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Anjela Eubank decorates the staircase at the Saw Hill home of Tom and Marie Anderson. Eubank previously helped the Andersons decorate their home, including arranging the family photos on the wall.
"It's just awesome what some balls and ribbon can do," says Eubank, as she decorates the dining room chandelier.
Marie Anderson (left) watches in amazement as Anjela Eubank transforms her house with little details such as adding cranberries to a candle holder.
Eubank suggests layering different elements and clustering ornaments in groups of three. |
WITH A BLENDED family of seven children, two grand children and a 35-hour-a-week job, Marie Anderson has little free time.
So when it came to decorating her 4,000-square-foot Colonial home in Spotsylvania County’s Saw Hill subdivision for the holidays, she turned to a friend.
Not just any friend.
For the last four years, Anjela Eubank has owned and operated Changing Spaces, which does just what the name says: She transforms rooms or whole homes into designer-looking showplaces.
For Eubank, she’ll spend the next three hours taking the regal main level of Anderson’s home up a notch with an array of holiday trimmings—all of which Anderson already owns.
“My whole philosophy is to work with whatever people have,” said Eubank, securing garland with floral wire along a winding staircase in the foyer. “I believe most people have good taste, they just don’t know what to do with their stuff.”
Green plastic contain ers with Christmas deco rations spilling out dot the family room, kitchen, dining room and foyer of Anderson’s home.
At first, Anderson wasn’t sure her Christmas finery would pass muster with Eubank.
“It’s intimidating,” said Anderson, who will have about 20 people ver on Christmas day. “I thought I had ordinary stuff. But she said she could use about 90 percent of what I had.”
Eubank restates her philosophy.
“I don’t impose my values on people,” she said. “I want to know what they think makes their homes look special.”
In no time, the foyer is complete. The garland is laced with ribbon, ornaments and pinecones, all seamlessly twisted into place.
Then it’s on to the family room. Anderson already has a fully decorated tree standing near the center of the room. No domestic slouch herself, Anderson hand-stitched stockings for her entire brood. They hang next to the fireplace.
In this room, Eubank does little, but her small touches bring the space to life. A spray of garland with gold balls, sugared fruit, silk flowers, white candles and ribbon is draped along the mantel. A centerpiece of candles is put on a coffee table and a few touches are added to the tree.
Crèches, both ceramic and wooden, are displayed throughout the down stairs. Christmas balls knotted together with ribbon hang from the chandeliers.
In the dining room, Eubank swaps china in a hutch for festive holiday dinnerware, giving the room some added pizzazz.
Despite her decorating flair, Eubank hasn’t always been in the redesign business.
With a background in education and hotel sales marketing, she spent the past five years working for Hospice Support Care.
“After years of doing that kind of work, I needed a change,” Eubank said. “I wanted to do something a little more fun.”
But her creative juices have always bubbled to the surface.
During a leave of absence, Eubank’s friends asked her to help dress up their homes.
“That’s when I decided maybe I should go into my own business,” she said.
Eubank remains on the board of directors for Hospice Support Care.
“My heart is still there and with people grieving or living with the terminally ill,” she said.
Today, she has several clients who want her to pick out the right furniture to make a room cozy, remake a home office or punch up a house with seasonal décor.
“I’m always decorating in my head,” said Eubank, 51. “If I’m in a doctor’s office, I’m mentally rearranging things.”
In just under three hours, Anderson’s home looks festive and inviting. (It also doesn’t hurt that the house is filled with the aroma of snicker doodles hot out of the oven.)
Before Eubank heads out to another assignment, the two women assess the outcome.
“This is nicer than I could ever have imagined,” Anderson says, glancing upward at the stair case.
For more of Eubank's design creations, check out her Web site at chngspcs.com.
To reach ELIZABETH PEZZULLO: 540/354-5421 epezzullo@ freelancestar.com
