topic Re: LEHIGH VALLEY PA CHRISTMAS in Home

LEHIGH VALLEY PA CHRISTMAS

Oznell — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 19:52:20 GMT

Exuberant TV Design guy Carson Kressley has a house that seems to be part of his family's horse farm in Pennsylvania, in addition to his NY apartment.

The '70's horse farm house is his great love, and he's decorated it in his patented cozy, maximalist style. This house, of all the "design-influenced" houses on Homeworthy, seems the most like a 'regular' American house, albeit with some rarified elements, to me.

The video is so much fun, infused with his friendly, humorous warmth. Recommend highly watching it!

He loves horses and dogs, signaled by his many horse paintings and this sweet vintage ceramic doggie--

He mentions the house's 1970's low ceilings and lack of architectural details. To counter some of that, he added these generous bookshelves in the living room.

Some more of his favorite motifs are antelope prints and patterns, which you can see in the rug, and elsewhere in the house. Also, he adores a soft turquoise blue, here seen in the wide ribbons holding his boxwood wreaths and swagging the staircase garland.

As mentioned, equestrian themes abound. I love that his wood lamps, with a very midcentury feeling, were flea market finds...

He says his kitchen is "pre- renovation", but he already had the tired oak cabinets painted. I like the simple over-counter pendant lights--

His formal dining room is very traditional, with an equestrian-themed custom wallpaper mural, and more of the pretty sky blue he favors in the ceilng. For a Christmas centerpiece, he bought a grocery store amaryllis, which he put in a silvery ice bucket surrounded by pinecones from the property...

He used to work at Ralph Lauren, and he snagged from them the practice of switching out to festive tartan lampshades for his dining room chandelier at Christmas. Cute!

He is also lucky enough to have a casual, brick-walled breakfast nook with fireplace--

He cleverly chose an airy, see-through lantern pendant light here, so it wouldn't obstruct the view outside from other points in the room...

His adjoining den also has the brick, and lustrous chestnut wood. It is dark, and he struggled with the idea of painting the paneling, but decided he liked the rich wood. He gave in to the 70's vibe! Has a fun vintage pub feeling. His little antlers are faux, he hastened to assure any animal lovers...

Bedroom is cozy too.

His sunroom has multiple sets of French doors, which allows him to have lots of lush plants, and one of the four Christmas trees in the house.

What a good time this video was- I had to watch it in increments! Carson has tons of little tips that he inserts in his tours, which make them especially fun. Homeworthy also has his NY apartment tour, which is just as entertainig to see.

Re: LEHIGH VALLEY PA CHRISTMAS

Imaoldhippie — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 19:55:51 GMT

How beautiful, I really like it all. He has a good eye and taste.

Re: LEHIGH VALLEY PA CHRISTMAS

skatting44 — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 20:06:15 GMT

Those low ceilings are a no go for me

Re: LEHIGH VALLEY PA CHRISTMAS

Carmie — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 20:52:29 GMT

I love everything about his house. It's beautifully decorated and looks comfy.

The ceilings look like the standard 8 ft ones used in PA and other places where there is cold weather.

High ceilings make a home difficult to heat. Almost all the older homes around here have 8 or 10ft ceilings. It is a practical choice. I am sure he is aware since he is local to the area.

Re: LEHIGH VALLEY PA CHRISTMAS

PA Mom-mom — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 21:12:31 GMT

I love the French doors and abundance of light in the sun room! It would be wonderful to sit there and enjoy a beautiful snow.

Re: LEHIGH VALLEY PA CHRISTMAS

We rescue cats — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 21:33:10 GMT

I believe he talked about the tartan shades on his beautiful dining table chandelier before because when I had a dining room and a chandelier I copied them, and got so many compliments on them. I also love the backless wooden chairs in the sitting room being used almost as a table. I want to live in the sunroom, but I also love the den and bedroom. . .

Re: LEHIGH VALLEY PA CHRISTMAS

DSD2 — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 22:07:26 GMT

Love the sunroom! All that beautiful light. The plants and tree are so pretty and the wood floor looks great. I would change out the chairs (the wicker chair looks out of place) and the rugs.

The den looks cozy but a bit too dark for me.

The dining room (especially the chairs) are so pretty.

The blue in the kitchen is perfect as is the lamp in the "nook" which is far grander than the name implies.

Thank you for posing @Oznell

Re: LEHIGH VALLEY PA CHRISTMAS

GingerHead — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 22:57:12 GMT

@Oznell Such a cozy beautiful home.

I especially love:

*The ceramic dog

*Use of dogs and horses in his decor

*Pre-renovation kitchen looks pretty post reno to me (pretty)

*Blue turquoise ceiling in dining room

*Elegant high-end looking Christmas centerpiece made with inexpensive parts (I love doing this)

*The brick wall

*The super cozy den and bedroom (right up my alley)

Thanks for the lovely!

Re: LEHIGH VALLEY PA CHRISTMAS

on the bay — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 23:02:03 GMT

Thanks so much for these @Oznell!

I love Carson Kressley and I'll watch the videos.

I really love his ceramic dog so much!

It reminds me of when my 5th grade class gave our wonderful teacher a large china Dalmation dog.

We were so excited to give it to her.

Now I wonder if she was thinking-wow-a giant Dalmation lol!

I also love his yellow chairs.

I like his formal dining room too with the beautiful chandelier and those comfortable looking chairs and the pretty amaryllis?

I didn't know he played the piano.

What a wonderful thing to own a horse farm!

Re: LEHIGH VALLEY PA CHRISTMAS

on the bay — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 21:35:40 GMT

@Oznell,

I just watched his farm house tour and his apartment tour.

I like how he mentions where he got things-a lot from Costco, Homegoods, some Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn. Familiar stores. Some things he had pros or designers do-recovering chairs, or pillows.

What I thought was a mural in the formal dining room is actually wallpaper he said was from Mural Source-you can have them design and fit to your space. The other wallpaper with horses was from Tibo. I like those.

I am especially enjoying his tour of his NY apt. He also has a ceramic dog there too.

You can tell he really enjoys all his things and I feel the same about everything in my home.

I think and hope people love everything in their home whether minimalist or a lot!

His decorating and pro tips are funny but practical too.

Oh and pictures with him and his favorite people-Joan Rivers, Dolly Parton, Cher, an ornament from Betty White, an Original Destiny's Child doll of Beyonce who signed it and thanked him for introducing her to someplace. Really a fun video, the dept one.

Oh and he doesn't play the piano just thought the baby grand was so beautiful

He said he didn't have a plan for the apt just got things he would see that he liked. That's how I do it too

He does like to honor the original architecture and style of the house or apt a little bit.

Re: LEHIGH VALLEY PA CHRISTMAS

Nonametoday — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 06:29:59 GMT

@We rescue cats wrote:
I believe he talked about the tartan shades on his beautiful dining table chandelier before because when I had a dining room and a chandelier I copied them, and got so many compliments on them. I also love the backless wooden chairs in the sitting room being used almost as a table. I want to live in the sunroom, but I also love the den and bedroom. . .

@We rescue cats

I think both are great ideas. Good for you to use the tartan shades. Yes, I think the backless woden chairs could be used as a table. I love your two ideas that you took from it.

Re: LEHIGH VALLEY PA CHRISTMAS

Nonametoday — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 06:30:32 GMT

@on the bay wrote:
Thanks so much for these @Oznell!
I love Carson Kressley and I'll watch the videos.
I really love his ceramic dog so much!
It reminds me of when my 5th grade class gave our wonderful teacher a large china Dalmation dog.
We were so excited to give it to her.
Now I wonder if she was thinking-wow-a giant Dalmation lol!

I also love his yellow chairs.
I like his formal dining room too with the beautiful chandelier and those comfortable looking chairs and the pretty amaryllis?
I didn't know he played the piano.
What a wonderful thing to own a horse farm!

@on the bay @Oznell

Did he get the dog from Friends?

Re: LEHIGH VALLEY PA CHRISTMAS

Nonametoday — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 06:43:41 GMT

I agree with him about the low ceilings, something of which I have never been a fan until I had very high ceilings which are just as bad. What about 12-ft ceilings. Could that be a thing! The low ceilings and the rach were a takeoff of Frank Lloyd Wright's works. It became all the rage in America, the home to the ranch. He has, however, decorated it mighty beautifully. The ranch and the horses are a team.

Re: LEHIGH VALLEY PA CHRISTMAS

on the bay — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 10:54:14 GMT

@Nonametoday,

He said he bought the dogs.

He also said he's a "maximalist."

Re: LEHIGH VALLEY PA CHRISTMAS

Oznell — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 12:48:32 GMT

@GingerHead , you zeroed in on what I love about his various hacks-- taking certain elements and combining them to look like a million, like the centerpiece.

A key with him is he said he loves to mix "high" and "low", which is the hallmark of someone who decorates creatively, in my opinion.

Ha, ha, @on the bay , like me you were sucked down that rabbit hole of the videos! "Hi, Homeworthy, welcome to Park Avenue ( sotto voce, "I haven't dusted in 30 years"...), so entertaining! And as you admirably recount, full of good ideas...

Re: LEHIGH VALLEY PA CHRISTMAS

shoptilyadropagain — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 14:43:35 GMT

His designs don't appeal to me whatsoever with the exception of the kitchen and the sunroom. Even then, I'd need to make a lot of changes.

The living room is my least favorite. I follow a crafter/thrifter on facebook who goes to Goodwill and the Goodwill bins and I immediately thought that I'd seen most of the living room items (or very similar) in her videos before.

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DREAMON — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 17:10:32 GMT

I watched the entire video and do love the house itself.

The kitchen is my favorite room followed by the Sunroom.

What I would have to change is the overload of Horse decor. I am not really a horse person so that would have to be changed.

I would also have to remove a lot of the decor as it is just too much for me personally but I could make this house mine for sure.

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wilma — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 19:34:12 GMT

My favorite space is the sunroom, although I'd change out the metal chairs and the valance. I also like the bedroom, the piano, shelves, and the dog and horse accessories.

Even though they're faux, still not a fan of antlers. That den is dark, but if there's some natural light from windows, that would mitigate it some.

I primed and painted over the dark wood paneling in my basement. Without natural light, it was a very dark space. I like it better with a lighter wall color. My sunroom has beautiful medium tone warm wood in the beamed and peaked ceiling and above the windows. There's so much natural light in that space that the room isn't dark at all. I would never paint over the wood in my sunroom.

Re: LEHIGH VALLEY PA CHRISTMAS

mildoo — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 20:41:36 GMT

I think I would find it very comfortable living there.

Re: LEHIGH VALLEY PA CHRISTMAS

Nonametoday — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 04:19:29 GMT

@on the bay wrote:
@Nonametoday,
He said he bought the dogs.
He also said he's a "maximalist."

@on the bay I love maximalists' homes. I was in one today that will stun any decorator magazine. I have mentioned this home before on here. It's just over the top gorgeous. Southern Living has asked to feature her home but she has not wanted to. She says she is too private.