For the past few years, Cara Fox and The Fox Group team, a design and architecture firm, have been honored with the project of designing and decorating the halls of the Utah Governor’s Mansion on South Temple. When all glammed up for the holidays, the Governor’s Mansion transforms into a glittering, festive interior as if, well, pulled from the pages of a magazine. The tradition of decorating the mansion for the holiday is almost as old as the Kearns Mansion itself, built more than 120 years ago for Thomas Kearns and his family.
Fox works annually with the governor’s First Lady to design a Christmas tree and mantel décor around a predetermined theme. For instance, the theme for 2023 was “A Storybook Christmas,” and the theme for 2022 was “The Roaring ’20s,” celebrating the beauty of the past and present coming together, as well as a revolutionary decade—much like the 1920s.
Over a months-long planning process and a full day of festive installation, Fox and the mansion’s team paired pearls and plumes, feathers and other fashionable Golden Age baubles to grace the 12-foot holiday tree and two stone mantels in one of the home’s front rooms.
“One of the mantels features a pair of really valuable Liberace-style marble statues, so to avoid moving those too much we kept that mantel simpler,” Fox says. “The other, we decked all out with plumes, all sorts of ribbons and different types of garlands.” But, as we all know, come Christmastime, the tree is the centerpiece of any home’s decor.
To get a designer look for your own tree, Cara Fox shares her insight in creating a photo-worthy Christmas tree. Just like the holiday décor for the Governor’s Mansion, Fox suggests choosing a theme for your own home’s decoration, whether it’s a color palette or a unifying concept, a theme makes the result more cohesive. Choosing a theme can give your tree an elegant appearance while keeping it from looking cluttered and overstuffed.
A theme can offer the chance to surprise with the decorations. As with adorning the tree in the Governor’s Mansion with pearls and feathers to complement the First Lady’s “Roaring ’20s” theme, Fox says, “Put something unexpected on your tree.”
Be sure to avoid the common mistake of forgetting to decorate the backside of the tree. Filling and adorning the whole tree equally—using greenery fillers like eucalyptus leaf twigs to add depth and texture where needed—is a straightforward way to step up the design. Ribbons and bows can also help add interest and fill space on a Christmas tree.
When it comes to lights on the tree, Fox says, “Warm white is our favorite because it adds a cozy sparkle while allowing the other colors to shine.” A good rule of thumb is 100-150 lights for every 2 feet of the tree.
On that note, don’t forget something sparkly. “We love having at least one sparkling element like simple tinsel or glitter ornaments to make the tree shine even more,” she says.
Trees need accessories as well. A tree skirt adds color and personality to your tree, and an appropriately sized tree topper “Let the top of the tree stand out so it brings the eye upward,” says Fox.
Finally, Fox says you should also have a personal touch on the tree, “like an heirloom ornament or a monogrammed item.”
It’s a way of adding something meaningful to you and your family.
Holiday Tours of the Governor’s Mansion
Each year, the Utah State Governor invites citizens to tour the official governor’s residence, the Kearns Mansion on South Temple. This year’s holiday open house and tours will be held on Dec. 11 and 18. Admission is free, but registration is required through Preservation Utah at preservationutah.org.
For 2024, The Fox Group, in collaboration with the First Lady of Utah, envisioned a celebration of the Utah winter landscapes. “This year’s tree and accompanying décor feature representations of the state’s wildlife,” Fox says. “Playful foxes, wise owls, industrious beavers and bounding rabbits lend a delightful spirit to the décor and remind us of the vibrant life that thrives in Utah’s woodlands.”
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