London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 29, 2025

A Holiday Haven in Vail

A Holiday Haven in Vail

A Vail Racquet Club townhome with Old-World style and timeless comfort, decked out for the holidays

When Vail interior designer Courtney St. John set out to decorate a three-bedroom Vail Racquet Club townhome for the holidays, she drew inspiration from the timeless Old-World style she’d created for the interior five years earlier. “The Denver owners wanted a sanctuary with a modernized, quintessential Vail Bavarian feel,” she says.

    

She gathered collectibles, antiques and found objects including old skis and snowshoes that evoked Vail’s active lifestyle and brought the outdoors in with items pulled from nature, such as feathers, branches and berries. A red, green and plaid color scheme carried throughout the home lends seamless harmony. Candles of all shapes and sizes nourish the coziness-especially welcome this uncertain year, when we’re spending more time at home.

    

Mimicking the townhome’s Nordic wooden table and chairs, a handcrafted German Christmas pyramid provides a playful centerpiece and drives the table setting. “They have young children, so it’s fun for them to light the candles and watch the carousel spin,” St. John says. Small wooden cut-out trees, various sizes of cut-crystal glasses, an antique white runner with red stitching and plaid chargers beneath dinner plates that match napkins lend homespun elegance.

                                



In the kitchen, St. John likewise relies on wooden elements, including pine garlands threaded with white twinkle lights, antique wooden snowshoes and a three- dimensional wooden snowflake on the window shade. Plaid bows echo the table setting, along with a bowl of red apples embraced by greenery. The dry bar becomes an inviting seasonal serving area with a red floral arrangement enlivened by feathers, a silver tray laden with china and a glass bowl of red ornaments.



Above the stone fireplace, antique antler mounts cloaked in pine boughs and ribbons bolster design cohesiveness. The red floral arrangement on the mantel creates a focal point while white candles nestled in aspen log holders spark drama.

    

Below, a weathered antique olive bucket holding aspen, berry and pine branches and wooden skis adorned with a plaid bow supports the dining and kitchen motif. Plaid and checked red, green and white hand-wrapped gifts add fairy-tale charm.

    

The tree conjures visions of sugarplums with its retro painted glass ornaments. “Some of the balls are antiques, but a lot are handblown and collected over the years,” St. John says. “Each has its own story, whether found in an antique store, a garage sale, while traveling or received as a gift. Each offers an opportunity for sharing and reflecting on family traditions and memories.”


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Germany’s Auto Industry Sheds 51,500 Jobs in First Half of 2025 Amid Deepening Crisis
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
×