Cynthia Ferguson Designs

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The blog of Toronto design firm Cynthia Ferguson Designs.

Posts tagged holiday decorating
Find Your Last-Minute Holiday Gifts!

My clients love when I curate their accessories and decor, finding just the right piece for every room in their homes. In fact, a good part of my job is spent shopping, which I love! And now you can find some of my best finds on my own online shop here!

Cynthia Ferguson Designs

Cynthia Ferguson Designs

Opened just a few weeks ago, the shop includes accessories, pillows, tabletop, and of course fabulous holiday decor! One of the most popular things on the shop has been a collection of felted animals and figures - I love them so much that I wanted everyone to be able to have one (or more!).

A felted reindeer from Cynthia Ferguson Designs

A felted reindeer from Cynthia Ferguson Designs

I’m especially fond of the little gnomes with their overgrown beards and huge hats! They make great last-minute gifts and stocking stuffers!

Scandinavian Large Gnome from Cynthia Ferguson Designs

Scandinavian Large Gnome from Cynthia Ferguson Designs

I’m also asked all the time for recommendations on great home decor - so of course I included my favorite pillows, chambray table linens, and glass hurricanes.

Cut Velvet Striped Pillow from Cynthia Ferguson Designs

Cut Velvet Striped Pillow from Cynthia Ferguson Designs

The shop is curated to showcase my love of colour, collections, and whimsy! Drop in to finish up your holiday shopping, and let me know which items are your faves!

Until next time,

-Cynthia

4 Tips for Setting Your Holiday Table

I absolutely love having family and friends visit during the holidays! Planning those dinner parties and get-togethers are half the fun for me, but I know some people find it to be stressful. The key is to not try to make everything perfect, but to enjoy every moment! So I’ve put together 4 of my best tips to set a stress-free - and gorgeous! - holiday table:

Cynthia Ferguson Designs

Cynthia Ferguson Designs

Mix high and low

I like to use three categories of items on my tables: current, vintage, and precious. Current could be something you picked up at a store that isn’t necessarily expensive, but you love it! Vintage could be china you inherited from your grandmother, or a great piece of silver you found at an antique store. And precious - well that’s something that holds more sentimental value than monetary value. Then it’s all layered on the table; it makes the look approachable, but still special!!

Cynthia Ferguson Designs

Cynthia Ferguson Designs

Fresh flowers

Always have fresh flowers or greenery on the table. It could be a bouquet professionally done, or a bunch of seasonal flowers from your local market, or even fresh-cut greenery. If budget is tight, spread the bunch of flowers out by using single bud vases lined down the middle of the table for greater visual impact!

Cynthia Ferguson Designs

Cynthia Ferguson Designs

Make it personal

If it’s a family gathering, use some vintage pieces passed down to you. If it’s a bunch of friends gathering, make simple place cards, tie ribbon to the back of each chair, and thread the place card through the ribbon

One of my own collections!

One of my own collections!

Use your collections

There is nothing better than a collection. Maybe it’s a collection of salt and pepper shakers. Maybe a collection of monogrammed napkin. Perhaps a collection of mini nutcrackers. Use your collections to make your table about you and your personality. People are gathering around your table because they want to spend time with you. Show them a little about you through your collections. Don’t have a collection? Start on by searching on Etsy or going to your local thrift store. Start with what speaks to you and go from there!

Use these tips to create new memories this holiday season - and remember to have FUN!!

Until next time,

-Cynthia

How to Artfully Display Your Collections

Collections are a part of our family history. They are a part of our history as a society. I love to collect vintage pressed, for example! I also have a lot of clients who have gathered collections, but they’re often at a loss for how to show them off in their homes. So here are some tips you can use to artfully display what you love:

First, don’t hide them! There’s nothing worse than seeing a group of favorite things hiding in the back of a cupboard or a closet, just because you didn’t know what to do with them. Collections help show your personality - so bring them out front-and-center, like these sweet owls in a Nantucket store window! I love how some are facing in and those near the window are looking out!

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Second, see if you can create a pattern with your collections. That makes it easier to display them on a wall or table, like the gorgeous pottery group I saw on a wall in Sarah Bartholomew’s Nashville design store! This is a great way to showcase a collection of plates, bowls, baskets, hats, and so many other cool things!

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Third, whenever possible, group similar things together for greater impact. I like to put my collections of pressed glass in small groups by colour or shape - it looks more organized and artful!

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Finally, the holidays are the perfect time to pull out your collections - they’re full of memories and nostalgia, which we all love this time of year. These little knitted guys always make me smile!

No matter what you collect, use these tips to create vignettes that will tell a story in your home of who you are!

Until next time,

-Cynthia