By Tracy Nicholson • Photos by J. Alan Paul
In preparation for this year’s Homes for the Holidays tour; Gina Gould of Baker Garden and Gift and 3 Chicks Studio gave us a sneak peek into her eclectic 8th Street home in Fargo and a bit of her upside down holiday design.
A simple glimpse inside her home is really not enough to fully appreciate the unique charm of the existing original detail and modern flair. Greeted with champagne, the longer we stayed, the more we discovered. From the mahogany walls of the library to the original built-in seating and bar in the lower level, everywhere you turn reminds you of an era where quality and out of the box design came together perfectly. Throw in an eclectic mix of family keepsakes and their family’’s pet bunny, appropriately named Bugzy, and you’ve got yourself a home fit for Gina, her husband Eric and their two kids Atticus and Eloise. It’s easy to see that Gina delights in the unusual and strives to preserve the history of this home, as do so many others who share an appreciation of this historic neighborhood.
Out of all three Christmas trees in her modern 1950’s home, one stands out a bit more than the others.
This obvious stand out is a completely different and unexpected take on the traditional holiday decor. At first glance it appears to be suspended from the ceiling, but upon closer inspection we realize it’s very artfully crafted to disguise the stand below. Why the upside down tree? “”Because no one else has one!”” Gina smartly states as we stand in awe of this mind boggling tree that’s a display of Hollywood glam meets ice capade. Whatever it is, we are quite sure we love every over the top detail about it. In Gina’’s words, “”More is more, and more is better!””
The obvious question is, how do you decorate an upside down, nine foot tree? It’s actually quite simple. According to Gina, all you have to do is “start from the top.” We’d say don’t try this daring tree at home, but we realize that it might be too darn tempting.
To avoid mishaps, she suggests placing the tree against a wall, preferably in a corner for more stability. To recreate this look; lace it with warm white lights, then start at the top with white Kuwa branches, glittered dogwood and work your way down with a mix of oversize Tiffany blue mercury glass bulbs and blue starburst. To add texture, use an array of ornaments like angel wings, doves, peacocks and snowflakes, all of which can be found at Baker Garden and Gift. To give this look balance, add in monochromatic floor pieces like reindeer and silver glitter netting.
Distinguished Holiday
This tree is inspired by the 1950’s library in which it’s displayed. Amongst the perfectly weathered books, mahogany walls and the red lacquered magnolia wreath resting from the slate hearth, this tree boasts a worldly and well traveled theme throughout. An eccentric mix of Eiffel Tower, airplanes, vintage suitcases, VW buses and whiskey bottle ornaments help to reinforce the room’s art deco style. To create a fuller look, they’ve accented the tree with berries, dogwood, glitter bamboo and a mix of red and gold glitter netting.
Festive Details
Baker Garden and Gift and 3 Chicks Studio created this modern take on vintage dining for the holidays. This take on mixed metal, which uses accents in white, silver and bronze, is what lends this look a timeless holiday charm.
Vintage Dining
Oversize jester like bulbs, wired spheres, snowflakes and bronze netting make a brilliant backdrop for vintage china.
Organic Approach
The second tree in Gina’s dining area takes a more subtle and organic approach with dyed Kuwa branches, dried artichokes, lotus pods, African knob wood, bell cups and twig spheres. The pine cones and bronze netting pave the way for an elegant and unconventional Zebra pelt skirt.
More of Gina Gould and her team’s work can be seen at Baker Gardens and 3 Chicks design studio and boutique.
2733 University Dr. S, Fargo
www.bakernursery.com
