DECK THE HALLS Achieving the traditional Christmas color palette was easy since her home contains neutral tones. “Years ago, I neutralized our home and went with a lot of neutral couch slipcovers—I don’t really do anything but add color for Christmas,” she explains. The home has neutral rugs, and most walls are neutral as well, except for a light green paint on the kitchen walls. Will she ever try something different for Christmas in terms of color? “Probably not,” she laughs. “I like to keep it classic.” Leslie says she is inspired by the feeling of Christmas more than anything else. “I want it to smell like Christmas everywhere, so I make three trips at least to the flower market.” She starts decorating early with fresh 100-yard strings of evergreen, decking the banister and windows. “I buy fresh wreaths and hang them in every room,” she says. By the end, she says she will have amassed around 28 wreaths, both faux and real. SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE All this décor helps her family and friends catch the spirit of Christmas. “I want to really set the mood at my annual party, so I use a lot of candles throughout the house and a lot of lighting,” she says. “They’re all on timers, so the house just glows and gives an incredible sense of the holidays.” As guests glide from room to room, the Christmas smells of fresh evergreen waft in the air, and soon everyone gravitates to the food. “I do all the cooking—for 200 people!” she laughs, “which I know seems like a lot.” But she wouldn’t have it any other way. “The party is my big thank you gift to everyone.” 90 HOLIDAYdécor | 2022
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