Historical Homes
While some homes now have lights controlled by iPhones and presents may be delivered by drone in the not so distant future, there are still places where Christmas is an old-fashioned affair. In the new book Christmas at America’s Landmark Houses (Schiffer Publishing, $45), designer Patricia Hart McMillan and architect David Strahan explore how historic homes across the country celebrate the holidays. Here, the dining room of Filoli, a country estate in Woodside, California, is decorated in green and white.
A grand staircase at Filoli is transformed into a snowy scene.
Photo: Courtesy of Schiffer Publishing
Lavishly decorated trees are a tradition at Filoli and are placed throughout the house.
The dining room at Filoli is set with a festive buffet of holiday treats
Photo by Bruce Bennett
Greenery, lights, and ribbon add holiday spirit to the north façade of Bayou Bend Collections and Gardens in Houston.
Photo by Bruce Bennett
The 12-foot-tall Christmas tree in Bayou Bend’s Philadelphia Hall takes ten hours and 28 docents to decorate.
Photo by Bruce Bennett
Bayou Bend’s Belter Parlor is decorated for a Victorian Christmas. The tree features homemade ornaments and gifts from the era.
Greenery enhances the mantel in the drawing room of the Woodrow Wilson House in Washington, D.C.
Photo: Courtesy of Cairnwood Estates
The exterior of Cairnwood Estate, a Carrère & Hastings–designed mansion in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania.
