A fresh approach to design
Kappa Pilgrimage to feature four homes decked out with greenery and flowers
Kara Childress shifted into overdrive, setting her dining room table for a photo shoot: nutcracker dishes, silverware, three sizes of goblets and napkins. For a centerpiece, beautiful pink roses, magnolia leaves and giant moose antlers.
Decorating 2018 style means personalizing everything, even at Christmas. The holiday isn’t a red-and-green event with ribbons and bows at the home she shares with her husband, Ray, a businessman and former NFL player with the Oilers.
The family had vacation homes in Wyoming, and Kara Childress said she bought that big pair of moose antlers at the famous Elkfest Boy Scout annual fundraiser in Jackson Hole. When it came time to set her dining table, she hauled them out to a crowd of curious faces. On the table, combined with roses, greenery and tableware, the rustic pieces looked like they were right where they belonged.
The Childresses’ Tanglewood home will be one of four on the biannual Kappa Pilgrimage on Friday and Saturday, a holiday event that fills tour homes with fresh
flowers and greenery with a holiday theme to raise money for dozens of local charities.
Claudia Laswell, one of four tour chairpersons, said that two of the tour homes are in Tanglewood and two are in River Oaks. Tourgoers won’t have the run of these spacious homes, but they will have a big look into most of the homes’ public spaces.
Lucia Joklova, owner of Park Flowers Atelier, is handling flowers and greenery at the Childress home, and she said she’s sticking with new Christmas classics of fresh white flowers with greenery such as noble, cedar and Douglas fir garlands with eucalyptus, pine cones and magnolia leaves.
Evergreen garland, heavy with magnolia leaves and pine cones, drapes around the fireplace positioned between the kitchen and family room, and big pots full of greenery and white dendrobium orchids fill the hearth at the Childresses’ home. Pots of paperwhites will be scattered around as well. Joklova’s special touch comes in small pieces of hand-dyed silk and velvet ribbon woven into the garland.
Not only is the more natural green-and-white theme a trend in holiday décor, it’s more likely to be in tune with everyday décor in homes with the popular all-neutral color palette.
Because the special décor is all fresh, there’s no early installation in any of the homes. It will be an all-hands-on-deck installation for a couple of days before the tour begins.
You’re likely to see every combination of winter flowers, from amaryllis and paperwhites to special flowers imported for the event. And fresh greenery will be in abundance, too.
Authors Charlotte Moss (“Charlotte Moss Entertains”) and Jane Scott Hodges (“Linens: For Every Room and Occasion”) will sign copies of their books 1-4 p.m. Saturday at the tour home at 3030 Inwood in River Oaks.
Some 2,000 to 3,000 people are expected to attend, and proceeds from ticket sales go to local charities. Past recipients of Kappa Kappa Gamma foundation grants include Dress for Success, Small Steps Nurturing Center, Today’s Harbor for Children (formerly Boys and Girls Harbor), Texas Heart Institute, Camp For All, Children 4 Tomorrow, Wellsprings Village and Ronald McDonald House.