Photo by Erik Kvalsvic
With a rustic woodlands scheme, Laura translates the colors, textures, and natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, where she grew up, to the East Coast. Dried hydrangeas, pinecone vessels, and greens are given a hint of glamour with touches of burnished gold.
FLOWER: Flowers evoke memories and emotions, and holidays do too. What were your childhood Christmases like, and how did they inform the way you flower, decorate, and celebrate today?
Laura Dowling: I grew up in the Pacific Northwest—an idyllic place to celebrate Christmas with its natural beauty. My grandparents lived in a big Edwardian house in Southwest Washington, and the season would start in my grandmother’s kitchen in October when she’d begin baking and freezing things. We would craft ornaments and cut paper snowflakes at the table. Everything was homespun, and the tree was probably more of a hodgepodge than my current ones, but it was always so magical. My other grandmother was originally from Baton Rouge. She celebrated with splendor, panache, and lots of parties. Both of my grandmothers influenced my aesthetic and showed me that the act of preparing for the holidays could be a major part of the fun.
Photo by Erik Kvalsvic
On the corner of Laura's living room mantel, a pair of vintage metal buckets filled with red roses, magnolia leaves, branches of red berries and green hypericum berries, flank a chinoiserie vase and antique angel figures.
How would you describe your floral aesthetic today?
French-inspired garden style with elements of fantasy and whimsy. It’s what I fell in love with almost 25 years ago while on my first trip to Paris. To this day, I can still picture the bouquet that stopped me in my tracks as I was walking by Christian Tortu’s atelier in St. Germain. His petite arrangement of sweet peas, lady’s mantle, and rose hips was a delicate, romantic composition that exuded emotion and encapsulated the ethereal nature of flowers— and life. At that moment, I knew I wanted to study French floristry and change careers to become a florist.
Photo by Erik Kvalsvic
The dining room of her early 19th-century house in Alexandria, Virginia, is trimmed in traditional red and green with accents of plaid.
That decision has taken you down an interesting path ever since, including a tenure as chief floral designer for The White House, where you designed and executed decorations on a grand—and very public—scale. Tell us about the experience.
The sheer magnitude of decorating The White House at Christmas was always daunting: 55 or more trees (including the 18-foot one in the Blue Room), miles of garland, and dozens of wreaths, in addition to designing the décor for all the parties and events that took place during the season. It was a year-long planning process that included overseeing more than a hundred volunteers to help realize the First Lady’s vision. Overall, it taught me the most beautiful decorations tell a compelling story and benefit from a detailed schedule for implementation.
Photo by Erik Kvalsvik
In her new book, Designing Christmas, Laura explores 10 themes, including one inspired by the nearby Virginia Hunt Country. Classic elements such as evergreen garlands, silver vessels filled with roses, and other natural materials such as holly, berries, crabapples, and pomegranates carry through a vibrant red palette that complements the living room’s butter-yellow walls, antique oil paintings, and toile de Jouy patterns.
We’re curious to know what the holiday décor in your own home looked like during that time—and how it has evolved since leaving the White House position.
During those White House years, my own house took a bit of a back seat. After 100-hour workweeks, I was lucky to put a wreath on the door and set out a few poinsettias! In recent years, as I’ve had more time to focus on my decorations, I’ve found I still really enjoy the process of decorating on a fairly elaborate scale. The secret is to create a flexible timeline that layers in the décor throughout the season. Given my still-busy travel and work schedule, I start thinking about it in the fall, when I craft a few special projects such as nut garlands that can be done ahead. Then I fold in more elements as the season progresses. As Christmas nears, I focus on the fresh materials—adding a tree, greenery, flowers, and other finishing touches.
Photo by Erik Kvalsvik
A Virginia Hunt Country inspired wreath with holly, berries, and crabapples.
Photo by Erik Kvalsvic
Laura tends toward a maximalist approach but believes sometimes having one element can be enough. While chief floral designer for The White House, “I was lucky to put a wreath on my own front door,” she says, “but it’s an important way to be part of the community celebration.”
You embrace a good theme, and in your latest book, Designing Christmas (Stichting Kunstboek, 2024), you lead us through some of your favorites—from a walk in the woods to a ride through the hunt country to a spin on a Parisian carousel. Could you give us a snapshot of how you take a seed of inspiration and develop it into a full-blown scheme?
I see a theme as an opportunity to experiment and stretch the imagination, and the ones in the book represent a collection of my favorite memories, colors, and sources of inspiration. First, I’ll think about the ambience I want to evoke and what elements and colors will communicate the mood. I create sketches and develop room-by-room plans that include sources for materials, as well as the timeline. I always start with a base layer of favorite décor, including sentimental items I use year-to-year and “workhorse” materials (ornaments in a range of colors, velvet and satin ribbons, and such). Then, I’ll add the special items that speak to the specific theme.
And finally, what do you hope readers will take away from the book?
I hope that readers will understand that whether you are going for a grand or humble aesthetic, the prettiest and most memorable decorations are those that tell a thought- ful, personal story. And the raison d’être for designing Christmas will always be to create a wonderful backdrop for celebrating the season in a way that’s meaningful to you, your friends, and your family.
LAURA DOWLING’S HOLIDAY REFLECTIONS
Laura shares a few more things on her mind this season.
What will get me in the Christmas spirit…
The delivery of fresh evergreen trees to the garden center, the annual Scottish Christmas Walk in Old Town Alexandria, Hallmark movies, and the arrival of Winter Wassail at Trader Joe’s.
Favorite flower to deck the halls…
I could never limit it to just one! Poinsettias (especially the new varieties that come in special colors and resemble camellias); paperwhites for their lovely scent; amaryllis, particularly the delicate varieties with small, pointy petals; nandina foliage to use in bouquets; evergreens from my native Northwest (I’ll often ship back east boxes of boughs I’ve gathered from the woods); and magnolia leaves for wreaths and garlands.
Gift on my wish list…
A tour of the Christmas markets in Munich, Venice, Strasbourg, and Vienna—that would be amazing!
It won’t be Christmas without…
Friends, family, festive decorations, and a bowl of my grandmother’s Northwest clam chowder on Christmas Eve.
Festive color combination…
I have a few: emerald green and gold; fuchsia, red, and gold; plum, orange, and copper; bronze and gold; and, of course, traditional reds and greens with touches of plaid.
My go-to décor sources…
Winward for special ornaments and classical containers; d. stevens for elegant ribbons; and I’ll scour thrift shops and antique malls for vintage things with patina and history.
I’m dreaming of…
seeing the holiday vision I’ve created for the Cheekwood Estate in Nashville come to life this year [Nov. 22, 2024–Jan. 5, 2025] .
By Karen Carroll | Photography by Erik Kvalsvik
Designing Christmas: Practical Tips for Fesitive Decor, By Laura Dowling (Stichting Kunstboak, 2024)
