McIlroy loves the holiday season, and her home gets into the spirit long before the first guest arrives with luxurious home and floral decor.
Deck the Halls (and Mantel and Stairs…) With Shelley McIlroy’s Luxurious Holiday Home Decor Tips
The 1940s house, purchased in 2012, was not perfect from the start, however, and needed some major renovations. It had been built for an older couple without children and was set up for a life with domestic help (read: a tight galley kitchen without much space, and a shortage of room in general). Shelley and her husband added two bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as an addition to the kitchen and a family room—a process undertaken during COVID that took roughly three years.
Many family members live in close proximity, and they host an annual Christmas Eve celebration centered around the Feast of the Seven Fishes, as half the family is of Italian descent.
Upholding traditions is deeply important to McIlroy, including building a gingerbread house—something she admits feels like a bit of a chore these days, though she has done it almost every year since eighth grade. She lived in Westport, Connecticut, during the rise of Martha Stewart and the release of her iconic Christmas book (and still owns an original copy). Now, as a busy business owner, she finds the tradition perhaps less essential, but her middle daughter (who recently returned to Pittsburgh to join Shelley McIlroy Design) is enthusiastic about it, so off they go.
“I’m such a procrastinator and I always leave it to the last minute,” McIlroy laughs. “I’m stressing about it now but won’t start until around Thanksgiving. It’s a love-hate relationship.”
Tailored Floral Styling with Fox and the Fleur
For the holidays, she loves to have her home embellished by her favorite florist, Anne Dickson of Fox and the Fleur, who also designed the floral arrangements for her daughter’s wedding. Their long-standing professional relationship builds on a foundation of trust, giving Dickson virtual carte blanche.
“When we design holiday decorations, we take into account the colors, patterns, and textures of the room, as well as the architecture and style of the home,” says Dickson.
She pulls specific hues directly from fabrics in the room and the tones of the woodwork, ensuring everything—from the ribbons and ornaments to the foliage—feels personal and cohesive. Because McIlroy has such a passion for rich color (evident in the deep blue walls of her family room and dramatic wallpapers throughout), there was a rich palette from which to select.
She balances traditional elements with unexpected touches, incorporating dried limes, orange slices, and pomegranates in the bar area to introduce both vibrant color and textural contrast.
Playing with Scale & Texture
One crucial element McIlroy always considers is scale.
“I look at this as almost adding a piece of furniture to the room,” says McIlroy. Even though holiday decor is only present for a month or two, she experiments intentionally with volume and quantity. “It’s fun to play around with the scale a little bit, but it definitely has to look like it belongs.”
She incorporated large sugar pinecones along the main staircase, creating a bold, statement-making feature. On the fireplace mantel, however, she opted for smaller, more delicate elements.
For arrangements meant to last six to eight weeks, she relies on high-quality artificial greenery. “At this point, they are so realistic and very well-made,” she notes. “It’s very hard to tell, and it holds up much better through the busy holiday season.”
For shorter display windows, she incorporates fresh boughs or magnolia leaves, which dry far better than traditional pine needles or tender evergreens.
A Festive Table for Feasting
The pair collaborated on the formal dining table setting, combining McIlroy’s extensive dinnerware collection with an explosion of seasonal blooms. Because the table was styled for a single festive evening, longevity was less of a constraint. Dickson drew inspiration from the palette of McIlroy’s Ginori Oriente Italiano porcelain plates, pulling yellow, soft blue, and coral pink accents into the floral design.
Dickson also recommends looking beyond traditional placement when decorating for the season.
“You can wrap greenery along a chandelier, or style open kitchen shelves with green-filled vessels,” says Dickson. “It doesn’t all have to be concentrated on your tree and mantel.”
Featured Design Resources
- Interior Design: Shelley McIlroy Design
- Floral Styling: Fox and the Fleur Design
Explore More Design & Holiday Features from TABLE:
- Interior Design: Read our guide to Interior Design in Pittsburgh
- Seasonal Decor: Discover Foraged Winter Decor Ideas with Erin Kelly
- Local Shopping: Browse the TABLE Pittsburgh Shopping Guide
About the Author
Stephen Treffinger is a Contributing Editor at TABLE Magazine. He also covers interiors, design, travel, and technology for New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Domino, Financial Times, Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Better Homes and Gardens, Interior Design, Elle Decor, Travel + Leisure, Vogue Living (Australia), Departures, and many others.
About the Photographer
Dave Bryce is TABLE Magazine’s contributing architecture, interiors, and food photographer, based in Pittsburgh. He photographed Fallingwater: Living With and In Art (Rizzoli, 2025) and regularly shoots for Pittsburgh Magazine and American Farmhouse Style, working with architects, interior designers, and hospitality brands. See more at davebrycephotography.com.
Styling by Anne Dickson, Fox and the Fleur
Interior Design by Shelley McIlroy
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