HOLIDAY HOME
The smooth-silky jazz strains of a
Chris Botti holiday tune, twinkling trees
trimmed in bows and ribbons and
tables laden with confectionary delights
set a picture-perfect holiday postcard
for this family.
“When I am decorating the house for
Christmas and looking at ornaments
and photos from holidays past, it never
ceases to amaze me that feeling of
simple joy,” Cheryll says. “It truly is the
most wonderful time of the year.”
DINING ROOM
Looking to upgrade the trims and
ribbons for her holiday trees, Cheryll
enlisted the decorating design eye
of Natalie Warchola, owner of Warchola’s Holiday Design. “I had run into
Backyard Living in Ridgewood to have
someone redo the bows on my wreaths,
and there was Natalie, who was crafting
these beautiful wreaths using fabulous
trims and ribbons. I asked her to help
me and here we are, five years later,
always tweaking this and that.” The
dining room is striking with its red
walls, gold accents and
snowma
snowman tree,
lendin
lending an air of
wh
whimsy with
it
its branches
la
laden with
snow people
of every
shape and
si
size. “It is
a 30-year
coll
collection, one
that I started
when m
my son, Jeff,
was born. There are
more than 200 ornaments
in different texture, glass, cloth, clay,
and each and every one has a special
meaning to our family.” The piece de
resistance is the tree topper: a Frosty
the Snowman hat. “When you walk into
our home, which features an open floor
plan, this is the first tree you will see.
It always makes me smile.”
Christmas dinner is served, formally,
in the dining room. “I love bringing
out the Christmas Spode china and the
crystal and silver to the table,” Cheryll
says. Her husband is the cook in the
66
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 | (201) FAMILY
CHERYLL’S FAVORITE
HOLIDAY THINGS
favorite holiday memory
The day every December that my
mom and dad used to arrive to share
the holidays with us. The kids would
get so excited and the feeling of love
and family always made my heart
so full.
favorite holiday cookie
Espresso snowcaps
favorite holiday song
Any song off of Chris Botti’s Christmas
album – I love his cool smooth jazz
sound.
favorite holiday movie
Home Alone
favorite holiday gift to give
A bottle of good champagne
favorite holiday decorating
colors
Red and gold; I love red ribbons and
poinsettias and gold trim on anything.
favorite holiday tradition
Decorating and setting up the
Christmas dinner table and the table
setup for appetizers to nosh on all
day while Tim is preparing the
Christmas meal.
favorite holiday meal
Tim’s roasted lamb and homemade
apple pie with French vanilla bean
ice cream.
family. “As soon as morning festivities
are over he pops into the kitchen to start
preparing the holiday meal – leg of lamb
and roasted potatoes – which, over time,
has become our tradition,” she says.
“It all started because of a turkey. When
we lived in Brussels we could never get
a turkey. They were virtually non-existent over there so we had to adapt to the
food culture of where we lived. Now, all
these years later, we don’t think twice
about it. We place our lamb order with
a local butcher in Wyckoff and two days
before Christmas Tim picks it up. Oh,
and we can’t forget Timmy’s famous
apple pie for dessert. We can’t seem to
get enough of it.”
KITCHEN
The heart
of the home
– the kitchen
– showcases
the White
House tree.
“These ornaments, which
are designed and
released each year by
the White House Historical
Association, will forever have a special
place in my heart because my mom
started this collection for me in 1988,”
Cheryll says. “My parents used to live in
Alexandria, Va., and my mom would go
to the Mount Vernon gift shop each year
and buy me the White House ornament
of that year. My dad, having served in
the military, makes this tree even more
meaningful to my family. We always
look forward to receiving each new
ornament, and it’s fun to talk about
the historical significance.”
The kitchen, which serves as command central for the family, sports a
festive holiday look – every nook and
cranny says Christmas is coming.
Windows are bedecked with fresh
wreaths from Rohsler’s Nursery &
Florist in Allendale and fashioned with
plump velvet red bows. The room’s
chandelier is treated to a handcrafted
swag of live greens, holly and the
signature Warchola red bow.
“My family starts groaning the weekend before Thanksgiving when I change
out all the dishes in my kitchen cabinets
and put in my holiday Christmas Spode
china and platters. It’s numerous trips
to the basement, but once it is all done
it really pulls the room together,” says
Cheryll. In early December, daughter
Lauren will come in from Manhattan
to bake up several batches of assorted
holiday cookies, which delight family
and guests throughout the season. After
stockings and gifts are exchanged in
front of the roaring fire in the adjacent
family room, the couple and their children head to the kitchen table where
a fresh raw bar, a cheese and cracker
tray and the prerequisite champagne
tasting and toasting take place. ●
201magazine.com