It's no accident that the foods signaling a traditional Thanksgiving are such late autumn staples as pumpkin, apples, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, turnips and cranberries. Root vegetables and all kinds of squash – from acorn to butternut – are found on the menus of diverse restaurants around the country but are especially prominent in those restaurants where the produce is locally sourced and follows each season’s bounty.   

First-time visitors to designer Kris Keller’s home are often surprised. Perhaps they expect something classically elegant or ultra-lavish. Or an array of today’s latest design trends. Instead, guests find a living environment that’s as warm and personable as its owner, especially when decorated for the holiday season.  

The art of decorating your home for the holidays may now be just another item on your to-do list. But beyond your indoor décor and outdoor lights, don’t forget about your front porch. A festive display draws in guests and sets the tone for the merriment that is about to come. St. Louis Homes & Lifestyles asked three local design shops to put their seasonal spin on a classic Clayton exterior recently rehabbed by Period Restoration. The expert elves from Mary Tuttle’s, Rusted Chandelier and The Jeweled Cottage had just 30 minutes to sprinkle their tinsel, ribbons and garland.

When Kevin and Keely Travers put the finishing touches to the construction of their house at Bellerive Country Club in July 2016, the traditional red and green of Christmas couldn’t have been farther from their minds. It wasn’t until months later that the fresh color palette put the brakes on the family’s first spate of holiday decorating in the new home.