Delaware Today magazine 302 Home: Holiday decorating with Denise Hindes of Centreville

by Eileen Smith Dallabrida Published November 9, 2011 at 05:27 PM

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A poinsettia, berries and greens dress up a table in the dining area.

Most of the year, Denise Hindes keeps her holiday ornaments neatly packed away.

Her creative spirit remains out of the box, at work day in and day out like Santa’s elves. After all, you never know where inspiration will find you. One of her earliest design influences, in fact, was her mother, who made spaces lovely—and did it for a living.

“She was a florist and I learned to make bows from her,” Hindes recalls.

At her traditional, two-story home in Centreville, a big, red poinsettia is a festive centerpiece on a rustic table in an open dining area adjoining the kitchen. Natural bouquets of berries, pine needles and pine cones, all gathered up with metallic gold and white ribbons, are tied to the top rung of ladder-back chairs.

“The ribbons have wires in them, so you can crunch up the bows for storage and then pull them back into shape the next year,” she says.

Last year, the Hindes’ home was featured on the Delaware Art Museum’s annual holiday tour, a source of decorating ideas for more than 25 years. In addition to house tours, Hindes also scours magazines and visits public spaces that are decorated for the season.

“I try to get to Longwood Gardens every year,” she says. “I take lots of pictures.”

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