Every November 1, the Halloween décor comes down and finds its collective way into storage. In quick succession, the boxes of Christmas decorations come out of attic hibernation and into the basement, first and second floors of the century-old Hampden Heights residence Katie, her husband Matthew and daughter Addison called home for nine years until this past spring.
“I start decorating as soon as Halloween is over,” Katie says. “I love to have everything done early. I pack up Halloween as soon as the trick-or-treating ends.”
A Beautiful Memory
While that home has welcomed new owners, the holiday decor of its 2021 Christmas past is preserved in family photos, in Katie’s Facebook posts and on these pages. And, Katie’s style, process and passion for Christmas decorating can apply to other residences as well. In fact, as an award-winning real estate agent, she’s more than happy to share seasonal decorating tips and does so on her very active Facebook page.
The Broskeys’ former home is a circa 1929 Tudor-style all-stone stunner built by a Carpenter Steel executive. It boasts a turret, slate roof, two wood-burning fireplaces and curved open doorways. The main floor consists of a living room, dining room, expanded kitchen and great room addition.
There is a master bedroom with en suite bath, two other bedrooms and another bath, all off the upstairs hallway. The basement level, Matt’s domain, has wood paneling, a half-bath, stone wood burning fireplace, and hand-painted tiled flooring.
Added to the original footprint is a backyard flagstone terrace with a Berks County brownstone retaining wall, outdoor stovetop and fireplace, and a waterfall feature and koi pond. The 3,500-square-foot residence also has wrought-iron stair rails and deep windowsills, boons for seasonal decorations and displaying objects de art…and holiday greenery.
In her Reading home, Katie put up five 7-foot or taller trees as well as placing small trees throughout the many rooms. These trees are of the artificial genre. The “real” one arrives later. Katie likes to say that no matter where anyone stands in the home, one could always see at least two trees – a few more than during her growing up years.
“My parents had one tree, maybe two,” she recalls, “and the family always decorated the tree.”
An Organized Approach
Katie’s approach to holiday decorating is systematic.
“My set-up time is two weeks,” she says, “so I really focus on it. I’m an organized person so I have everything labeled for each tree and room. I start in the formal living room and with the mantel and the windowsills there.”
Pencil trees dominate -— two in the entryway alone — and each has a theme of sorts. One of her favorites is a peacock-themed tree that stood at the top of the stairs. The inspiration was to have the peacock ornaments complement the jewel tones of the carpet.
“I take it one tree at a time,” she says. “I focus first on getting everything I want for it.”
Planning ahead – she likes to add another tree honoring Addison’s birthdays – is both helpful and economical.
“I always shop post-Christmas at Boscov’s, Riverview Gardens and other shops for good quality pieces,” she says, “and I always make sure to label the bins.”
Her young daughter is already an avid holiday assistant.
“Addison loves it and helps with everything,” she says. “She’s at the age (5) where she can help. She has certain spots where she knows things go. She helps with unwrapping and wrapping the ornaments in bubble wrap.”
The “real” tree is a feature of the large dining room. The Broskeys favor Frazier furs. Their go-to source is the Beck Tree Farm in northern Berks. The weekend after Thanksgiving, weather permitting, is harvest time and the family, particularly Addison, enjoys the wagon ride to find and cut the perfect tree.
“This tradition is really good for our daughter,” says Katie.
A tree of six-and-one-half feet fits perfectly in the dining room next to one of the two built-in corner cabinets facing Alsace Road. The circa 1920s dining set — table, chairs and china cabinet — were gifted by a friend and perfectly complement the age of the house while affording ample space for the tree that boasts multi-color bubble lights, popcorn garland and tinsel highlighting its treasured ornaments.
“I call it my keepsake tree,” says Katie. “The ornaments mark different milestones of our lives.”
Bringing the Beach Home
Each summer the family travels to Ocracoke Island in North Carolina and every Christmas a new handcrafted ornament from there joins the sentimental adornments. One of her favorites is a “baby’s first Christmas tree” trinket gifted to her by her mother along with a ceramic tree that, she says, “is a lot older than me.” That tree is part of Katie’s ceramic glass tree collection on display in the dining room. When it comes to Christmas lights, Katie’s displays run the gamut from mid-century multi-colored strings to bubble lights to miniature lights and now those with LED illumination.
“I love a mix, especially incorporating an old-fashioned, vintage vibe in the dining room,” she says.
Most of the pencil trees have warm white mini lights. Two flocked pencil trees become fraternally lit companions – one in white, the other multi-colored. Katie’s “starting” point, the expansive living room, is dominated by three features: a large fireplace and mantel, a six-foot-high pier mirror and an antique square grand piano. For Christmas 2021, the mantel was adorned with a mélange of small trees, miniature houses and a church, a pinkish reindeer at the center, a couple of candles, sparse evergreen sprigs intertwined with a string of decorative cube lights and a homemade garland of hard candies. Attached to the mantel are four sizable heavy gray fur stockings. Standing guard of it all is a three-foot nutcracker who is moved safely aside when the fireplace is fired up. Nearby, a small Santa stands whimsically assessing it all. The pier mirror is placed opposite the fireplace, making the living room seem even larger and dispersing the many lights.
The Sound of Christmas
The American-made 1876 Centennial Edition Emerson Square Grand Piano is the attention grabber of the space and replaced its predecessor, a Hazelton Brothers piano, in early 2018. Katie, an accomplished pianist since childhood, researched and looked at a number of pianos before deciding on this elaborately carved and engineered unique piano (the keys get longer from left to right) that weighs 800 pounds.
“Each Christmas (starting in elementary school) I would usually have some type of piano solo in my school’s band/chorus Christmas concert…and boy would I be nervous,” she recalls. “My family would always ask that I play them songs during our annual extended family Christmas Eve party. My (late) grandfather Clifford Sloppy would always ask me to play The Little Drummer Boy; it was his favorite Christmas song. I think of him every time I hear the song. My grandmother Eleanor Sloppy helped me to purchase this antique square grand piano which ties this all together.”
The sounds of the holidays poured through the first-floor rooms that easily transition one to another through the entryway hallway and generous openings. A great-room addition between the remodeled open-concept kitchen and dining room hosted the largest tree — a pre-lit 12-footer. The open-wooden beam work pays tribute to the home’s Tudor-inspired construction. An enormous Palladian-style window brings in abundant light.
Outside Lights
While Katie and Addison handled the indoor décor, the man of the house took on the exterior.
“The outside décor is 98 percent Matt,” says Katie. “He does the two porch pots, the bushes, lines the walkway and makes sure there are blow-ups, Mr. Grinch and Santa among them, for Addison.”
Matt, an Oley Valley School District educator and administrator, also pays tribute to his country.
“He is a Marine Corps veteran and works with red, white and blue lights,” she says.
While neighbors and passersby on foot, cycle and vehicle can enjoy the view from the road, it’s a lucky group of family friends that spend time with the Broskeys during the holidays.
“Every year we have an ugly sweater Christmas party, and it’s always a great time,” she says.
