One of the highlights of the holiday season in our household is that it brings my Ohio-based siblings home! This year for Thanksgiving, little brother Jonathan stayed in Europe (don't you feel so bad for him?), but Emily was home for ten whole days! It was so awesome to get to spend time with her.
The weekend before Thanksgiving, my mom, Em and I had so much great girls' time...we got our nails done at A La Mode, had brunch and shopped the Edina Galleria, and paid a visit to the Bachman's Holiday Ideas House! Every year, the Lyndale Bachman's decorates a darling old house on their property for the season from top to bottom, and the results never fail to amaze me. They make intentionally out-of-the-box choices in everything they do, repurposing vintage or antique items and using standard household goods in totally different ways. This year I took approximately one million pictures because I was so inspired!
The front porch: I loved the red lanterns in greenery, the birch-wood outdoor "ornament tree," the use of paper and raffia decorations to create a mock chandelier, and the beautiful greenery and ornaments draping the front window:
The living room's mantel was stunning. Tons of candlelight, greenery, and bright pops of red poinsettias. I loved the "PEACE" sign above it as well! The fireplace was filled with pillar candles of various heights and looked so cozy and pretty.
In the dining room, the Bachman's team repurposed an old U of M chalkboard to create a festive and fun menu board (I love the Christmas countdown too!). Poinsettias decked the top of the window bench, the table settings were rich with plaid and pinecones, and that chandelier...decorated to the nines! I would never have thought to dress up a chandelier, honestly...
This grouping of cute vintage signage dressed up the kitchen...
...and these gorgeous clusters of frames and mirrors set off the staircase so prettily. I'm still collecting pieces for a gallery wall in my own apartment, but would never have thought to frame textiles and use mirrors to bring in some depth! I also love the lanterns and greenery hanging in the window...I'd love to try something like that at home.
Upstairs, this little girl's themed room made my heart beat a little faster. The headboard of her bed is a vintage mantel, and the use of bright ornaments in lieu of drapery is so unexpected! They also used a vintage suitcase to showcase a holiday village.
A guest bedroom featured a punny play on words, a blinged-out light fixture, and a greenery arrangement that I thought about trying to mimic for my coffee table...I also liked their use of hanging frames and clipped mats to create a more temporary gallery-type photo display.
How hilarious would an antler toilet paper holder be at a cabin or lake home? Talk about adding whimsy to a bathroom. I liked that trifecta of copper pots on top of the toilet so much that I bought one for myself...and a baby Frasier fir to fill one of them, too!
The master bedroom featured pretty burlap curtain ties with more greens and jingle bells, and the coziest, cutest reading "tray" made from a vintage screen! I certainly wouldn't turn down an afternoon of coffee and books with that by my side.
The hands-down most innovative room, though, had to be the game room. Check these details out! A lampshade made of playing cards, a chalkboard-topped table for easy score-keeping, and vintage gameboards as wall decor? So cute!
This wall sign was my absolute favorite in that room. I'm a Scrabble FIEND, and rarely lose. Em thinks these would be a really easy DIY, and I'm so tempted to give it a shot for my place--it couldn't be a more perfect fit for me!
We had such a great time going over the house and admiring all the little details...it totally got me in the mood to decorate and kick off the holiday season in style!