Entering the the River Island home of Jason and Gina Adams, the thrills of Christmas envelop you all at once. From the front door swags to the cozy porch fireplace, Christmas cheer fills the air.
Interior designer Gina Speegle, the mastermind behind this beautiful wonderland, says that when decorating a home, several factors help determine the end result. She feels that it's important to consider the size of the space, to choose colors that are pleasing to the homeowners, and to incorporate items sentimental to the family.
She says, “I love taking things that are special to them and working to make the decor more personal and feel like their home. I use what they have and find new things to freshen up the look.”
When it comes to Christmas décor, Gina Speegle prefers for each room theme to reflect the general function and purpose of the room.
“I like the family room to be cozy,” Gina Speegle says, “for there to be a nice plump tree where every ornament has a story, for it to have their children’s ornaments and things that are sentimental that they’ve collected over the years.”
Gina Adams adds, “We have a few sets of Thomas Pacconi painted ornaments, and when the kids (Joshua and Jonah) were young, they each had their favorites to hang on the tree. We haven’t used them in years, so it was neat to see those emerge and be used again.”
In the formal dining room, Gina Speegle likes a more elegant approach. “We put in a tall, skinny tree with gold decorations so that it will accent the beautiful painting by Debbie Real. It’s best to keep it simple. In the kitchen," she continues, "we used a lot of the black and white buffalo plaid and mixed it with a little red.”
There’s a hot chocolate station that can be used all winter in the kitchen, and on the back porch, there is a fireplace, so Gina created a s’mores station that is ready for family and friends to use at any time.
On having an interior designer, Gina Adams says, “Gina helps me add some color and patterns to keep things from being plain and boring. She always takes into account our tastes—to make sure it’s our style.” When asked which room her favorite is, she says, “It’s hard to pick!”
The home was recently built by BEC Homes. Gina Speegle says, “When the builder does such a fabulous job, it makes an interior designer’s work so much less stressful.”
Gina Speegle has been an interior designer in the Augusta area for 34 years. In 2019, Gina opened Gina Speegle Interiors. She and her intern, Abigail Schaefer, worked together on the Adams home.