Post And Beam Decorating Ideas

This time of year is so much fun because I love to decorate. I particularly like to make something look spectacular without breaking the bank, and this year was no exception. As a matter of fact, we decided to try the "decorating on a shoe string" approach to see what we might produce. What follows are the pictures. Let us know how you feel we did and, as always, please send us your post and beam home ideas!

This is my combination entry as the table is ready for Thanksgiving while the side board and chandelier have moved on to the December holidays.

One of my favorite haunts during the holidays is T.J. Maxx. Scoff if you must, but hey, you can find some pretty cool stuff if you poke around long enough. We challenged ourselves this year to forgo any item over $20.00. The side board and chandelier decorations are both from T.J. Maxx and we met our challenge with money to spare!

The piece on the side board actually had three candle holders when we bought it. When I first saw it in my assistant's hands, I thought he'd lost his mind! We took off two of the candle holders and added the gold deer. It's now one of my favorite decorations.

The giant onion-shaped silver ornament hanging from the chandelier was less than $13.00!

The kitchen always presents a decorating challenge as I want everything to look tasteful but I do not need any of them getting in the way of daily kitchen activities.

Over the sink we went with the simple yet effective concept of silver glitter stars and a faux-pine wreath from Pottery Barn. Okay, so the wreath was over $20.00 (by $9.00) but we made the exception this once.

Close up of the star…

…and the wreath.

For an alcove at the top of the stairs we went with mercury glass and glass beads. Combined with the rustic look of the table and the rust finish of the mirror, we think it looks pretty great.

Here's where I admit I already owned all the decorations in this shot. But I hadn't seen the wreath or glass bead garland since two homes ago, so it was like having something brand new!

In the great room, the challenge was to create a few areas of "holiday cheer" without going over board. In a room where the focal points are the beautiful timbers, a vaulted ceiling and a magnificent fireplace, the key is to accentuate, not dominate.

The granite fireplace is already a showstopper so we added faux greens and a few glittery things we found within our $20 maximum.

The thing I love most about this mantle decoration is the metal laurel wreath. We found it in my mother's garage this past fall while cleaning. A little gold and silver leaf paint later, it now takes center stage in a spectacular great room.

Lastly, we took an older, rather beaten-up fake tree, set it on a low table, covered it in white lights, inexpensive silver glass balls and crocheted white snowflakes. We think it's pretty special!