The holiday season is a decorator’s dream

CEDAR RAPIDS - Christmas reigns at the Minor and Suzanne Barnes home on Cottage Grove Lane in southeast Cedar Rapids. The holidays are king in this 2,400 square-foot Georgian home: Sophisticated and elegant, but warm and inviting, all in a classic, traditional mode.

From the pink brick exterior to the handsome wood-paneled living room centered by a marble-surround fireplace, to a dining room table set with Spode Christmas china and a Winter Garden centerpiece, to a master bedroom warmed by family heirloom furniture and a jaunty wreath twirled around a bedpost - the house radiates an enthusiastic 'Welcome!” to holiday visitors.

It's an enthusiasm that emanates from its chief decorator, the vivacious Suzanne Barnes, who looks upon Christmas decorating as one of life's greatest joys. 'I love decorating for Christmas so much that I don't have anything I like least,” the dimpled Suzanne will tell you. 'It's the anticipation of being with family and friends” that brings the 'joie de vivre” to her.

And Minor? Minor is deep into admiring, leaving the decorating expertise to his wife. Suzanne chimes in with an insightful observation: 'He pays for everything. Otherwise, none of this would be happening!”

And happen it does. Accenting the spacious five-room, two-bedroom home are five very different tabletop trees, reflecting the varied nuances of the holiday season. They're Victorian, Champagne, Animal Farm, Nutcracker and - Children's!

Showcasing Suzanne's native decorating flair are such items as a gleaming copper watering can filled with fresh white roses and hydrangea in pave fashion, stationed below the dining room's Champagne Tree (so named because of its champagne-colored bows and ornaments on silver branches), then a wooden trug (cq) gardening basket, now filled with the tall, elegant 'paperwhites” (cq) and punctuating a granite island in the kitchen. Large, lush wreaths are seen throughout the house, spritely red berries peeking through their greenery, and streamers of red or white ribbons cascading in fulsome glory.

Pine cone garlands trail across the fireplace mantel in the living room, interspersed with faux berries and tiny lights, a perfect complement to the wood paneling and the classic fireplace.

Longtime Colonial Williamsburg fans, Suzanne and Minor Barnes have embedded those touches throughout the house, including shiny brass locks on three doors, replicas of ones seen in that historic village in Virginia.

The stately home and how the couple found it started years ago. The Barneses, now married for 52 years, once lived at the end of their lane in another Colonial Williamsburg-inspired house, but moved to South Carolina upon Minor's retirement from the law firm of Pickens, Barnes & Abernathy in 1996. The call of children (two adult sons, Tom and Bill) and two grandchildren lured them back in September of 2013 after 17 years in the South.

This house (originally built by Walt and Betty Keller of the longtime Cedar Rapids business Keller-Hull Co., now gone), was for sale and the Barneses loved it - but spent a year before returning in order to enlarge and renovate it, including a new security system, steps they took to fit their current lifestyle.

Installed throughout were tigerwood floors (also called Brazilian cherry) that add an aura of richness. The kitchen was expanded to a generous 20-by-17.5 feet and belongs in the pages of 'Architectural Digest,” what with its granite 9.5-by-3.5-foot island, handsome cabinetry, mullioned windows and elegant tole lamp. Also added was the master bedroom, designed with a cheery fireplace and a master bath that has a shower big enough to hold a party!

The atmosphere is elegant, but the season is Christmas, and the renovations have lent themselves beautifully to highlighting holiday décor.

Vying for the Most Striking Room honor, however, is the 25-by-24-foot living room, cocooned in rich pine paneling, centered by the striking fireplace - and on the floor, an heirloom antique Oriental rug of 17-by-10-foot dimensions. It once belonged to Minor's family. Bonus: Its raspberry background color only enhances the colors of the Christmas season. Overlooking the room are three large prints of the master printmaker, the late Mauricio Lasansky (cq) of Iowa City.

'We call this our Everything Room,” says the ever-cheerful Suzanne, 'because it's our living room, den, family room - everything!” Proving the point, besides the comfortable leather sofa and Wingback Chairs for Two by the fireplace, is an unobtrusive widescreen TV and a granite wet bar nestled covertly against one paneled wall.

Not to be outshone is the 12.5-by-10-foot dining room, the table set in full holiday regalia. Twin five-armed candelabra from Minor's late mother accent the ends, with the Winter statue (of the Four Seasons) in the center, surrounded by pine boughs, magnolia leaves and punctuated with white roses in miniature bowls. Each place setting has linen heirloom napkins in antique rings, and is completed with goblets of silver and crystal.

It's the décor that puts the style in holiday decorating, but it's the family that puts in the warmth. Minor says it's all family: 'Even when we lived in the South, usually we had most of the family together at Christmas.”

Suzanne tells of their Christmas Eve tradition with their sons and grandchildren: 'We put a table in front of the fireplace, and have a dinner of beef tenderloin, scalloped oysters, baked cranberries and a green salad, probably with hearts of palm and artichoke hearts. Then we finish with pink peppermint ice cream with hot fudge sauce. It's a favorite menu every year.”

Sometimes for friends the Barneses host a holiday 'Champagne and Oysters Rockefeller” cocktail party, a late afternoon event.

Asked about her fondest Christmas memory, Suzanne recalls 'When I was about 6 or 7, I wanted Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls. When I walked in the living room on Christmas morning, there they were! My mother had made them, but at the time I probably thought they were from Santa.”

And wonder of wonders, Suzanne proudly brings them out today, showing the tiny hearts, front and back, that her mother had so carefully stitched on Raggedy Ann, with the words 'I love you” in the center.

And that, Virginia, is what Christmas is all about.