Preparation
“I call it Dunkin’ Donuts meets Hermès!” says Sharkey of his exuberant faux tree bedecked in fuchsia, orange, and coral handblown glass balls.
While it has a retro vibe (white flocked trees were all the rage in the ’50s and ’60s), Sharkey’s inspiration came from a distinctly contemporary point of view: that of Martha’s 6-year-old grandson. “We let Truman pick the palette-his favorite colors are pink and orange,” Sharkey says. For extra shimmer, he added elongated silver drops and clear glass orbs. It’s far from traditional, which is exactly the point. “Use whatever colors give you joy,” he says.
“I approach decorating trees the same way I do flower arrangements. I like to use color to create focal points.”
Three different sizes of glass globes were clustered and hung in irregular groups to keep Sharkey’s creation from looking too uniform or polka-dotted. Then he doubled down on the palette, wrapping presents in coordinating hues.
Feeling inspired? Watch how to decorate a white Christmas tree in another magical way:
