Suburban New York is a
long way from the tiny German village
where Gunda Sabel-Sheehan grew up.
Yet the village’s influence on her home is
evident— especially at Christmas. “The area
I ’m from is only 20 minutes from Denmark, so
everything I grew up w ith is very Danish. The
types of food, the drinks, the candles we use.”
Gunda’s Christmas decorating o f her 1920s
raised-ranch home relies on traditional
Scandinavian materials. Paper, felt, wood,
straw, and linen are crafted in whim sical forms
suited to a fam ily w ith children. And if the
items are handmade and eco-friendly, all the
better. This is the same aesthetic Gunda brings
to Field, her home and fashion boutique in
Carchmont, New York
(field n y.com
) . “There
are all these artists doing incredibly creative
things w ith reused materials, putting together
great colors and great shapes,” she says.
W hile the playful ornaments and classic
greenery are fun, she and her husband, Chris,
emphasize that the “things” are a backdrop to
spending tim e w ith loved ones. On December
24, the immediate fam ily gathers for w hat
Chris calls “a long beautiful dinner” o f crab,
mussels, salmon, and oysters, harkening to his
childhood on Cape Cod and hers near the
Baltic Sea. The couple also tweaks the German
tradition o f Christmas food markets held
throughout December by hosting a
g lu h w e in
(German-style mulled w ine) party around
their outdoor fire pit. “ It ’s about looking back
on the year and being grateful,” says Gunda.
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156 DECEMBER 2009 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
