AS THE early evening chill chases you to the front porch, slow down a moment before you rush inside. Pause at the bottom of the steps and take in the warm white glow of twinkle lights lining the roof ’s eaves. Evergreen garland hugs the handrail, and a fresh wreath and festive mat welcome you at the door.
Leave the rushing behind you for the moment and come home for the holidays. The door swings open to a freshly cut cedar tree brushing the ceiling and spilling with foil-wrapped gifts, sparking child-like joy. The old record player spins “Blue Christmas,” “White Christmas,” “Rudolph,” and “O Come All Ye Faithful.” And get ready to fill your plate. Coffee, apple cider, and freshly baked sugar cookies, displayed on a table topped with the vintage tablecloth from decades of past holiday dinners, compete for your attention.
It’s the perfect Christmas through the eyes of Shelbyville interior designer Calvin Cannon, whose Design & Style Studio will celebrate its 30th year in February. Cannon credits his success to the year-round support of three local former business owners: Frances Farrar, with The Knit Kit; Carolyn Matusek and her dress shop, Carolyn’s; and Pat Sherrill of Cinnamon Ridge Bed & Breakfast. Each hired Cannon in the early days of his shop to decorate their businesses for Christmas, and the demand for his tree-decorating service grew as they recommended him to their friends and customers.
“Frances Farrar was a family friend. When I first got back into town [after college] and started my business, she always had me do anything and everything because she wanted to support me. With Carolyn’s in the same building as the Knit Kit, I did her shop, too, and then Cinnamon Ridge Bed & Breakfast. Those were the first three, and it gave me exposure. They’d tell someone, and they’d tell someone, and so on. It all started with Mrs. Frances,” he said.
Cannon, who grew up and still lives in Flat Creek, felt the Farrars’ support from his earliest childhood. “It meant the world to me,” he said.
Who hasn’t stopped to admire a Christmas tree in a storefront window with ornaments and lights sparkling, transported, and mesmerized by its elegance or theme? We tuck that memory away and pull it out along with our own decorations and tree, dreaming of re-creating that special tree. But it’s never quite the same.
Cannon now decorates homes more than businesses and brings his special touch to your holiday traditions.
While summer is bearing down, Cannon’s calendar begins to fill up with appointments for his tree decorating services. He looks ahead at the latest holiday trends in stores and occasionally buys a tree and ornaments upon request, but he enjoys making the best of what his customers have on hand. Traditions and treasures remain but receive new life as Cannon uses old favorites in fresh ways.
“I get excited about getting in there and getting the feel of their house that year. I know basically what the people already have. I like using what they already have in a different way each year. I do that by placing something somewhere else — something that I might have sitting on the floor or a counter might be in the tree the following year,” said Cannon. “I just love doing different things with the stuff they already have. Unless they truly want me to design a tree for them, I tell them to get it, and I will find a way to use it. I want to use it in a way they love even better than they thought they would.”
Family stockings are always at home on the fireplace mantel, and nativity scenes return each year, although where they are placed may change. Don’t worry about losing the time to reflect on memories associated with treasured ornaments. That’s not lost.
“They actually get that connection back when they see how pretty the tree is, and they can enjoy the tree more without the agony of putting it up,” said Cannon.
You can take in Cannon’s holiday style even if you’re not on his calendar this year by attending his Christmas Parade of Homes from Shelbyville to Murfreesboro on Sunday, Dec. 3. What you see might inspire you to use your decorations in a new way, or you may discover a style that will find its way into your home for years to come.
Everything comes together around the tree on Christmas morning. You pose for photos in matching pajamas, and the children play with Santa’s surprises. Stockings and packages are now empty, and hearts are full. The decorations create a magical backdrop, but what matters most is you’re home for the holidays. GN
