Southern Home

Southern Home showcases beautiful homes that will appeal to every design aesthetic. We canvas the Southern states to bring you some of the area’s most inviting and interesting homes, as well as the talented architects, designers, and homeowners behind them. Tour the South’s finest homes filled with art, antiques, collections, and family heirlooms.

Southern Home Special Issues

Editor’s Letter

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Fresh and Fragrant: A Natural Beauty • With armloads of pinecones, Fraser fir swags, lichen-covered branches, and magnolia leaves, a Birmingham, Alabama, decorator takes her serene style up a notch to deck the halls for Christmas. Foraging most of her materials from a forest floor in the North Carolina mountains, she creates a profusion of garlands, wreaths, and glistening trees that emanate pure elegance.

Classic for the Traditionalist • There is an oh-so-subtle art to decking the halls of homes rich with historical grandeur, stately collectibles, and period antiques. Whether exuberant or refined, these well-edited holiday treatments become one with their distinctive surroundings, never overshadowing the authentic spaces they embellish.

Cirque du Noel • In the tiny town of Port Costa, California, artist Wendy Addison sets the stage for an old-fashioned big-top Christmas at her home. Beneath the golden glow of oil lamps, paper tigers prance, and shadow-puppet fairies perform a joyous holiday dance.

All is Bright • Within a wonderland of shimmering gilt and immaculate ivory embellishments stands a magnificent tree bedecked with ornaments symbolic of the holiday as Terri Archer opens her heart and home, sharing the true spirit of Christmas.

Among Prized Possessions • Precious mementos bring a sweet sense of nostalgia to these holiday environs, creating an atmosphere hospitable to lively gatherings and quiet hours of solitude. These artfully arranged gifts and collectibles reflect one family’s cherished past.

A Time for Joy

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Ambrosial Fare • One of the most informal ways to entertain during the holidays is with an open house. A selection of make-ahead, serve-yourself treats allows both the guests and the hostess to mingle, chat, and enjoy the event. Glasses of bubbly Champagne and a themed cocktail make the party extra special.

Inspired Gatherings: A Holiday Meal • Celebrate this season of plenty with a rustic home-cooked dinner that will be savored long after the plates have been cleared. Consisting of succulent roasted meat, garden-grown vegetables, and a spectacular dessert finale, this delectable Yuletide feast is one your family and guests will remember for years to come.

In Praise of Jane Austen • Celebrate the life, times, and birthday of an author whose legacy of wit and style continues to inspire generations of fans.

A Sideboard of Sweet Temptations • A softly illuminated room contributes to an Old-World feel. This refined spread, in a courtly French setting, elegantly announces the season. And it’s a wonderful way to toast friendships, old and new.

Memory’s Branches

Opener • Escape the everyday with memorable sojourns to favorite destinations—among them idyllic villages, historic landmarks, and snowy getaways. Dressed in holiday finery and aglow with the warmth of hospitality, these inspiring retreats bid visitors to seek beauty and adventure.

Celebrating Yuletide in Williamsburg • Come with us to a living-history village in Williamsburg, Virginia, where treasured customs hark back to the eighteenth century, and bedecked streets, windows, and doorways introduce a full month of Christmas joy.

Seasons of Williamsburg • Brimming with glistening antiques and accents for home and garden, this full-service Virginia florist is a destination unto itself. With their lavish selection of fresh arrangements...