Local shop owner’s Yuletide home decor is woven together with tartan ribbon and the invisible strings of time.
Written by ALLISON LANE FARMER
Photography by KELLI BOYD PHOTOGRAPHY
FOR BARRY MASON, proprietor of Proper English, a home and decor store in Savannah’s Twelve Oaks shopping center, and his family, the passage of time can be measured by the accumulation of Christmas ornaments.
“We started our collection the second we got married,” says Mason. “On our honeymoon in Saint Lucia, we brought back an ornament, and ever since then, wherever we go, if it’s a trip or an outing, we try to bring one back.”
From there, the Mason family’s love for Yuletide decor has only grown. Now encompassing three trees on the main floor and an additional tree in each family member’s bedroom, it’s safe to say Christmas is a serious affair for this Savannah family. “You can say we might have a Christmas problem,” Mason says with a laugh.
Most months, Mason’s home is an artful mix of family heirlooms, traditional Southern pieces and a motif of neutrals, blues and whites. “We use a mix of furniture passed down from our families along with other thrifted finds,” he shares. “It’s not done in a single style and is truly a curated blend of the old, the new and the unexpected.”
True to his word, sentimental pieces fill the home. An antique secretary from Mason’s parents sits proudly in the family room, the centerpiece of the dining room is his grandparents’ buffet, and in the kitchen nook, his wife’s grandmother’s rocking chairs are their favorite seats in the house. The heirlooms are the roots of Mason’s Southern style, for which both his home and flagship store have come to be known.
This curated take on design has translated to Mason’s masterful approach to the holidays, where he draws inspiration from a singular piece and builds his motifs from there. In the dining room, the designer selected his grandmother’s China in an antique blue and white Currier and Ives pattern to set the tone.
“I actually hang them inside the tree with plate hangers,” Mason explains of his ingenious approach. The next step is layering, where he draws upon his traditional Southern roots in an inspiring way. “I like to use a lot of texture, so feathers were important, Southern magnolia was important, and all of those things in the tree draw from that.”
The tartan tablecloth on the dining room table became another jumping-off point for the designer, who used a similarly patterned ribbon in the family room, tying together the more formal dining room tree and sentimental family room tree. For Mason, ribbon is the key to festive decorating. “Find a fine ribbon that works, and it will take you farther than you think it could,” he confirms. “It is what pulls together the design for my trees.”
The family room tree, festooned with ribbons, ornaments and towering winterberry branches, is a nostalgic ode to Christmases past and present. “In the family room, we also utilize tartans and things, but we do bring in those elements of trips we’ve been on,” Mason shares. “We have some ornaments from our sons, and it reminds us how much they’ve grown and how quickly life passes.”
Mason saved his favorite room, the kitchen nook, for his most playful display of holiday cheer. “[The kitchen nook] is a little more whimsical,” Mason notes. “We utilized a gingerbread and candy-themed tree there.” The whimsy carries over to the family’s elves on the shelf, lovingly named Paul and George after their favorite Beatles members. Paul and George are a testament to the family’s dedication to tradition and togetherness and a vote for eschewing decorating for decorating’s sake. “Christmas to me is about those traditions, and that’s why we decorate the way we do. Ever since my boys were little, we wanted to create a little bit of magic,” Mason says.
His blend of old, new and unexpected is a masterful love letter to Christmas, penned lovingly over two decades. The traditions, the sights and the sounds — it’s what makes Christmas, Christmas. And the magic, as it turns out, is truly in the details. “Our Christmas is a collected mix of meaningful ornaments from our children and travels, family china, sterling silver and lots of layers and texture,” Mason recounts. “It’s the use of fine ribbon woven throughout to pull it all together and all the little details that tell our story.”
Festive Favorites
Barry’s holiday traditions and must-haves:
- Favorite holiday movie: “A Christmas Story”
- Favorite Christmas carol: “O Holy Night”
- Favorite holiday cocktail: Gin & Tonic
- Favorite holiday menu item: Southern baked ham
- It’s not Christmas without: A new pair of PJs
Details
- Homeowners: Kristen and Barry Mason
- Year built: 1998
- Neighborhood: Rose Dhu
- Bedrooms/bathrooms: 5/2.5
- Square footage: 3,107
