Seaside Decorating for the Holidays

Fanciful octopuses with glittery tentacles dancing on a hallway table. Holiday tablescapes brightened by silvery starfish. Tiny  wooden squirrels peeking out of autumnal mantel garlands. And all the glory of Cape Cod and the Islands’ natural bounty. On these pages, we share the holiday visions of seven Cape and Islands interior and landscape designers. Take a look and be inspired by this quintessential coastal magic!

An antique Cape parlor glows with an imaginative, richly textured Thanksgiving design framing an old sea captain’s fireplace. Marsha Potash, designer at Hyannis Country Garden, combines traditional autumnal materials with whimsical natural touches such as brilliantly feathered birds, adorable crouching squirrels, unusual bumpy pumpkins, and boldly fashioned floral designs with creatively massed flowers and foliages—all from the Hyannis store’s greenhouses and seven-acre nursery. “I love all the gorgeous fall colors and it was a delight working in this lovely antique Cape in Centerville,” says Potash, noting that she enjoys working with customers to provide holiday decorating for both interiors and exteriors. “Country Garden is full to the brim right now with all kinds of seasonal treasures,” says Potash, who adds that one of the greenhouses has been turned into a wonderland with themed vignettes, including decorated trees, ornaments, and everything Cape Cod for the holidays.

Hyannis Country Garden • 380 West Main Street, Hyannis
508-775-8703 • hyanniscountrygarden.com

All that glimmers creates a vivid holiday look for the living room in a lavish design by Casabella Home Furnishings of Sandwich. Owner and designer Michele Chagnon-Holbrook chose sparkling decorative touches to give exquisite coastal-inspired furnishings the magic glow of the holidays. Chagnon-Holbrook works with the unique curated collection in her shop to give her clients seasonal decors with a lush, multi-layered look. Vignettes throughout the shop reflect the designer’s ability to give each homeowner’s interior that personal touch, throughout the holidays and all year-round. “Casabella can offer homeowners a truly special holiday decor for every room in the house, highlighted with carefully selected collectibles from around the world as well as from Cape Cod and New England artisans,” says the designer. “For this home, we pulled out all the stops to create holiday splendor in every corner, combining both seasonal and natural accents that showcase Cape Cod’s beauty.”

Dewey Gardens of Centerville celebrates the holiday bounty of Cape Cod with bright Chrysanthemums, colorful gourds, fresh cabbage, Swiss chard, and pumpkins of all shapes and sizes, all available at Hyannis Country Garden, creating a festive tableau around seaside-themed planters filled with boldly-striped Miscanthus Zebrinus grass. A wreath created with the homeowner’s hydrangea blossoms, which are also tucked around the front door display, delivers a classic Cape touch. “We wanted to design a naturalistic, autumnal look with seaside elements to welcome guests arriving for Thanksgiving dinner,” says Emily McKeen, one of Dewey Gardens’ designers. McKeen notes that Dewey Gardens creates interior and exterior designs for homeowners inspired by the unique beauty of the Cape Cod landscape.

Dewey Gardens • 109 Old Stage Road, Centerville
508-951-3984 • deweygardens.com

A quiet foyer comes alive with simple, yet elegant holiday touches including glimmering coastal prints and collectibles, classic holiday decorations with shimmer and shine, and richly textured ribbons, all fashioned by VU Design of Hyannis. “Sometimes the holidays are the only time of year when we entertain friends and family and it’s the perfect chance to showcase our homes with beautiful holiday design elements and accents,” says David Shinn, VU Design’s owner and interior designer. “Instead of putting away your beloved treasures, create excitement around your pieces by adding a few well-chosen accessories.” Shinn says that homeowners can be inspired by several showrooms featuring a wide array of decorative pieces and furnishings in the VU Design shop, just off Main Street in Hyannis. “Come in and browse and ask one of our designers to help you make this holiday season sparkle, from Thanksgiving all the way to New Year’s,” says Kristen Terrio, a member of VU Design’s interior decorating team.

VU Design
33 Basset Lane, Hyannis
774-470-1363

A striking seaside Thanksgiving table is created by floral designers with Martha’s Vineyard’s Donaroma’s Nursery and Landscaping with a seamless transition bringing outside in along an undulating tablescape of artfully gathered—and beautifully balanced—natural elements. Reflecting the tasteful design of a contemporary island home designed by Sullivan & Associates Architects, this naturalistic tablescape mirrors the soft green and cool blue hues of the island’s famous landscape. Traditional pewter-style tableware provided by Edgartown’s Big Sky with coastal-informed silver and pearl decorative accents is given whimsical flair with “Seas of Blessings” and “Oceans of Thanks” messages designed by Martha’s Vineyard graphic designer and stylist Libby Ellis.

Photo by Joe Mikos

Donaroma’s Nursery and Landscaping
Upper Main Street, Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard
508-627-3036 • donaromas.com

Come home for the holidays to a festive delight of seaside wreaths, a mantel garland bright with starfish and sand dollars, bold red Amaryllis clustered under bell jars, decorated lobster buoys, and baskets of holly and cranberries, all designed with the creative vision of Ann Smith, designer for Yarmouthport’s Harvest of Barnstable. Everywhere you look there is something wonderful to see; the golden spires of slender trees, snow white reindeer, and country-style Santas decked out in gingham suits; there is hearth-side magic in this lovely Sandwich home. “This home by the marsh inspired me to fill the house with coastal treasures,” says Smith, who also decorated the dining and kitchen areas with coordinating seaside themes. The Harvest of Barnstable shop is a cornucopia of everything holiday, from seaside supplies to make your own decorations, to a glittering array of gifts from jewelry to coastal-themed rugs. Be sure to see the shop’s Nantucket baskets of blooming paperwhites assembled with love by the LIFE Cape Cod program for adults with learning disabilities.

Photography by Joe Mikos

Harvest of Barnstable • 89 Willow Street, Yarmouthport
508-362-4595 • harvestofbarnstable.com

Our vision was to design an elegant tablescape with a modern twist creating a quintessential Christmas, yet distinctive and unusual holiday ambiance,” says designer Kathy Coady of Yarmouthport’s New Angle Designs, noting that some of the stunning elements for the design were provided by Setting the Space in Plymouth. “The antique china creates a charming vintage look given holiday cheer with delicate mercury glass trees complemented by seasonal decorations. For a finishing touch, we added an abundance of fresh Cape Cod greens,” says the designer, noting New Angle Designs works with homeowners to create customized looks for the holidays. “A professional designer can help you create your own personal holiday magic,” says Coady.

New Angle Designs • 175 Main Street, Route 6A, Yarmouthport
774-994-8261 • newangledesigns.net