Kate Dreyer’s Colorful and Preppy Home Is Fun for Kids of All Ages

Photography by Robert Radifera, Styling by Charlotte Safavi

Text by Charlotte Safavi

This family home sings with preppy color, whimsical touches, and joy for the season.

The Dreyer home decked for the holidays resonates with the old-fashioned fun of the Christmas season dressed up in a vibrant, youthful palette of lime greens, turquoise blues, coral reds, and blushing pinks. “I’d describe our year-round décor as colorful, fresh, and family-friendly,” says interior decorator Kate Dreyer when describing the Fairfax County, Virginia, home she shares with her husband, Brian, and their two young children.

Photography by Robert Radifera, Styling by Charlotte Safavi

“But just like our everyday décor, all of our Christmas add-ons have to withstand wear and tear from a young family,” Kate says. “I’m grateful for shatterproof ornaments and strands of felted garland; that’s for sure.” Color has also always been a necessity for Kate in her home, and extending it into Christmas décor has been a priority.

Preppy patterns and lively prints are layered into the home’s classic bones. For the holidays, all the traditions come rolling out. “We always decorate our family room tree together,” says Kate, noting the fairy-lit tree draped in multicolored pom-pom strands. “Brian gets the ornaments down from the attic, we put on Christmas music, and everyone gets to work.” The mix of meaningful ornaments used to deck the tree includes heirlooms handed down annually by both sets of grandparents, as well as those gifted to the family by friends.

To see the rest of this home, pick up a copy of The Cottage Journal Christmas edition, available now!

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