My Houzz: Sparkly Christmas Touches in a Midcentury Texas Home
Shiny trees, merry elf figurines and a jewel-tone palette mix in this updated 1958 family home in Austin
Subtle holiday accents, including modern metallic tabletop trees, are sprinkled around the entry.
When Tharp and Knowlton moved in, they had all the windows replaced, including these floor-to-ceiling picture windows that flank the wood double front door.
When Tharp and Knowlton moved in, they had all the windows replaced, including these floor-to-ceiling picture windows that flank the wood double front door.
The brightly decorated tree plays off the teal-painted accent wall and pink rug in this space. One of the family’s border collies, Jewel, who also goes by Kramer,takes in the holiday vibes.
Vibrant art, plants and sculptures greet guests in the entry, where shiny mini ornaments hang from the antlers of a brass figurine.
This entry vignette — metallic tabletop trees and a traditional nutcracker atop a console — helps welcome guests into the home.
The furniture in the main living room was rearranged to accommodate a showstopping 9-foot-tall live tree that Tharp selected. His parents owned a Christmas tree farm in Missouri, so he grew up around live trees.
The back wall of this living room also features floor-to-ceiling windows. In the evenings, the lighted tree is set against the family’s view of their backyard pool and the Austin skyline.
The back wall of this living room also features floor-to-ceiling windows. In the evenings, the lighted tree is set against the family’s view of their backyard pool and the Austin skyline.
The dense tree was decorated in layers, starting with almost 1,000 colored string lights and more than 2,000 white string lights. Red, white and green ornaments were then added, and cherished family ornaments, including some made by Tharp and Knowlton as children, are peppered throughout the branches.
“I love quirky vintage themes, and elves are a vintage classic that remind me of my grandmother’s Christmas decor, well before Elf on a Shelf,” Knowlton says. Elf figurines are sprinkled throughout the living room in fun and unexpected spots.
An elf adds another 2 feet and a kitschy touch to the top of the tree.
Tinsel garland runs the length of this accent wall, where several elves are seated.
In years past, the Christmas tree was displayed in this corner where the lounge chair covered in Jack Lenor Larsen velvet is now.
In years past, the Christmas tree was displayed in this corner where the lounge chair covered in Jack Lenor Larsen velvet is now.
The homeowners give a number of parties during the holiday season, including a white elephant gift exchange. Someone may perhaps receive an elf this year.
Vintage and new elves are hiding around the room — on furniture and hanging from places like the lamps.
The kitchen’s linoleum floor is a vibrant purple, white and green pattern, which is echoed in this whimsical purple artificial tree in a nearby seating area.
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
Who lives here: Duane Tharp and Lori Knowlton; their daughter Amanda, 11; and their two border collies, 13-year-old Moka and 2-year-old Jewel (also known as Kramer)
Location: Highland Park neighborhood of Austin, Texas
Size: 4,000 square feet (372 square meters); four bedrooms, 3½ baths
Year built: 1958
Duane Tharp and Lori Knowlton moved into their remodeled midcentury house in Austin in 2011. A few years later, the couple hired local interior designer Erin Williamson to add her signature eclectic vintage style to their main interior spaces.
The couple will be hosting their extended family for the holidays this year and added cheery decor in each space, such as this gold artificial tree accented in jewel-tone ornaments in the front living room, near the home’s entry. Behind the sofa are two smaller silver trees, also decorated with brightly colored ornaments.