MAIN ATTRACTION

Arlynn’s seasonal artistry starts at one of her favorite parts of her home—the family room’s fireplace mantel. “It’s where I begin decorating when the seasons change,” she says. “It sets the tone for how the rest of the home will look.” Here are a few of her suggestions for developing your own style:

INSTANT INSPIRATION.

Stumped for decorating ideas? “Make a list of your favorite things, and then try to utilize them in your decor,” she advises. Arlynn is particularly fond of angel figurines.

LET THERE BE LIGHT.

Hire a professional to install electrical outlets where you need them. Arlynn asked the builder to include a few extra, including an outlet on the wall above the mantel and outlets on both sides of the hearth.

PREFERRED PALETTE.

Identify a main color or two. “As we march through the year, I wanted the ability to plug in seasonal decor to go hand in hand with whatever color scheme I chose,” Arlynn shares. Cascading green garlands complement the blue-andwhite color scheme.

STYLING ON A THEME.

Coordinate objects throughout your home, especially if it has an open floor plan. “My goal is to approach each vignette as an individual, unique space but create it to flow with the rest of the vignettes in the room or level of our home,” Arlynn explains. “I do think that utilizing like items within the different spaces, such as part of a collection spread throughout a room or level of our home, helps to pull the design together.” Blue candles make frequent appearances throughout the Funderburk home.

SWEET SYMMETRY.

“I love my displays to be balanced,” Arlynn notes. When layering, she starts by removing all accessories and building an arrangement piece by piece. “With the mantel, first I created the garland and put that in place, then made the bows and hung them on the garland. I usually will choose an accent piece for the center of the mantel and then work out from each side. I start placing things one on each side of center, and I build the design that way until my eye is happy with what I see. I love using different heights and textures.”