Featured Homes
Tradition Takes a Holiday
The best Christmas of all is the presence of a happy family all wrapped up with one another.
BY
J. Elinor Lerch
PHOTOGRAPHY
Michael Jacob


Admire the art and the thoughtfully framed photographs, then visit with the warm and animated lady of the house, and you’ll quickly sense the rich traditions present in this family home. Homeowners Julie and Scott Engelbrecht moved in with much excitement earlier this year and brought many cherished holiday customs to their new space. Daughters Caroline, 9, and Sarah, “almost 13,” have growing collections of Madame Alexander ornaments and Reed & Barton bells, a tradition born just after they were. Julie and Scott host an annual open house for friends from Mason Ridge School and the Missouri Athletic Club, followed later in the season by a gift-exchange party, and then a cookie-baking gathering for crafting “monster cookies” – a tradition from Julie’s childhood. Oh, and don’t forget the holiday sleepovers that include matching jammies for everyone. You’ll find an abundance of friends, family and holiday traditions at the Engelbrecht home.

What you won’t find is a single piece of standard red-and-green Christmas décor. The custom holiday decorations, expertly crafted with exquisite detail by the design team at MKS Designs, deliver festive elegance in silver, chartreuse, lime, lemon and grey. Even the occasional traditional element is given a fresh perspective – the amaryllis in the dual topiaries is an unexpected terra-cotta/crimson; the solitary wooden reindeer is accented with pheasant feathers and French silk ribbon.

The celebration begins in the foyer, where a pair of John Richards lamps illuminate a dozen silver trees shimmering at the base of the turned staircase. Just above, the banister is resplendent in a winter cloak of plush greenery, golden eucalyptus, magnolia leaves and gold-tipped tulips.  On the landing, a magnolia wreath echoes the colors and textures of the banister wrap.

Whether it’s hearty potato latkes or Grandma’s stuffing on the menu, food is an essential part of any holiday gathering. But at the Engelbrecht holiday table, the star of the show is the sumptuous botanical centerpiece woven with silk ribbons in sophisticated hues, presented in a large urn and flanked by small trees. Delicate china cups display sparkling silver pomegranates, and on the dining room wall, nine silver holly wreaths add texture and depth. The wreath arrangement is so perfectly in tune with the room’s décor that Julie decided to display it year-round. 

Mary Stieven, an Allied Member of ASID and the owner of MKS Designs, encourages this extended use of holiday decorations, saying, “Think beyond standard holiday decorations that spend most of the year in the basement. Custom wreaths and centerpieces, designed specifically for your home and your family, can be used throughout the winter season, or modified slightly for celebrations throughout the year.” 

The effectiveness of this year-round concept is subtly demonstrated by the display of Gary R. Lucy prints in the master bedroom. The Family Event series features 19th-century Christmas scenes by the Missouri-born artist whose work is reminiscent of Thomas Hart Benton. “The New Christmas Sled” hangs just above the broken-pediment headboard, its holiday theme in restful harmony with the chocolate and glacier-blue quilt and monogrammed shams. The fresh colors are repeated in another sumptuous garland from MKS Designs, crafted from blue poinsettias and gold thistle, and gathered in a bow of silk and velvet ribbon. On the hearth, two garden porcelain spheres from Williams-Sonoma Home complete the tableau.

The design team from Williams-Sonoma Home was also the creative force behind the “orange room,” Julie’s name for the expansive solarium. At once serene and invigorating, the solarium draws its color scheme from the imposing Gauguin mosaic installed by the home’s previous owner. Design consultant Chris Panzer commented, “We pulled orange from the mosaic because Julie loved the color and because orange was an important color in the summer collection.” In addition to its commanding presence on the two silk chairs, orange appears unexpectedly on the leather serving tray and croc-embossed leather clock. The citrus hue is the ideal foil for the natural background provided by the triple-play of window walls. Chris and design consultant Laura Treiber added a medley of textures – including horsehair, quilted cashmere and woven rattan – to sleek modern seating pieces, creating a sublime pastiche. 

Decorative trees are scattered throughout the first floor, including the sun-filled breakfast room gallery, but even this most traditional Christmas decoration appears with an un-traditional twist in the formal living room. There, presiding over silk-upholstered Ava chairs illuminated by a porcelain urn lamp, is a spectacular tree with botanicals in brilliant shades of crimson, gold and chartreuse. The adjacent fireplace carries the colors and textures across the mantel with a custom garland that repeats the tree’s design. A mirrored silver chest adds ‘40s glam.

An original and dramatic color palette for the first Christmas in their new home – sounds like a new tradition has begun, along with the annual challenge of finding matching silver and chartreuse PJs for the Christmas sleepover.