The idea for this mid-century modern Christmas shoot began with a visit to the home of Becca Black.  For mid-century enthusiasts like me, you may know her as @bexvintage.ca on Instagram.  Maybe you’ve seen her restored Volkswagen van around Calgary? Becca is a vintage and antique collector/seller in Calgary whose treasures include a tulip dining table, Eames chairs and an extensive collection of original vinyl. Need I say more?

Five hosting ideas

Enter Ashley, a newlywed with a penchant for Herman Miller.  She and her husband Mark are celebrating their first Christmas together. I thought it would be fun to give this newly-minted couple 5 ideas for hosting a holiday celebration. Our ideas are simple yet festive and ideal for busy couples who might be short on time and entertaining space. In keeping with the mid-mod style, we kept the palette neutral.  We used white, wood- grain, lots of fresh greenery and the tiniest pop of red.

A tweak for the tree

If you don’t have space for a full-sized evergreen, here’s a fun twist.  Janelle from Flowers by Janie created a stylized version of a tree using pegboard and fresh garland. The greens attach easily to the pegboard from behind using floral wire. If you’re concerned about keeping the greenery fresh, use a spray bottle of water and give it a spritz. Janelle suggests the following greens for this type of application:

• • Italian Ruscus
  • Seeded Eucalyptus
  • Bay leaves
  • Olive branch
  • Cedar
  • Leyland Cypress
  • Hemlock 
  • Carolina Sapphire 

Gather your collectables.

Rather than purchasing specific Christmas décor, why not display the items you’ve already been collecting over the years? We tapped into Becca’s collection of 1950s milk glass and filled them with all-white blooms. We also added a stack of Becca’s favourite Christmas records (hello Charlie Brown) for a pop of colour on the donut cart.  More on that later…

A breakfast charcuterie board

Rather than labouring in the kitchen all morning, consider a breakfast charcuterie board and let your guests help themselves. The possibilities are endless but we chose fresh bread, artisanal jam, organic peanut butter, fruit, eggs and roasted vegetables. We were fortunate to partner with Crate & Barrel Canada, who provided the charcuterie board, linens and tableware.

A donut cart

For guests with more of a sweet tooth, we served donuts and hot chocolate on Becca’s 1960s enamel kitchen cart. The mini-donuts made an adorable garnish for the mugs of steaming chocolate.

Personalize the tabletop

Clean, oversized place cards from Modern Pulp Design Studio were made merry with a sprig of greenery and gold wire clips.  And just like that, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Finally, here’s a modern twist on a traditional holiday tabletop, if you’d like to see.

Thanks to the vendor team including:
Mid-century furniture & accessories: Bex Vintage
Floral Design:  Flowers by Janie
Linens & tableware: Crate & Barrel Canada
Place cards: Modern Pulp Design Studio
Mini-donuts: Pretty Sweet
Hair & Make-up Artist: Katie Kerr
Model’s wardrobe: Adorn Boutique
Model:  Ashley Banks
Mid Century Modern Christmas ideas styled & captured by Calgary Wedding Photographer – Tara Whittaker