But a spirited mix of color and pattern takes this custom build to a whole new level during the holidays.
Written by Mary Fitzgerald
Photography by Andrew Frazier
The home of Hal and Nichole Ambos is joyful all year round, but especially so at Christmastime when the decor gets an extra dose of merry and bright. Admittedly, these homeowners are not color shy. As an interior designer, Nichole notes, “Color doesn’t scare me at all. We have always loved primary colors, so when we built our home, we just embraced that love of color.” Favorites include yellow, navy, green, and red, with a little hot pink thrown in for fun. These vibrant shades lend themselves beautifully to what the designer fondly describes as a “classic Christmas aesthetic.”
Located in Causton Bluff, the home is breathtaking in every season with spectacular views of the Intracoastal Waterway. “We always wanted to live on the water,” says Nichole. She recalls their good fortune at finding the lot while renting nearby. “We loved the location; it was exactly what we were looking for.” Nichole designed the floor plan, and the home was custom-built to the couple’s specifications in 2017. A 2022 renovation enclosed the two rear porches, transforming one into a sunroom and another into a sitting area off the primary bedroom.
“We wanted this home to feel historic and definitely Southern,” says Nichole. To achieve the character they were after, the couple incorporated 10-foot ceilings, warm woodwork, and distinctive details. “We filled the home with as much heart pine as we could,” she explains. Sourced in North Georgia from “old, torn down barns,” the pine was used for the tongue-and-groove flooring, ceilings, and decorative woodwork.
Local craftsman Bernard Nolan created the custom lunettes and door casings, mantels, and sitting room cabinetry. Additionally, brick and tabby finishes were introduced to enhance traditional Southern charm.
Hal and Nichole have longstanding ties to the South. Hal was born and raised in Savannah. His family has been here for generations and founded the Ambos Seafood Co. more than 150 years ago. Nichole moved to Savannah from Darlington, South Carolina, when she and Hal started dating in 1996. Every room in their home tells a story of the couple’s life together, with artwork acquired from local artisans, furnishings purchased on overseas trips, family heirlooms, and Lowcountry finds. Despite the lineage of the pieces, nothing is so precious that it can’t be used and enjoyed. Weaving in lively fabrics, textural wallcoverings, and vibrant hues, Nichole says, “offsets the formality that antiques sometimes evoke.”
In years past, Nichole, Hal, and their daughter, Caroline, traveled to a tree farm to cut down their Christmas tree. Their mission was to seek out “the ugliest tree to transform it into something beautiful.” The latest iteration is tall and skinny but laden with ornaments and ribbon. “We have some ornaments that were ours as children, some we add from year to year, some are special and some are just for fun,” says Nichole.
The family loves gathering in the living room during the holidays and relaxing by the fire. Plentiful seating is found in the form of green leather wingback chairs paired with upholstered club chairs in a Duralee print. A red leather ottoman is draped with tartan blankets from Scotland. Local treasures include an antique highboy found at Jere’s Antiques and a prized Isle of Hope painting by Savannah artist Sharon McIntosh. Needlepoint stockings for each family member — including the dogs, Henry and Louie — are hung from the mantel, which is trimmed in cedar and magnolia greenery. What looks like artwork over the fireplace is actually a television.
Twigs Haymarket wallpaper in the kitchen is complemented by cabinetry painted in Blackberry Jam — a deep navy by Clark + Kensington — as well as green Mexican tile and an island in Benjamin Moore’s Exotic Red. The crimson shade is repeated in lampshades Nichole found to top the Visual Comfort & Co. pendants.
Chairs clad in festive tartans welcome guests to the dining area. The holiday table is set with the couple’s china, Mottahedeh’s Duke of Gloucester; monogrammed linen napkins from The Horseshoe Crab & The Monogram Place; and Reed & Barton’s Francis I sterling silver, which is used by the family every day, not just for special occasions.
An antique foot bath serves as a centerpiece. Nichole brought the container to Sandfly Flower Shop where owner Sebrell Smith filled it with seasonal florals. Furnishings in the room hold special significance for the couple: The dining table was made by Nichole’s uncle, and a Savannah marsh painting by Ann Lutz hangs above a sideboard gifted by Nichole’s parents. Finishing touches include decorative plates from Clutter Furnishings & Interiors displayed on the wall and a rug purchased by the couple in Thomasville, Georgia.
An adjoining bar is stocked and ready to serve up Southern hospitality. The red cabinetry pops against the tartan fabric-lined walls. A turkey painting by Nichole holds pride of place, as does Hal’s pheasant mount.
Hal’s extensive collection of fishing lures, duck calls, and hunting guns is showcased in the sitting room adjacent to the primary bedroom. Here, Nolan crafted a custom gun case and mantel. Oyster shells embedded in the tabby fireplace surround were sourced from Hal’s seafood company. Above the fireplace, the painting by Sharon McIntosh was commissioned to depict an Ambos shrimp boat named after Hal and his brother.
Many of the antiques in this room were acquired during a London shopping trip years ago. Nichole selected Sherwin-Williams’s Really Teal paint for the woodwork, Thibaut’s Raffia Palm grasscloth in Emerald for the walls, and Schumacher’s Chiang Mai chinoiserie-motif fabric for pillows and drapery.
Dorothy Draper’s Brazilliance banana leaf wallpaper enlivens the primary bath. “I have always loved that paper,” says Nichole. Gold leaf bamboo-style mirrors were purchased online and are flanked by beribboned sconces from Visual Comfort & Co. Faucets are by Rohl, and the black-and-white marble floor was sourced from Floor & Decor.
During the renovation, the well-loved screened-in porch was converted into an all-season sunroom. A family-crafted porch swing provides the perfect perch to take in the wintry-white Christmas tree and water views beyond.
Built-ins in the guest bedroom are painted in the same red as the kitchen island. Nichole repeats favored colors throughout the house — a trick she finds creates continuity. The lively shade is highlighted by Thibaut grasscloth covered walls and Scalamandré fabric pillows.
Nichole’s decorating advice for the holidays — or any time of year — is simple: Use what you love. “If you love hot pink, incorporate it.” Don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things each season and keep what makes you happy. “Have fun! Step out!”
DETAILS
- Neighborhood: Causton Bluff
- Year built: 2017
- Year renovated: 2022
- Timeline of renovation/construction: 5 months
- Number of bedrooms: 3
- Number of bathrooms: 3
- Square footage: 3,250
- Architect: Jonathan Leonard of Sawyer Design Studio
- Interior designer: Nichole Ambos
- Builder/contractor: Harvinstone
- Additional cabinetry: Bernard Nolan of Nolan Creativity Co.
- Appliances: Most appliances from Ferguson Home. The fridge is Sub-Zero; the oven/cooktop is Wolf.
- Furnishings: Jere’s Antiques, Clutter Furnishings & Interiors, Seventh Heaven Antiques
- Wallcoverings: Thibaut, Dorothy Draper, Twigs Fabrics and Wallpaper
- Fabrics: Scalamandré, Duralee, Schumacher
- Paint: Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore, Clark + Kensington
- Wood flooring: Rv Wood Floors
- Tile: Floor & Decor
- Lighting: Visual Comfort & Co.
- Accessories: Sandfly Flower Shop, The Horseshoe Crab & The Monogram Place, Mottahedeh, Reed & Barton
- Windows/doors: Marvin and J & L Glass
- Artwork: Sharon McIntosh Fine Art, Ann Lutz, Anna Giles Truax, Rani Garner, Anderson Fine Art Gallery
