INSIDER’S VIEW
The Duke of Decoupage shares his love of classic vintage-style holiday decor and how to deck the halls like it’s 1899. TEXT KARL LOHNES
John Derian
John Derian is a maker of things. He established his eponymous company in 1989 and now employs a staff to assist in the making of his vintage-inspired creations. Today, his shops and online retail site are where to go for new and antique home decor items, as well as art, antiques and furniture. John’s love of traditional holiday decor is evident in the decoupage and ornaments he designs. We spoke to him about those collections and how to incorporate traditional holiday style into our homes.
John Derian (left) is a more-is-more kind of guy. A bowl of megaornaments (above) and a feather tree (opposite) are part of his personal collection.
KL: What inspires you the most when designing holiday decor items?
JD: I do love the 19th century, so, true to form, I love all that classical decor. For holidayrelated decoupage, I always look for iconic imagery, something to bring warmth and cheer, something to display, celebrate and cherish. I’m most inspired by images of evergreen trees, holly and classic Santa images.
KL: Do you have a favourite ornament that you have created – a holiday classic?
JD: I design decoupage ornaments, but I also 38 |
STYLEATHOME.COM DECEMBER 2021
sell hand-blown and hand-painted glass ornaments, so I must say it’s a toss-up between a pickle and a mushroom. The pickle is a German tradition. Usually, you would hide a pickle on the tree for others to find – larger ones for smaller children and smaller ones for older people. I go to a trade show every year in Germany and most vendors have varying pickle styles, so now we probably have 30 different
pickle styles. Mushrooms are a favourite thing of mine in general – whether they be papier mâché, cement, ceramic or wooden, I gravitate towards them. There is something so magical about them. A few vendors were making mushroom ornaments and then, like the pickles, I kept finding more. This year, I’m going to display probably 50 different mushrooms on one big tree in the shop.
