Designer Nicholas Rosaci prepares for Christmas in the living room of his Toronto home on December 2, 2014.Jennifer Roberts/The Globe and Mail
Nicholas Rosaci, the DIY guy on TV's Cityline, is big on Christmas. It's his favourite holiday and he decorates his west-end Toronto condo to the max, trying out new colours and trends each season. A professional decorator, Rosaci grew up with a mother who would spray paint the door of their home gold come December. "My father thought she was crazy, but I thought what she did looked amazing," says Rosaci, whose own holiday repertoire involves a staple gun and pipe cleaners. "This year I was very much inspired by the peacock, a big decorating trend for 2014," he says. This month, Rosaci's loved ones will gather in the living room where the tree is trimmed, the shortbread is served and even the furniture looks festive. "I am kind of Christmasobsessed and my friends know it," he says.
The ornaments
"They are a mix of vintage keepsakes as well as high and low finds. I even have dollar-store ornaments as filler: They provide the main colour statement and are shatterproof, easily interchangeable and every bit as sophisticated as the real thing."
The peacock
"He was a chic find at Chapters Indigo. He wasn't meant to go on top of the tree but he looks spectacular up there. I fastened him with pipe cleaners: They are my trick for decorating a tree. I even use them to create a cluster effect with ornamental balls."
The jars
"I love these shiny mercuryglass apothecary jars, which look great all year round. At Christmas, filled with battery-operated lights, they are hauteholiday in a flash."
The trunk
"I found this old steamer trunk at Goodwill and covered it in fashionably festive leopard-print wrapping paper using Mod Podge, which protects it from party spills. It's like a large present."
The nutcracker
"My mom had a tradition of giving nutcrackers to me and my sister each Christmas. She would take us to the dollar store to get faux jewels and brooches that we would glue on and then give as hostess gifts. I still do that to this day. It's something you can personalize to a friend's decor. I got this one at Loblaws for around $19. I used wrapping paper around the legs to create custom pants."
The faux deer
"This is a cute and fuzzy – not scary – deer head from HomeSense. It's the perfect party pal for a truly cool yule. I named mine Peggy."
The wall
"My condo is a new build. This unit was the model suite but it was badly done in typical condo finishes. I renovated, installing crown moulding. I also created this wall made of shims, which I painted, for a real show-stopper."