In Conversation: Samantha Pynn: The Party on Life Inspired TV

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22 December 2012, Singapore – Design Guru Samantha Pynn is a decorator stylist and began the world of decorating and design 11 years ago when she started out as a location scout for commercials and music videos in Toronto. She has also been the design editor of STYLE AT HOME magazine and writes from Chatelaine magazine and National Post.

Samantha Pynn: The Party will feature tips from Samantha Pynn giving you clever ideas for entertaining and great DIY projects. She visits people’s homes and interacts with them and discusses about the wonderful festive design. The finale features her own party where all designers are invited where her space shows inspiration which she took from each of the places she visited.

Samantha Pynn: The Party will premiere on Life Inspired TV, SingTel mio TV Ch 265 on Sunday 30 December 2012.

Samantha Pynn shares with us some of her Christmas decorating tips.

1. What are some Christmas decorating trends you¹ve been seeing a lot for 2012? Are there specific colours or themes that are particularly popular which you recommend?

SAMANTHA: The trend is all about expressing your personal style. If you want to hang ballet slippers on your tree and have an all soft pink décor – then go for it.

2. Christmas is a very traditional holiday but in your show The Party, you try to switch things up and give it a contemporary twist. How do you ensure that there is a good balance between exploring more modern styles yet still keeping with the traditions?

SAMANTHA: I’m not sure that you need to keep a good balance. Again, it’s all about your personal style. If you are a spare modernist, then decorating with French country style isn’t going to work for you. For some a row of candles in cylinder vases with a few sprigs of holly on the dining table will be enough. Others will want to go full-tilt with a tree, angels, lights, and mistletoe.

3. How do you inject your personal style to your Christmas décor?

SAMANTHA: (Especially true if you’re living with your family and each member has their own individual style.) You can try to unify the holidays with colour or a repetition of shapes, but when everyone has a different style, you have to make everyone feel included so let them express his/her holiday style even if it clashes a little bit – celebrate that. My mother used to let us decorate the tree however we wanted (once we covered the tree in our small stuffed toys!) It didn’t match her traditional red and green scheme and yet somehow it worked.

4. What advise do you have for people who live in small spaces with low ceilings (i.e. apartments / flats) and don’t want to miss out on decorating for Christmas?

SAMANTHA: Forgo the tree and decorate with branches and ornaments or mini cypress or rosemary trees.

5. Truth be told, in Asia, not many families are into throwing Christmas parties and putting up decorations. Hence, for people who are organising one for the first time:

a. What spaces should they focus on decorating?

SAMANTHA: The living or family room. Any communal spaces. People always gather in the kitchen. So fill a giant bowl with gold and red foil wrapped chocolates and a few ball ornaments (non-breakable).

b. What Christmas décor pieces should they invest on?
SAMANTHA: You don’t really need to invest to have a pretty Christmas. You can have a tree decorated in all one type of ornament which is simple easy and inexpensive. I never throw out a scrape of fabric ribbon. I use ribbon to wrap tree and cylinder vases, trim stockings, and of course wrap presents.

I love filling bowls with peppermint candies or a giant bowl lined with cedar and filled with mandarin oranges or clear glass jars with gingerbread men and chestnuts. Those are all food items that definitely say holiday and don’t go to waste.

Also, are there homemade décor ideas, too, as these pieces can be quite pricey here.

c. What are some inexpensive door gift ideas that you recommend?

SAMANTHA: Anything that’s edible. Chocolates, wine, fruit – it all gets used. I don’t like giving or receiving holiday décor items unless you really understand a person’s style.

Samantha Pynn: The Party