A New England Take on Hygge

Photographs by Erin McGinn

New England at the end of fall and the onset of winter. This season of change, of grey days and colder nights as the leaves have all dropped, leaving behind a soulful landscape of organic colors and material that aren't truly the end of a cycle, but the beginning of a beautiful time for quiet rest, coziness and becoming more zen.

Greenlion and I wanted to showcase a way to entertain and bring this season indoors, to a holiday table, a gathering of friends to celebrate the new year, or just inspiring pieces of nature to utilize in your everyday lifestyle.

Kim and Chris's family heirloom sunshine barn table, complete with homework doodle's from Chris's childhood set the stage for gauzy, barely there linen runners and the emphasis on the largest deciduous leaves in North America from the Big Leaf magnolia tree, that have dropped in late November, Turning the leaves upside down showed their silvery peach underside, adding warmth to the cool stark, sandy landscape outside. Taper candles were added to bring in more hygge coziness, shining light on the brilliance of the season to come.

Easy to access pieces of both of our homes like Erin's favorite plates, and Kim's beloved soup bowls show how you don't need to rent items to use for entertaining, simplicity is key and mismatched elements still work together in the same palette.

A multi-layered vanilla cream cake was adorned with the most delicate dried ferns, and classic cocktails like an old-fashioned and a Manhattan were whipped up by Newport Beach House to add a festive element without too much fuss.

We hope these images add to a festive and inspiring way to approach entertaining in the season of evergreen and red plaid. A minimal, organic, foraged and found a way to layer in things you already have on hand with often overlooked pieces of the surrounding natural landscape.

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Photography by Erin McGinn Floral Design and Styling by Greenlion Design Cakes by Isis Cakes Location + Cocktails by Newport Beach House White Plates and Soup Bowls from Crate and Barrel Horn InlayFlatware from Anthropologie Grey short glasses from Target Film Processing by Photovision Prints