Southern Living - Christmas with Southern Living 2022

We are thrilled to share the magical locations, inspired decorations, and delicious recipes in this years edition with you. After months of planning, cooking, propping, styling, and photographing, it is always exciting to hold the finished book in hand. It took quite a team to make it all happen, and we hope you find inspiration with each turn of the page.

Special thanks to those who opened their doors and allowed us to deck their halls, like Sara Kate and Jason Little, proprietors of the historic Bradford House, a restored 1912 home that they have creatively reimagined into a glamorous boutique hotel in the heart of Oklahoma City. The colorful halls, bustling parlors, elegant dining rooms, and cozy guest rooms provide the striking backdrops for the All Is Bright story on . It is a perfect example of how even the smallest spaces can make a major impression when it comes to stylish living and decorating.

Of course, no edition of this book would be complete without stunning tablescapes and mouthwatering recipes for every occasion, course, and schedule. Whether you have time to cook all day or need something on the table in minutes, the Southern Living Test Kitchen experts create dishes that are guaranteed to work and wow your crowd. From the big holiday feast to an intimate family game night, weve got a season of festive menus covered.

Bon apptit and a very merry Christmas to all!

Katherine Cobbs
EXECUTIVE EDITOR

A HOLIDAY LOOKBOOK

Decorating with a kaleidoscope of colors makes a bold statement, especially at Christmastime. Whimsical accents with a retro nod complement the vibrant walls and dramatic rooms of Oklahoma Citys historic Bradford House. Owners Jason and Sara Kate Little renovated and reimagined the home as a boutique hotel with a storied past that offers next-level hospitality.

Southerners rarely require a sleigh to get around during the holidays, but bicycles with baskets are a fun way to see the sights and Christmas lights. Take a cue from the Bradford House: When you host guests, plan outings with a tourists eye. Go sightseeing, but leave the car behind. Pedaling your way to the flower market, tree lot, or neighborhood caf is the sort of outdoor adventure guaranteed to leave a lasting impression.

A vintage cubby in the hotels entry gets heavy usetasseled room keys and letters to Santa are picked up daily!so it makes sense to dress it up in holiday style with frosty bottlebrush trees and blushing pepperberry branches. More tassels in the varied green and blue hues pulled from the room are repeated in the garland that graces the striking Chippendale banister leading to the guest rooms upstairs.

To give the hotel a world-traveler aesthetic, Sara Kate commissioned talented British muralist Louise Dean to paint the fanciful Chinoiserie-inspired wall treatment as a nod to elements that the original owners might have brought back to the home from a grand tour to exotic places.

Lovely Branches

A seating area in the entry offers guests and visitors a place to sit, meet, or wait for a seat in the bar or dining room. Using ornaments in the same cool color scheme as the room is a fresh, monochromatic approach that adds just enough sparkle. Silver pieces from the owners collection are shimmering planters for a tiny forest of trees made from cut branchesjuniper, fir, and foxtail fernsprouting from moss-covered floral foam.

A collection of Penguin Classics books with juicy orange covers draws the eye to the scarab blue Drawing Room shelves with a wintry Christmas village tucked inside.

Hanging of the Green

The mantels architectural details shine through unadorned rings and swaths of greenery draped with satin ribbons. Crisp white tulipiere vases and brass candlesticks are the only other ornamentation, unless you count the midcentury Italian Stilnovo chandelier reflected in the mirror. Sara Kate turned to the historical color palettes of Patrick Batys Papers and Paints in the U.K. for the colors used throughout the house, proving that historical and traditional does not have to equal dated and neutral.

Merry and Bright

The punch-stained color of the Bradford Houses Lantern Room has been a draw since the hotel opened its doors. Surprisingly, men request the rosy paint-color formula most often. The balance of warm and cool tones is a cocooning canvas for anythingabstract art, animal prints, and a towering Christmas tree. Waterfalls of ribbon in every shade spill between vintage Shiny Brite ornaments that the Littles have collected over the years.