Some Christmas decorations are so iconic that the people behind them become synonymous with the season itself. Everyone knows the Griswolds for their blinding house lights, Ralphie Parker for his family’s infamous leg lamp, and Buddy the Elf for his blizzards of paper snowflakes. In Baton Rouge, those people are the Cheathams.

From the foyer’s whimsical baubles and garlands to the living room’s nostalgic ornaments and nutcrackers, every corner of the family’s Bocage home has its own take on the holiday. It’s a style that’s playfully elegant, fancifully refined, classically contemporary and unmistakably theirs.

Anyone visiting Katie and Steven Cheatham’s house after their halls are decked would be hard-pressed to believe that they haven’t always been Christmas fanatics. Their shared festive fervor took root at Katie’s first wedding shower.

“My mother-in-law gave me a Christmas shower, and I would suggest it to anybody,” Katie says. “When people get married, they usually have two homes and are mostly going to have what they need. But when it comes to the holidays, they don’t really have all that. When we got married, I had massive amounts of ornaments and decorations, like my snow village. That just spurred my love of Christmas.”

Katie’s nascent Christmas collection was a herald of what was to come. Her stockpile grew exponentially every year, so much so that Steven designed their home with decorations and storage in mind. Drawing on years of building experience, he planned a spacious garage closet for holiday trimmings and strategically placed outlets throughout the home for lights.

The Cheathams swoon over Southern Vernacular features like brick, wood beams and heart pine floors. As a third-generation specialist in heart pine and historic masonry, Steven is steeped in it. Naturally, their home showcases those elements alongside modern touches, blending old with new.

There was more for the Cheathams to consider while drafting house plans beyond aesthetic and Christmas décor—namely, the people who would enjoy it. As avid entertainers, they made sure each room had ample seating and space to move freely. The kitchen island seats five while leaving plenty of room for meal prep, giving it a chef’s table feel. The dining room can accommodate 10 dinner guests at the drop of a Santa hat, and the arrangement of the living room furniture gives it an almost conversation-pit quality, still leaving plenty of clearance for opening gifts under the tree and huddling in front of the fireplace.

Of course, the home’s functionality for its residents was at the forefront of its design. Though their two oldest, Madison and Everett, have left the nest, Steven and Katie made sure they would have a place to land when visiting. Particular attention was given to their youngest’s accommodations. With the help of residential designer Mike Hogstrom and builder Jack Poe, Steven and Katie developed a blueprint with two primary bedrooms: one for themselves and one for their daughter, Mary Claire.

“Our 17-year-old, as of now, will always live with us or locally because she has special needs,” Katie says. “We wanted her to have that space that’s hers, but we’ve found that that’s a trend that’s picking up. A lot of people in this younger generation are moving back home, and you now have mixed generations cohabiting. It works for us, but it also adds to the resale value of the house.”

For home décor, the Cheathams called on designer and longtime friend Shane Griffin. He’s become something of a Renaissance man, opening his store March by Shane Griffin Designs, going viral on TikTok courtesy of Real Housewives star Bethenny Frankel, and launching a local goods distribution business. Still, interior design remains his priority.

“I’m always open to something new,” Griffin says of his latest ventures. “Two years ago, I never would have dreamed that I would be shipping candied jalapenos and chicken salad or doing the social media thing. But I’ve been doing design work for 11 years, and I’d say that’s really my main focus.”

Katie knew Griffin before his TikTok fame, and what started as a friendship became a lasting collaborative partnership. “He did pretty much everything in the interior of the house,” Katie says. “Ultimately, my husband and I planned the layout of the house because we knew our needs, especially with our daughter, but I felt like he really listened to me. I’m opinionated, and it can be hard to find a designer that doesn’t stifle you and you don’t stifle them. I’m respectful of artists, and that’s what designers are. He was willing to work with me and meet me in the middle. Now, my husband and I both consider him to be a good friend.”

Among the Cheathams’ reasons for hiring Griffin was his respect for decorative items precious to them. Their décor has always honored family ties, and thanks to Steven’s family’s penchant for salvaging architectural gems, Griffin had plenty of design elements at his disposal. Of particular importance were a concrete medallion and an exterior sign saved from downtown’s old Paramount Theater before it was demolished. Griffin also understood the Cheathams’ love of bold colors and managed to seamlessly marry their heirlooms with vivid fabrics and artwork, such as the beloved Ashley Longshore painting in their foyer.

“My husband bought that piece,” Katie says. “His favorite color is gray, so it was a total shock to me. It was so sweet. I literally could not stop smiling. So almost all of the colors throughout the house stem from that painting.”

Griffin’s work for the Cheathams didn’t end with their move-in. They have a standing annual appointment with him for his Christmas decorating services.

“I’ve done Christmas decorating for about 20 years now,” says Griffin. “Some of my clients just trust whatever I choose to do and don’t have much of an opinion, and then I have clients like Katie who have an idea of what they want. That’s what’s great about working with her. She tells you what’s on her mind, and it’s easier to be on the same page about what you’re working towards.”

For the foyer, that vision ties back to the Longshore painting, its vivid colors inspiring the garlands, ribbons and ornaments. One tree is devoted entirely to Longshore’s annual ornament releases, which Katie has collected for years.

The living room tree is more traditional, decked in Christopher Radko ornaments and nutcrackers gifted to the children by their grandmother. Silver and gold accents trim the dining room, patio and primary bedroom. Mary Claire has a tree in her bedroom for the first time this year, though her tastes skew toward subtle beauty. Even without lights and tinsel, a tree evokes the spirit of the season.

“We look back and think about how far our family has come in terms of being able to celebrate every day the gifts we’ve been given, the grace we’ve been shown, and how to make the best of every single moment,” Katie says. “It’s motivating to me to try to capture those moments of pure joy and appreciation for one another. To stop and make somebody happy and make them feel special— that’s what it’s about for me. Every day is a gift. Every year is a gift. Christmas makes you remember that.”

1 of 8