Dainty tea pots placed carefully on set tables

The decorating of Marjorie’s Bedroom in the Mansion, which has an English theme  for Christmas at Blithewold’s “A Grand Tour of Europe,” fell to Betty Durfee, a sixth-year decorating volunteer, who teamed up with volunteer Nancy Scott. The women went searching through the Blithewold Archives to come up with ideas for the room décor. “I referenced Marjorie’s letters from England in which she described her visits to tea shops most enthusiastically, hence the tea shop theme,” shared Betty.

Teapots, flowers, and garland on the mantle

Her favorite part about Marjorie’s room is the mantle, where she tied all the room’s decorations together. She and Nancy intertwined thick strands of garland with delicate pink flowers along the length of the mantle. Beautiful teapots stand out against the green and pink. To match the mantle, the room is filled with small tea tables with dainty tea sets placed on them, adding a truly magnificent touch.  Betty’s least favorite part about the room decorating, on the other hand, were the five tall windows. She explained that it can be extremely difficult to get greens over them. But don’t worry… the dedicated team got it done!

Betty confessed, “I don’t know exactly why I do it… but, I just lovethe beautiful spirit of Christmas and it is a joy to be a part of something so lovely to start the season.”

Window, beautifully draped with garland and decor

For more progress on Blithewold’s holiday transformation, check out our Facebook page and Twitter. To see more photographs of Christmas at Blithewold, please visit our Flickr and Pinterest!

Warmest Regards,

Caitlin Galeotti
Roger Williams University 2014
Blithewold Communications Intern