Holiday Decor by Fena

Chances are, when you think about a flower shop and the holidays, you think of the traditional Christmas centerpiece with lots of evergreens, red flowers, some festive ribbon or baubles, and a candle coming out of the top. (See last year's post about Christmas at the flower shop here.) While Fena Flowers does make many of those centerpieces and similar items for parties, we also provide a service that people might find unexpected: decorating houses and businesses for the holidays. Every year, Fena puts up the Christmas decor for private homes and nursing homes, conference centers and car dealerships, a variety of other businesses, and a couple of posh hotels. While poinsettia plants may be the only fresh flowers involved, setting up for Christmas is not all that different from setting up for a wedding or corporate function. This blogpost aims to give the reader a sense of what Fena can do.

Three carts full of decor headed to a retirement home wait to be rolled out to the vans.

Like every event Fena Flowers sets up, the decor is sorted, checked off, and pulled together on carts ahead of the day when it will all go out. Many revenues reuse elements of the decor every year, so those items are brought down from the "Christmas attic" section of our storage facility. If new product has been ordered, that must make it onto the setup carts. Bows are refreshed, light strings are tested, broken ornaments replaced, and fresh garlands made ready: Fena always strives to make every setup as efficient as possible and that means having everything labeled and in good working order before it heads out the door! Even though half a dozen employees may go out on a setup, large ones sometimes take more than one day to complete. With yard upon yard of garlands to hang and artificial trees (used for safety reasons) to assemble, fluff, and lavishly decorate, it takes many hands to get the job done.

The contents of boxes are clearly labeled as to what they contain and where those items go.

Sumptuous bows flock on hangers so they won't get dirtied or flattened.

Some decorated wreaths sit atop boxes of decor.

Both this cart of red poinsettias...

…and this cart of white ones are bound for a hotel.

Metallic balls...

…and matching bows...

…are attached to a series of wreaths for a client.

Wreaths, bows, and garlands deck the
walkway to the entrance.

One of the establishments decorated by Fena Flowers is a large retirement/assisted living facility. Fena fills the ample community space serving both the independent seniors in the surrounding apartment complexes and more frail residents housed in the main building with lights, garlands, and decorations in every nook. You won't see the large Christmas tree right off the main lobby in these photos: it was too busy being used as a backdrop for family photos when this photographer stopped by!

One of the miniature trees flanking the front doors.

Stars and garlands add a festive note to an outdoor pergola.

The reception desk is wrapped in holiday cheer.

Poinsettias.

This grouping stands opposite the entrance doors of the main lobby.
Poinsettias of all sizes join sconce garlands...

…fresh flowers...

…and an assortment of ornaments, pine cones, and other decorations.

Sconce decorations and a garland enliven another side table in the front lobby.

Many of the light fixtures throughout the facility received these festive garlands of frosted fir and dangling ornaments topped with a large red bow.  

A tiny tree brings brightness and cheer to a counter.

A mantelpiece garland...

…and a larger tree helped warm this tall, airy space.

Ornament detail.

Few nooks went without a tree or a garland or both!

The handrail on a long, otherwise plain hallway is brightened with a lit, pine-cone-heavy garland and a bright bow on each end.

Large windows overlooking a wintry courtyard received silvery tree trios nestled amid white lights and red ornaments on their low sills...

…while the upper reaches of the windows were treated to a sophisticated take on snowflakes. 

Berries bring additional color to a garland decking a handrail on a gray wall.

Artificial flowers add sparkle and seasonal pizzazz to an arrangement perched on a windowsill.

Other artificials and ornaments make up an arrangement on a coffee table that will need no maintenance over the month of December.

Dazzling details.

Another view of the festive flair!

Do you remember the sign designating a box's contents as silver cone trios for the pool lobby at the beginning of this post? Here they are in their proper place!

Decorated topiaries, shimmering reindeer, a silver cone tree, and a bow-topped garland create a modern holiday tableau on a side table.

More swags of garland decorating the retirement community's many handrails!

It's nice to think that the bright colors and glittering details that enliven the public spaces of the facility during the month of December bring the residents pleasure!

Carillon Point on a clear, cold evening.

Fena Flowers has been decorating the Woodmark Hotel in Kirkland for the holidays for many years now. Every venue gets to choose the colors and the overall tone that they wish to set with their holiday decor and while the retirement facility sported lots of the traditional Christmas red, the Woodmark's overall palate leans toward neutrals and metallics to match the understated luxury of the hotel's year-round decor and the natural, muted beauty of the lakefront setting in winter.

A garland thick with pine cones and lights hangs over the upstairs lobby fireplace.

A tree joining one of the lobby's seating areas takes its color cues from the handsome, striped wallpaper behind it.

A golden detail.

What does it take to create this look? White lights, a broad gold ribbon, a sheer navy ribbon, a dark olive ribbon, a metallic beaded garland, bronze balls, beige balls, metallic acorns (below), ivory poinsettias, metallic glitter poinsettias, soft gold glitter berry sprays (above), bronze glitter amaranthus sprays, and pine cones.

A metallic acorn hanging from the upper lobby tree.

A glass dish on a side table holds an array of ornaments.

A lit garland with pine cones drapes the upper lobby railing and descends with the stairs.

A lush garland adds a seasonal touch to a table on the landing.

A large mirror at the bottom of the staircase reflects the lights of the stair garland and other decorations.

The garland below the mirror is graced with copper balls and magnolia blossoms.

This elegant arrangement is the essence of the Woodmark at Christmas!

Touches of red and silver bring subtle cheer to the downstairs lobby library.

Sprays of red berries and a frosted garland over the fireplace bring hints of winter to the cozy space.

Another vase full of pretty ornaments stands on a nearby side table.

If the upstairs lobby tree is meant to glimmer, the downstairs lobby tree sets out to dazzle!

Twenty different kinds of ball ornaments in all manner of sizes, colors, textures, and level of shine are paired with ribbons and glittering sprigs to create the effect.

The sight of the tree as you climb the stairs is really quite magical!

Whether in the colorful lower lobby or more subtly-hued upper lobby, Fena Flowers helps make the Woodmark Hotel a beautiful place to be during the holidays.

Whether small scale or large scale, over-the-top or understated, public or private, with small centerpieces or embellished trees, Fena Flowers always strives to make the holidays bright for their customers!

Fena Flowers

425-825-8181

12815 NE 124th St, Ste. K

Kirkland, WA 98034

www.fenaflowers.com

Photography by c.creativity

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