Quirky, unique pieces of vintage yesteryear come together to create this magical whimsical holiday wonderland.
When it comes to vintage décor, few people have the same passion and talent to create a Christmas wonderland as Shanna Sambol-Koseoglu. Strategic marketer by day, Shanna, of Richmond, Texas, is a wife, mom, curator of vintage treasures and creative artist who enjoys nothing more than hunting for new pieces for her vast Christmas collection. She runs an Etsy shop, Antique Vestige, where she sells vintage-inspired décor. “I am truly at my happiest when I’m up to my elbows in a forest of bottlebrush trees and covered head to toe in white after making a flocking mess,” Shanna says.
Describing her style as “whimsical nostalgia,” Shanna collects pieces from the 1950s–’80s, mixing and matching all sorts of pieces to get just the right look and feel she wants in each space. “When you enter the house or see my photos online, I want that feeling of Christmas magic to fill you up to the brim with happiness,” she says. “I want it to take you back to the Christmas of yesteryear.”
Curating a Whimsical Holiday Wonderland.
Shanna’s love of vintage pieces and Christmas décor began as a child enthralled with her grandmother’s vintage French provincial style on one side of the family and World War II kitschy style on the other. From glass ornaments to tchotchkes to blow molds, Shanna picked up many of her current décor pieces and techniques from these childhood influences. “Christmas was larger than life,” she says. “Those memories are what inspire me.”
Her own collection began in high school, when she would accompany her parents on their weekend trips to thrift shops. “I would save up and never left without finding that one piece I couldn’t live without,” she says. Her collecting continued through college and after marriage she began to add bigger pieces. “Larger ceramic figurines, ceramic trees and, of course, the holy grail: the blow molds,” she says. “I got a lot of my blow molds off the side of the road 15+ years ago. Even if they were busted, I figured out how to fix them up and how to paint them correctly to avoid streaks.”
Santa Blow Molds
These fun, festive pieces are present throughout Shanna’s décor. “Blow molds are the best way to light up your displays,” she says. Her favorites are her three life-size pieces, first made by Becco in 1966, and then Union Plastics continued them through the ’90s. “It took some dumpster diving and a lot of repairs to get them shined up again, but they are my most favorite Christmas blow molds,” Shanna says. One Santa needed repair, so she patched up the holes and then painted him pink. “It was love at first sight,” she says.
Now, with online shopping and social media, Shanna continues to grow her collections. “I won’t tell all my secrets, but ‘vintage Christmas’ is not what you want to search for if you are looking for a good deal,” she reveals. “A lot of people call blow molds ‘light ups,’ for example.” Facebook Marketplace and local estate and garage sales are goldmines for budget-friendly vintage finds. “I have found a few of my unicorn pieces driving past garage sales over the last few years,” Shanna says.
Santa Dolls Shanna’s assortment of dolls includes the famous Rushton Santa dolls, manufactured in the 1950s and ’60s. “Many people actually think the Rushton Santas look a bit scary, but I think they are the cutest things ever,” she says. Her collection also includes Harold Gale Santas, known for their fiberglass spun hair and velvety coats. Gale also manufactured animated robotic Santas, which Shanna was lucky to find one day at a garage sale and is her favorite piece. “The next thing I knew, $35 later, I was crying happy tears loading him into the back of the SUV,” she says.
Decorating a Whimsical Holiday Wonderland
When it comes to decorating, for Shanna, more is more. While her normal décor is distinctly Mid Century Modern with an ’80s kitschy twist, she wipes the slate clean for the holidays. With layers upon layers of vintage treasures emulating old-fashioned storefront displays, Shanna transforms her living room into a winter wonderland. “My goal is to transform every open surface into a magical Christmas in Toyland vignette that takes you back to when you were a child,” she says.
To get this unique and special look, she starts by laying out all of her totes with opened lids so she can survey all of her decorations. “That way, I remember what I have and then begin to envision where I want certain items to go,” she explains.
Her next step is creating the bases and stands that will hold up different pieces. “This includes wooden wine boxes that I have spray-painted white, cake stands or any type of sturdy box, even hat boxes or tins that you can set things on,” she says. The next step is setting up the lighting and staging the tree. At this point, she will set up certain pieces that have a lighting component as well. “You want to make sure you have enough light to illuminate the different areas of your display,” she says. Once that is done, she stages various items, such as books and old record albums, to fill blank spaces and create backdrops.
Christmas Ceramics. Another part of Shanna’s collection are her ceramic Santas and snowmen. Her favorite manufacturers include Napco, Lefton and Holt Howard. She is especially drawn to colorful and unique pieces with personality. “I love to collect Santa and Mrs. Claus—especially the ones holding toy sacks, which I love to fill with bottlebrush trees,” she says. Her favorite is a 16-inch-tall Santa made by Napco to be a piggy bank. Her snowmen are likewise colorful and bright, with an unmistakable ’60s vibe.
Once the foundation is set, she begins placing her pieces, starting with the larger items first and then working in smaller items. “The goal here is to create smaller vignettes the eye can zoom into,” she explains. As Shanna decorates she focuses on one section or area at a time, building out, taking a step back to review the composition, and then filling in with little pieces where needed. She ends with styling bottlebrush trees, vintage floral picks and other little flourishes. “I don’t want things to look too staged and have learned to make things perfectly imperfect,” she says.
“I don’t want things to look too staged and have learned to make things perfectly imperfect.”
With her eclectic taste, festive vintage pieces and eye for placement, Shanna’s holiday home shines with charm and cheer. “The look on my son’s face and the excitement in his heart is priceless,” she says. “I get to experience the magic of Christmas as a child all over again through his eyes.”
“When you enter the house or see my photos online, I want that feeling of Christmas magic to fill you up to the brim with happiness. I want it to take you back to the Christmas of yesteryear.”
Don’t miss this year’s upcoming holiday special issue! You’ll be able to order your copy here. Meanwhile, you can explore other holiday homes with creative uses of vintage finds such as Christmas at Gran’s: Festive Decor Inspired by Nostalgia. Or you can get to work on some holiday DIY crafts such as DIY Wine Glass Cloche and Upcycled Paper Scrap Gift Tags. Or you can peruse the 2021 Santa Stopper gallery. Of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more updates and flea market inspiration.