight wall, beams, or columns to make a statement without overwhelming the space. Baroque and brocade designs with floral motifs are especially regal and glamorous, suitable for a single wall or all four, depending on your room's size and decor.

Subtle Sparkle Options

For those who prefer understated elegance, choose wallpapers that shimmer subtly when catching the light. These provide instant glamour without the effort of painting, offering a quick and effective transformation.

Preparing for Wallpaper Application

Before applying wallpaper, ensure walls are smooth and free of chips or uneven surfaces. Measure the room accurately, excluding doors and windows, to avoid over-ordering. Proper preparation is key to a seamless application.

Mirror Decor for Instant Glam

For a quick wall transformation, ornate mirrors with enamel and brass-painted frames in Mughal or traditional styles, add royalty and charm. Mirrors from Living Spaces offer modern takes on geometric or floral designs, while Rare Thought's made-to-order wood and metal mirrors are ideal for an entrance passageway, blending earthy and glamorous elements.

Festive Gift Ideas

When gifting for homes, choose items that reflect the recipient's style. Hurricane or floor lamps with metallic, ceramic-like bodies are both romantic and durable. Unique decorative pieces, like stackable bowls resembling a colonial building or a vase styled as a stack of books, make thoughtful and distinctive gifts.

Creative Game Sets

Elevate classic games like Snakes and Ladders or chess with artistic designs, such as acrylic armies or mirror-carved boards, to add intrigue and festivity to game nights.

Embroidered Cushions

Cushions embroidered with zari and sequins in colors like green, yellow, gray, white, or blue make unique, festive gifts that convey thoughtfulness and holiday cheer.