Happy Holidays 2024!

As we wrap up 2024, I send warm holiday greetings to all my clients present and past, followers, and regular readers.

And Happy Winter Solstice--the shortest day and longest night of the year--which takes place this Saturday, December 21st!

Happy designing and Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays 2023!

As we wrap up 2023, I send warm Holiday Greetings to all my clients present and past, followers, and regular readers.

And Happy Winter Solstice--the shortest day and longest night of the year--which takes place this Thursday, December 21 at 7:27 PM!

Holiday décor in the Cotswolds cottage of Luke Edward Hall & Duncan Campbell
Photo by Mark Fox

Happy designing, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, and I hope to see you in 2024!

Happy Solstice and Happy Holidays 2022!

As we wrap up 2022, I send warm Holiday Greetings to all my clients present and past, followers, and regular readers. And Happy Winter Solstice which takes place this Wednesday, December 21 at 1:47 PM.

Happy designing, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, and I hope to see you in 2023!

Happy Holidays and Happy Solstice 2021: A Celebration of Wreaths!

As we wrap up 2021, I send warm Holiday Greetings to all my clients present and past, followers, and regular readers. And Happy Winter Solstice which takes place next Tuesday, December 21 at 7:58 AM.

Let's celebrate with a selection of lovely Holiday wreaths!

Happy Holidays!

Happy Winter Solstice and Happy Holidays 2020!

This year, 2020, the Winter Solstice--the shortest day and longest night of the year--for the northern hemisphere will happen next Monday, December 21st. I am wishing everyone a Happy Winter Solstice and a beautiful and joyous Holiday Season! See you all in 2021.

Happy Winter Solstice and Happy Holidays 2019!

This year, 2019, the Winter Solstice--the shortest day and longest night of the year--for the northern hemisphere happened this Saturday, December 21st. I am wishing everyone a Happy Winter Solstice and a beautiful and joyous Holiday Season!

Holiday Inspiration 2018

If you haven't decked your halls yet, there is still time! Here are some inspirational images to motivate you to bring the season into your home.

Happy designing and Happy Holidays!

Fiorito Interior Design Press Update, January 2017

I'd like to thank the wonderful resource website Houzz for featuring my work in their article "Celebrate! And 5 More Ways to Make the Most of This Weekend" about ways to observe and honor the New Year. Tonight is the last night of Kwanzaa and Houzz writer Laura Gaskill chose to feature a photo from my African Holiday Tree I created for Homes For The Holidays!

Happy designing and Happy New Year!

Happy Winter Solstice and Happy Holidays 2017!

This year, the Winter Solstice happens on Thursday, December 21st. I am wishing everyone a Happy Winter Solstice and a beautiful and joyous Holiday Season!

Happy designing and I will see you next year!

Happy Winter Solstice and Happy Holidays 2016!

This year, the Winter Solstice for the northern hemisphere happens this Wednesday, December 21st. I am wishing everyone a Happy Winter Solstice and a beautiful and joyous Holiday Season!

Happy Holidays and Happy Winter Solstice 2015!

I am wishing everyone a Happy Winter Solstice which is tomorrow, and a beautiful and joyous Holiday Season!

Holiday interior designed by Bronson van Wyck

I'll be back to regular posts after the holidays. See you all in 2016, and until then, Happy Designing!

Happy Winter Solstice and Happy Holidays 2014!

Yesterday was the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year. Wishing everyone all the joys of the season.

Happy Holidays!

Cabin Style in the Adirondacks

Style author Amanda Brooks' winter family home in the Adirondacks was designed by her mother, Elizabeth Stewart. Come this time of year, it is decorated as a rustic winter paradise! This is great example of a type of site specific design that works well in a particular setting, and all the elements here are absolutely perfect to ride out a snow storm in glorious style: rustic stone and wood, a smattering of Native American textiles, a few traditional antique pieces mixed in, and pine boughs...all elements that you can bring into your own home for a touch of classic holiday style.


It all reminds me of a lovely Christmas I once spent at the iconic Ahwahnee Lodge in Yosemite National Park. It's gorgeous...



Happy designing and Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays 2013!

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season.

Holiday Tableaux...in Winter White

I have said it before: I love creating tableaux, and winter seems to be a time that truly welcomes embellishment and decoration. One way to make an impact with winter decor is to choose a color palette, and what says winter better than snowy white.

Some silver heirloom ornaments in a glass compote along with white lights and candles...

...or a small white tree in a small white iron urn with white table accessories...

...and even simple cardboard glittered snowflakes and stars in white and silver can look festive.

Capture winter with silver-y plants, and white and silver objects. The white tipped twigs are an excellent idea as it brings in natural texture, contrasting nicely with the smooth mercury glass votive candle holders.

These large-scaled deer in white make quite a statement in this white room.

Winter tableaux can be simple: these bare branches with a few silver balls, vintage deer and Santa, and Mason jars holding more glass balls make quite a charming collection.

White and silver look fantastic with chilly, ice-y blue.

The rustic background make these small white deer stand out even more.

What could be more winter-y white than a white Gustavian-syled room?

And I have seen a rather clever idea in a few places recently where marshmallows are used on filament to create the look of falling snow. I did the same once with cotton balls...

Chances are you have some white objects in your home already that can be paired with white or silver holiday decorations. Look for glass containers or trays to hold ornaments or natural elements. And remember my four tips for a better tableau here!

Happy holidays and happy designing!

Why Not Try A Theme Tree For The Holidays?

I love winter and the tradition of the decorated and lighted tree. When I was a little boy, it always felt so connected to the time of the year, the elements, the snow, and darkness. Even then, I sensed the pagan roots of this tradition and now that I am an adult, I love it even more.

Descended from the Roman festival of Saturnalia, and from Pagans and Druids from all over Europe, the tree is an expression of the season: deciduous trees, plants, flowers and crops die off (or go dormant) while the pine remains magically alive, the only thing that stays green in the natural world ("sempervirent" = evergreen). It only makes sense to honor the earth, the season, and the fir itself by bringing it inside to decorate and celebrate. This is the time of the Winter Solstice, short grey days and long dark nights, where twinkling stars are visible for so much longer. As an homage to the winter sky, lights are put on the tree, again echoing the natural world. It’s also reminiscent of the bonfires many different pagan cultures lit around the countryside to ward off the darkness and chill; lights on the tree bring some light and warmth to this lifeless time of year, and speak to a time when the days will eventually grow longer, the planet will again tilt, and summer will return.

Although a traditional holiday tree is a wonderful, comforting sight (I have spent many holidays replicating the magical, colorful trees from my childhood), you don't have to be limited by snowmen, reindeer, and poinsettias. I created my first themed holiday tree in 1999 when I threw a holiday party with a 1950s-Space-Age-Bachelor-Pad theme. I found a vintage 50s silver foil tree and color wheel in an antique store and set it up with blue and green lights, and blue and green blown glass balls. It was a huge hit with all my guests and I have done a themed tree every year since.

In 2010, I was invited to participate in a Holiday Designer Showhouse here in Northern California, and was asked to create an African holiday tree. I was up for the challenge and had a fantastic time collecting all the decorations and objects that would adorn the tree and tell a clear, identifiable African story.

The following is my concept statement for the tree which I had printed on handouts at the Showhouse:

"The open grasslands known as 'savanna' and the indigenous cultures of Africa were the inspiration for this themed holiday tree. Soft yellow lights give the tree a warm glow reminiscent of the golden grasses of—and the sun over—these vast plains. On the tree you see traditional beaded gourds from Kenya, which can also be used as percussion instruments. Carved wooden African animals mingle together as they do on the veldt. Colorfully beaded leather amulets adorned with cowrie shells from West Africa pepper the tree; cowrie shells are used for divination by the Yoruban people of West Africa and have also been used as currency for centuries. Blown glass balls in bronze and copper speak to the origin of African metalworking over four thousand years ago. A carved wooden figure of the deity Akuaba from Ghana tops the tree. This style of Akuaba originates from the Ashanti people and is used as both a fertility symbol and general good luck. The tree skirt is made from genuine hand-woven and hand-dyed mud cloth, or bogolanfini, from Mali. The name mud cloth comes from the iron-rich earthen pigments used to dye the classic geometric designs. Packages wrapped in African designs and tied with bows of raffia and cowrie shells wait to be opened under the tree."

If you are looking for something fun and different this year for the holidays, why not try a themed holiday tree? I have created trees based on cultures (Japanese, Native American, Bollywood), food (cookies, candy, fruit), nature (the night sky, oceans), and time periods (Art Deco, Renaissance). You can be inspired by anything--let your imagination roam!

Happy designing and Happy Holidays!