At Magnolias of Salado, Design Your Own Holiday Magic

By Sharon White | Photography by Justin Borja

Stepping inside Magnolias of Salado during the holiday season is like entering an enchanted wonderland. Every room in this rustic boutique has been brilliantly transformed with a designer’s touch. Sparkle, whimsy, glamour, farmhouse, or traditional — simply name your style and you’ll find it here.

Jack Husung Jr., who has owned and operated the home décor and apparel boutique for the past 10 years, says he and his team begin choosing holiday themes and finalizing orders months in advance. “We order trees, ornaments, ribbon and floral items, then store them in our warehouse until it’s time to decorate.”

In order to be ready for Salado’s annual “Christmas in October” event, chief floral designer Frances Gonzales says she begins decorating in September. “I start with one room at a time. When I finish, I move on to the next. I like to create a tree around a theme of like items, such as snowmen, angels, or Santas. I also group things together to make a bigger impact. I prefer not to scatter. If I don’t have a theme, I will pick a color scheme to work with (such as silver and white, or gold and red) and use ornaments and floral stems containing those colors.”

Motifs for this year’s trees include: woodsy/outdoor, shimmering Victorian, red birds with plaid accents, even a tree for dog lovers. Plus, an exquisite collection of nativities, crosses and crèches that are displayed together in what Jack refers to as, “Our Holy section.”

Frances also uses the same ribbon and ornaments she decorates her trees with to assemble coordinating wreaths and floral arrangements. “Wreaths aren’t just for the door — they can go anywhere,” she says. “Hang a wreath on the wall, a window or even over a mirror. Using the same elements in both your tree and your wreath will pull the entire look together.”

Jack’s history with Magnolias goes back a long way. Twenty-five years ago he owned a floral shop in Killeen and rented a vendor space from Magnolias on the Square, the very store he now owns. Along with Frances, his staff includes Priscilla Hill, Sabra Slais and Judy Harden. Besides a beautiful array of holiday décor, Magnolias carries clothing, accessories, specialty food items, jewelry, toys, cards and gifts. It is also the only store in the area to carry Kendra Scott, Simon Sebbag and Dean Davidson jewelry, as well as Dilemma hand-painted silks and Yahada apparel.
No matter what season you may wander into Magnolias of Salado, you will always find plenty of personal service and stylish inspiration.

Magnolias of Salado
21 North Main Street, Salado
www.magnoliasofsalado.com

Designer Tips for Creating a Holiday Tablescape

A tablescape is a centerpiece or tabletop arrangement built around a season, holiday or event. Every item chosen should complement the others. A breathtaking tablescape can set the mood for your entire event.

• Begin by layering from the bottom up (as seen above)
• Use mirrored tiles as your base (available at Lowe’s)
• Add lights for shimmering reflection
• Tuck transparent tulle or organza over lights
• Vary the heights of your decorations using risers (a cake plate or small boxes can be used to elevate smaller items)
• Finish by filling in with floral stems or greenery, if desired

Add interest and dimension

To give your holiday tree more interest and dimension, decorator Frances Gonzales recommends:

• Tucking stems of berries, silk poinsettias, or extra greenery into the branches of your tree
• Hanging larger ornaments first, then filling in with smaller, more fragile ones
• Creating a unique tree topper using individual branches, floral stems, or feathers