ALL THAT SHIMMERS
This year has been another trying year for all. As we attempt to emerge from our shelters and reintegrate into society, we are still faced with the persistence of this pandemic. Our hearts and minds grow weary as we wonder if our lives will ever go back to normal.
For my family, 2021 has been especially challenging. My daughter was admitted to the hospital in mid-December last year and fought the toughest battle I’ve ever seen a five-year-old fight. For three whole months, she persevered through multiple organ failures, infections, and several surgeries before she began her road to recovery and we were released from the hospital. This experience has given me immeasurable strength and appreciation. I feel a sense of playfulness when I look into my children’s eyes. Their breath is the greatest gift I am profoundly aware of every single day and brings me unlimited joy.
Since our 2020 Christmas was hijacked, I wanted to put extra inspiration into our home this year. I decided to transform what was once my daughter’s physical therapy room, bare with only a few floor mats, into a glowing space with a heartbeat of its own, where we could escape. I initially intended to paint the walls a vibrant shade of emerald green, but on the day the painters were set to start, I switched to Benjamin Moore’s Peach Blossom. I’m so glad I did because that set the stage for all the brilliance that was to come.
SHOP THE FEATURE
Upon perusing one of my favorite local consignment stores in Fresno, Re-Loved Vintage, I spotted a majestic velvet green sofa circa 1940 and a brutalist coffee table. Together, these two pieces became my anchor. Matching armchairs and a minimalist console table rounded out the room. With the help of my friend Jenna Sherrill at The Vintage Cat, I found two unique souffle ottomans with brass plinth bases from Lucky Valley Vintage in Parlier. When I threw these gems into the mix, I knew I was set to begin my holiday decorating.
The star of the space became the tinsel tree. I love the drippy nature the silver tinsel brings. The rest of the tree was kept minimal. I added just a few glass-blown ornaments and gold hanging leaves to make it just a bit more interesting. Then, I draped long needle pines over the fireplace and accentuated it with silver sprigs. The console table became our bar, and I added fun festive touches to take it up a notch.
SHOP THE FEATURE
This room has quickly become the heart of our home. The colors energize and inspire, the vintage furniture tells a story, and all that shimmer accentuates the spirit of the holidays.
Even our dining room was given a fun facelift as a means of extending the festive living space. I mixed royal blue chargers with our everyday mint dishes. The napkins were folded into a vertical half-bow and secured with napkin rings I made out of clay. Finally, platinum mercury glass globes, nestled in garlands, were laid atop the table.
Interiors Editor Erin Melkonian
Photographer EMID Design Group
Erin Melkonian
Interiors Editor
Erin runs a collaborative design firm, EMID Design Group, specializing in healthcare, hospitality, and residential interior design, in Fresno, California. Seeing the world through an artistic lens has allowed Erin to experiment in a number of different styles. Everything she does with a space is deliberate. Every piece has a purpose and has been thought about, from color, to position, to scale in order to create the most unique and personal spaces for her clients.
