Unfailingly, Beth reaches for the classic color scheme of red, green, and gold every year. “I’m a traditional girl,” she says. Using wired velvet ribbon, she fashions her own voluminous bows. Evergreen garlands grace stair railings and mantels, where fires always roar from real hardwood (the aroma and the crackling sound are essentials for Beth).
All told, it’s a warm and welcoming environment that naturally plays host to gracious entertaining, whether for weeknight meals with the kids (both twentysomethings who still live in Atlanta) or holiday gatherings full of platters of Beth’s favorite Southern foods. “Jeff’s parents and mine have passed, so we have friends of the family—with children the same ages as ours—who always come stay with us for Christmas,” says Beth. It’s clear that during the holiday season, and every season, this hospitable house is a happy house.
