If you read Amy’s Friday post and have been following us on Facebook and Instagram this week, then you know that Amy and I were able to enjoy a quick getaway to the Biltmore in Asheville, NC. We’ve been privileged to work with the folks at Balsam Hill for several years now (see two of our previous projects with them HERE and HERE) and we were excited to help them launch their new Balsam Hill Biltmore Collection. Plus, it’s always fun when we have a chance to be together!
| The tree in the music room; decorated with the Balsam Hill Biltmore collection |
Our afternoon on Monday began with a tour of Biltmore house, where head designer Lizzie and her staff were already in full Christmas decorating mode. Given that they like to have all of their Christmas decorations completed by November 1st for holiday visitors, it’s no surprise that they have to start early.
The house itself is, of course, absolutely remarkable, but you can find images of it online anywhere. Today I wanted to share some of the photos I took because I was focused more on the decorating process.
While they bring a lot of things in after the house is closed to tourists, there’s no way to do it completely behind the scenes, so decorators are working behind the ropes throughout the day. Check out all the goodies they have to work with:
Lizzie told us that while they keep lots of decorating items in the house, of course they also have storage locations off site because they have SO much stuff.
Another interesting fact that she shared was that the contents of the house are worth more than the house itself. After touring and seeing some of the beautiful antiques and one of a kind tapestries, I can well believe it.
Here are few shots of their Christmas decor:
I also snapped a photo of one of their decorating closets; don’t we all need one of these?
Lizzie said that she has a decorating schedule for her team that is planned out to the hour; every year they have a different theme for the season (this year it’s “the art of Christmas”) and each designer concentrates on one or two rooms. She also talked to us a little bit about how they have to work around the priceless pieces in the home. Of course, they can’t just plunk a pot with orchids in it on an antique table, they have to have layers upon layers of protection in place to ensure against leaks or scratches. I honestly found it all fascinating!
Most of the fun was just being together with Amy.
We were on our own for the evening at the beautiful Inn on Biltmore Estate™ which was no hardship. We had drinks and dinner in their library lounge with beautiful views of the Blue Ridge mountains all around us. Since we went to undergrad at James Madison, right in the Shenandoah Valley, it felt like home.
| Tunic | Jeans | Belt | Shoes |
The next morning, we gathered in one of the Inn’s conference rooms to put our trees together. Courtney from French Country Cottage, Robin from All Things Heart and Home, and Shelby from Pretty in the Pines were also part of the project. We were each given a prelit 6′ tree from the Balsam Hill Biltmore line, along with ornaments, ribbon, and picks. The Inn has nine guest suites and a guest cottage and our finished trees are going into the suites as part of the Inn’s holiday decor.
|Left to right: Lizzie (Biltmore), Amy, me, Robin, Courtney, Shelby, Lydia (Biltmore) |
We started out with boxes and boxes of decorations; it was fun to open them up and see what each of us was given to work with.
We’ve used Balsam Hill trees for years and they are so fast and easy to assemble.
The ribbon that’s part of the collection is absolutely elegant.
Our color scheme was white and gold; some of the other trees had touches of red.
While the conference room that we were decorating in was windowless, we were able to move our completed trees out to the hallway for some natural light–it makes such a huge difference when taking photos!
You can see all the pieces of the Balsam Hill Biltmore Collection here. And if you’re near Asheville, then I highly recommend a visit to Biltmore over the holidays to see their stunning decorations!
In other news, we just put our Nashville house on the market. We’ve had wonderful tenants for the five years since we moved away, but we know we won’t live there again and it’s time to let another family enjoy it. If you know someone who’s looking for a great house with the best neighbors in Nashville, then please feel free to share {listing details here}.
Thanks for stopping by~
What an experience you had! I so love the Biltmore at Christmas and we try to visit each year and my favorite is visiting at night seeing those glorious trees all lit at night with the carolers in the background singing angelic songs of Christmas….oh my Favorite time of the year….been playing the hallmark Christmas movies DVR’d from last year to get me in the mood to start decorating my trees…Since we are in a rental this year (and it is rather large) I thought that I would pare down…however, it is not me as I love Christmas and trees. Glad to see you sweet ladies have a grand time!
I cannot wait to see how you decorate your rental this year, Shirley, but I have no doubt that it will be as beautiful as always. It’s my favorite time of the year, too, and the Biltmore is truly magical at Christmastime. I hope you’re having a wonderful fall thus far–remember, it was just a few years ago that we had our fun day together at the (somewhat disappointing) home tour here in Pinehurst? I miss you!
XO
Christy
Beautiful ladies. So nice of you to share the beauty of what you do‼️
Thanks so much, Suzanne! It was a treat to get to be together on this trip for sure.
Take care,
Christy