Their front steps overflow with eye-catching autumn color, and the inside of their home is just as lavishly decorated. I’m excited to present our first holiday home tour: the townhouse of Dorothy and Duke West of Whisperwood Cluster in Reston. We look forward to seeing how Restonians decorate for Halloween, Christmas, and other seasonal celebrations. First up is fall splendor!
Dorothy and Duke have decorated their home with thoughtful layers of fall colors and textures. As I spoke with them, I was surprised to discover how affordable most of their decorations are. It all looked too grand to be inexpensive! It turns out that their look is something that most of us could replicate, even on a budget. Read on to learn more about this creative couple and be inspired by their ideas.
Dorothy and Duke moved to Reston from Florida two years ago. Duke serves in the Navy and was stationed here after a few years in Jacksonville. Dorothy is a classical musician who worked for a magazine in Ocala, Florida.
After many years of life in the south and Navy deployment abroad, they were delighted to see Virginia’s vivid autumn colors. Dorothy fondly recalls her family’s fall decorations during her childhood up north, and she was eager to create her own versions here in their Reston home.
Their decorations are so lush that I had assumed that they’d spent a fortune. I was shocked to discover that everything came from affordable places like TJ Maxx and large discount stores. They bought much of their decorations at the South Lakes Safeway!
“I didn’t want to spend a lot,” Dorothy commented. “There’s no need to buy $18 candles if you look around.” Duke agreed that they wanted to stick to a budget, and was pleased to have kept their costs low. He was particularly happy with the quality of the inexpensive flowers they’d bought at Lowes.
They also saved money on flowers by reusing the brightly colored pots that they keep for springtime displays. They concealed the spring colors with burlap and ribbon.
Outdoor lights are decorated with arrangements of pumpkins, leaves, and dried corn.
Inside their house, the dining table is set with colorful dishes, fresh flowers, candles, and ceramic figurines.
On the staircase, they’ve displayed candles in large hurricane glasses filled with layers of dried beans. A bowl lined with burlap is filled with small pumpkins.
The focal point of their living room is the fireplace, which is covered in layers of pumpkins, leaves, and candles. Two vases are filled with dried wheat, and accented with sparkling lights. The lights were also bought at Safeway! Who knew you could buy such fun things at the grocery store? With a little imagination, they saw beyond the obvious and created something beautiful.
Dorothy and Duke, thank you for showing us how to turn affordable items into cozy autumn magic!
Do you know of a Reston house that would be a great choice for a holiday home tour? Please let us know! Contact us with your ideas at [email protected].
