For many of us, 2020 has been a year of unpredictability, trepidation, and angst. Drive-by birthday parties, wearing a mask in public, and watching my children schooled through a screen is what I will remember most about this year. Amidst our new normal, I yearn for things to go back to the way they were. I can’t wait for the day I can give my best friend a hug or have my big Armenian family in our home to celebrate a joyous occasion together. As I am overcome with a deep sense of nostalgia, I realize it is time to unpack those cheesy mismatched ornaments, jingle bells, and Grandma’s festive napkins that I swore I would keep buried in my drawer for eternity.

Holiday décor has become anything but traditional in recent years. Images of Kylie Jenner’s pink Christmas tree flood my Instagram feed every year, reminding me just how far we have diverged from traditional holiday colors. This year, why not bring back the time-honored crimson and emerald hues of our past?

As for the holiday tree, let’s make it a real one. It is a cinch to put up my artificial tree every year, plug it in, and…viola! Not this year, though. The tangled lines and whimsical character of the real thing is something I’m not willing to forego.

Begin new traditions…or continue old ones. Every year, my kids receive an individualized ornament that represents a significant event or activity in their life. As each ornament is unwrapped, they revel in the year’s memories.

Finally, bring out the old hand-me-downs. My grandmother gave me a set of Christmas napkins that I rarely use but can never part with. In 2020, these hand-me-downs will take center stage at all of our holiday meals, just as it was at my grandmother’s many years ago.

SHOP THE FEATURE

1. West Elm Liv Round Marble Dining Table $999.00 to $1,599.00 from www.westelm.com 2. West Elm Mid-Century Modern Petal Upholstered Dining Chair in Platinum, Basket Weave and Moon Rock $199.00 to $269.00 from www.westelm.com 3. West Elm Festive Stripe Dinnerware $8.50 to $126.00 from www.westelm.com 4. West Elm Mercury Pedestal Candles – Cedarwood & Moss $30.00 to $50.00 from www.westelm.com 5. Anthropologie Deck The Halls Monogram Ornament $10.00 from www.anthropologie.com 6. Anthropologie Deidra Stocking in Ivory $44.00 from www.anthropologie.com

Interiors Editor Erin Melkonian

Décor Stylist Olivia Schmitz

Photographer Ellie Koleen

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.

Olivia Schmitz

Décor Stylist

Olivia previously earned both a law and nursing degree before accidentally ending up in design. Design has always been an interest, but it took becoming a stay-at-home mom to discover her true passion. Self-taught, she started with a gut remodel of a personal home and went on to help friends with their projects, eventually joining the EMID Design Group. Olivia is especially talented at styling and décor and can embrace most styles, but has a particular love for Scandinavian simplicity.

Ellie Koleen

Photographer

Ellie is a lifestyle, wedding, and brand photographer based in Fresno, California. An artist behind the lens, her trademark airy, light-filled style and masterful camera angles make her work easily recognizable. She uses her love for all things design related as inspiration for her work. The Fresno Bee named Ellie Best Photographer for the People’s Choice Awards in 2018 and 2019.