by joel martens house and home
Wow, I can hardly believe we are here again. Christmas
season is upon us, and I don’t know about you, but it is
one of my favorite times of year! Aside from all of the
parties, food and festivities, I get to indulge one of my
obsessions; holiday ornaments and decorations.
I have been adding to my personal collection for as
long as I can remember. The first purchase was a box of
playful and non-traditional tree topper
old-school 1” glass balls in very traditional colors with the
inverted reflectors. I begged my grandfather to buy them
for me from the general store in my hometown back in
Wisconsin. It was very Laura Ingalls Wilder, and believe
it or not, I still have a few of them left! It goes without
saying, that over time, I have amassed a gargantuan col-
lection (and we are not discussing how many years that
is!) All of them are special to me. Most of them tell a story
or have a particular association with a friend, a specific
time in my life, or family members here and gone.
An ornament is a perfect offering for most holiday situ-
ations. It is an inexpensive way to celebrate the season
and create an associated memory. Here are some pieces
that you can collect for yourself, pass on to a loved one or
give as a party favor.
I love colored glass, and these are exceptional; hand-
blown and hand-painted pieces done by artists Carol
King and Paula Buttel. They may be on the higher priced
side of holiday ornaments, but they are sure to become
heirlooms. Another potential collectible; hand-beaded
Holiday Colors
pieces done with silver and white glass beads. The long
tassels add a bit of whimsy to the usual snowflake shape.
This idiom reflects one of my favorite design tenets:
traditional shapes in non-traditional materials or the
opposite; traditional materials on contemporary pieces.
Reflecting this are these traditional-shaped orna-
ments, but the decoration on them is definitely modern.
Lime green is not your usual color for Christmas, but I
think this works well with the polka dots and traditional
red! Beautiful!
This next piece is a tree-topper. It is playful and non-
traditional in that it takes the “star” idea and bends it just
a little. Every time I walk by it on our tree at my store,
Pomegranate, it makes me laugh—good cheer is what
the season is all about. Keep smiling during the holidays
and treat yourself to an ornament to remember.
There are many ways to use decorations in your home,
handblown colored glass ornaments
and many of them can be dramatic, but are simple to
execute: instead of putting all your ornaments on a tree,
fill a large bowl with an assortment for your table. Buy a
box full of glass balls (I think the cheapest colored ones
are the best) fill glass jars with them and tinsel and put
and assortment of different sizes on your mantle. Break
the mold, get creative and think outside the tradition
box (bad holiday pun)! Happy Holidays!
Joel Martens is the general manager at
PomegranateHome and owner of Arrange Design.
Visit us at
PomegranateHome.com
December 2009 | RAGE monthly 59
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