Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Jul 14, 2025

A Holiday Haven in Vail

A Holiday Haven in Vail

A Vail Racquet Club townhome with Old-World style and timeless comfort, decked out for the holidays

When Vail interior designer Courtney St. John set out to decorate a three-bedroom Vail Racquet Club townhome for the holidays, she drew inspiration from the timeless Old-World style she’d created for the interior five years earlier. “The Denver owners wanted a sanctuary with a modernized, quintessential Vail Bavarian feel,” she says.

    

She gathered collectibles, antiques and found objects including old skis and snowshoes that evoked Vail’s active lifestyle and brought the outdoors in with items pulled from nature, such as feathers, branches and berries. A red, green and plaid color scheme carried throughout the home lends seamless harmony. Candles of all shapes and sizes nourish the coziness-especially welcome this uncertain year, when we’re spending more time at home.

    

Mimicking the townhome’s Nordic wooden table and chairs, a handcrafted German Christmas pyramid provides a playful centerpiece and drives the table setting. “They have young children, so it’s fun for them to light the candles and watch the carousel spin,” St. John says. Small wooden cut-out trees, various sizes of cut-crystal glasses, an antique white runner with red stitching and plaid chargers beneath dinner plates that match napkins lend homespun elegance.

                                



In the kitchen, St. John likewise relies on wooden elements, including pine garlands threaded with white twinkle lights, antique wooden snowshoes and a three- dimensional wooden snowflake on the window shade. Plaid bows echo the table setting, along with a bowl of red apples embraced by greenery. The dry bar becomes an inviting seasonal serving area with a red floral arrangement enlivened by feathers, a silver tray laden with china and a glass bowl of red ornaments.



Above the stone fireplace, antique antler mounts cloaked in pine boughs and ribbons bolster design cohesiveness. The red floral arrangement on the mantel creates a focal point while white candles nestled in aspen log holders spark drama.

    

Below, a weathered antique olive bucket holding aspen, berry and pine branches and wooden skis adorned with a plaid bow supports the dining and kitchen motif. Plaid and checked red, green and white hand-wrapped gifts add fairy-tale charm.

    

The tree conjures visions of sugarplums with its retro painted glass ornaments. “Some of the balls are antiques, but a lot are handblown and collected over the years,” St. John says. “Each has its own story, whether found in an antique store, a garage sale, while traveling or received as a gift. Each offers an opportunity for sharing and reflecting on family traditions and memories.”


Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
×