Southern Living Southern Living Christmas at Home 2022

MIX MASTER MERRY Mocktail Austin bar owner Chris Marshall holds the booze on these seasonal sippers Berry Juniper Fizz ACTIVE 5 MIN. - TOTAL 5 MIN. SERVES 1 ¼ cup refrigerated pomegranate juice2 Tbsp. Juniper Syrup (recipe follows)1 Tbsp. fresh orange juice (from 1 orange)2 Tbsp. (1 oz.) nonalcoholic gin alternative (such as Ritual Zero Proof), optionalIce¼ cup (2 oz.) chilled nonalcoholic cranberry-flavored sparkling beverage1 (4- x 1-inch) orange peel stripFresh cranberries Combine pomegranate juice, Juniper Syrup, orange juice, and (if using) nonalcoholic gin alternative in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until cold and frothy, about 30 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass; top with cranberry-flavored sparkling beverage. Garnish with orange peel strip and cranberries. JUNIPER SYRUP ACTIVE 5 MIN. - TOTAL 35 MIN. MAKES 1½ CUPS Bring 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water to a…

BY PATRICIA SHANNON; PRODUCED BY KATHLEEN VARNER; PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROBBIE CAPONETTO…

When John Loecke (left) and Jason Oliver Nixon (right) decorate for the holidays, they become instant storytellers. The duo behind the home decor brand Madcap Cottage, which embodies their penchant for prints and patterns, hones their 10-plus years of interior design experience to create a memory-making season, from beginning to end. “It’s all about the unexpected,” explains Nixon. “Our cottage speaks to everyone. It evokes a spirit of adventure—and brings that back home.” To allow each Christmas tree in your house to look as splendid as the next, Loecke suggests that you “make it feel special and tell a story.” Here, they invite us into their home and share four of their brightest ideas for trimming the tree. BY PAMELA BRILL; PRODUCED BY JOHN LOECKE AND JASON OLIVER NIXON; PHOTOGRAPHS BY…

Every holiday season, a particular 1808 Federal row house in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, comes alive. Homeowner Brian Branton is a lobbyist in Washington, D.C., when he’s not conducting an invisible team of decorating elves in his basement. “I grew up in a historic house in North Carolina. Tradition for me is all about family, and I spend the holidays with them,” Branton says. “It’s a very special time. I’ve always decorated for Christmas, even when I was living in student housing at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.” To say Branton goes all out is an understatement. He does everything from drying his own glassy citrus ornaments to stringing up garlands of patinaed cards from years past. For him, decking the halls is pure joy. “There is no right or…

Caroline Harper Knapp felt like last year’s holiday season couldn’t come soon enough. After the whirlwind of 2020—which included welcoming her third baby while juggling the demands of a new house with delayed renovations—finally settling into her family’s Houston dream home in late summer felt like an early Christmas gift. “It was a long process, but we were able to turn it into exactly what we wanted,” she says. When the Knapps found the well-loved ranch house on a large lot in their neighborhood, it wasn’t exactly a head turner. “It had spent more than 80 days on the market,” she recalls. “I think people were intimidated by the size of the project.” But Knapp, who helms the lifestyle-and-design blog House of Harper (houseofharper.com), saw promise in its one-story, U-shaped layout;…

Center of Attention For a head-turning display (left), give graceful amaryllis time to shine WHAT YOU’LL NEED Florist foam, punch bowl, magnolia leaves, ‘Carolina Sapphire’ cypress, araucaria, nandina berries, three stems of amaryllis, pears, wooden skewers, pomegranates HOW-TO Place presoaked florist foam in the base of a punch bowl. (Each element should be stuck in the foam when added.) Use magnolia leaves, ‘Carolina Sapphire’ cypress, and araucaria to fill bowl with greenery. Add stems of nandina berries and amaryllis. Stick pears on skewers, and group in bundles. Once completed, fill bowl with water so the centerpiece stays hydrated. Then place pears and pomegranates around the bowl for additional color. Modern Moment Pair magnolia’s green, glossy leaves with an organic container for a minimal look WHAT YOU’LL NEED Wooden vessel, glass vase, florist foam or chicken wire,…