GMC Professional Grade Home Makeover Series
Home for the Holidays
By Diane Durie  |  Photography by Jennifer Boxley

GMC is excited to present the final installment of its Professional Grade Home Makeover Series contest.  For Jane and Mike Hines of Acworth, winning the Home for the Holidays Makeover has been the best Christmas gift they have ever received.

Developing A Plan
"When I toured the Roswell Woman's Club 2004 Showcase Home, I received a copy of Atlanta Magazine.  As I was browsing through the magazine, I noticed the GMC Professional Grade Home Makeover Series contest and decided to submit a two-minute video and brief article explaining why our home needed a boost for the holidays," explains Jane.  "Although I knew my house would provide great before-and-after photos, I never dreamed it would be picked.  When they called and said I won, I kept saying 'No way!  You're joking, right?'"  Shelly Dozier-McKee and Deirdre Staab of The Scarlet Tassel, Inc., an award-winning home décor and gift store in Sandy Springs, selected the winning entry.  "Jane was open to having her kitchen, dining room or family room decorated.  We chose the family room because it's the central hub of the home where they spend the most time," Shelly says.  "Plus, we saw a room with this incredible red brick fireplace that could be magically transformed into a very special place for the holidays."

Jane and Mike recently moved into their 27-year-old ranch-style home with their two teenage daughters, Lindsay and Katie, and their adorable Shih Tzu, Tootsie.  Their oldest daughter, Andrea, lives in her own apartment.  "When we met with Jane, we learned that she loves color, a traditional yet eclectic style of design and had no restrictions in terms of decorating as long as we didn't paint the fireplace," Shelly says.  "Although she described the family room as dark, brown and plain, she had a great foundation to start with.  She simply lacked the finishing touches that make a room homey, warm and inviting."

The Transformation
Thanks to the GMC Professional Grade Home Makeover Series, Atlanta Magazine, The Scarlet Tassel and 15 firms that generously donated their products and services, the Hines family's ho-hum family room has been transformed into a simply stunning showplace.  "Our main goal was to create a warm and welcoming space where they can build new family traditions and entertain over the holidays," says Shelly.  "We also wanted to design a room that could transition into everyday use after the holidays were over."  Shelly, Deirdre and Trish Burns, the in-house designer, chose dynamic colors, fabrics and textures, developed a livable space plan, established eye-catching focal points and added accessories, home furnishings and wall decor that perfectly express the Hines family's personal points of view.

A beautiful Christmas rug, donated by Peking Handicraft, Inc., positioned inside the foyer sets the stage for this memorable adventure.  Scarlet red, apple green, white and gold capture the essence of the GMC Home for the Holidays theme.  Using materials from The Sherwin Williams Co., Norris Cason of Luon - K.C. Services painted the white paneled walls a yellow-gold and then applied a darker hue to the built-in bookcases to add warmth and excitement.  Bree Ransom Designs faux-finished the walls with a tea-stained glaze.  "Space planning was our biggest challenge.  While the 18'-x-18' room is sizeable, they do have large-scale furniture," Shelly says.  "We solved this problem by repositioning the furniture away from the walls, which created a sense of intimacy and coziness."  Walnut furniture accents and lighting provided by GuildMaster strike a high note on style, while an antique brass tray table contributed by Dessau Home makes a definite color statement.

With its collection of miniature Christmas trees, sugared garland, stocking holders accented with birds from Midwest of Cannon Falls and an iron fire screen with Fleur de Lis accents from Dessau Home, the floor-to-ceiling fireplace functions as a fabulous focal point.  Needlepoint Christmas stockings, courtesy of Peking Handicraft, are hung from the mantle with care.  Corporate Art Services contributed the mirror with Fleur de Lis accents that graces the fireplace.  Sofas and chairs are plumped with holiday-themed pillows from Peking Handicraft and 123 Creations.  A handstitched pillow and stocking touting a Shih Tzu design from 123 Creations adds that perfect personal touch.

Much to Jane's delight, a fully lit, designer-decorated 7' mixed pine Christmas tree, courtesy of The Scarlet Tassel, makes a magical statement.  "I was hoping we would receive a new tree because our old one is way too tall," she says.  "Now we can send out Christmas cards with our family picture taken right in front of it."  Shelly adds, "The variety of different branches and an eclectic mix of ornaments add color, depth, visual interest and texture.  It also features fern leaves; holly and berry branches; hydrangea; green, red and gold Christmas balls in different shades and finishes; glass and crystal ornaments in snowflake, teardrop and diamond shapes; ribbons; and tassels.  Instead of a traditional tree topper, we chose a bouquet of amaryllis stems."  The Hines family was in for one more surprise tucked snugly under the tree: a holiday music collection provided by Somerset Entertainment, Inc.

"Dozens of candles donated by Paddywax and Root Candles played a big part in establishing the holiday theme," says Shelly.  "We scattered scarlet red, apple green and white scented and unscented candles in a variety of shapes and sizes around the room."  Home Essentials & Beyond provided whimsical, hand-painted dessert plates, coffee mugs, confetti motif glassware and a red tray that make entertaining easy and fun.  The windows flanking the fireplace boasted blinds, but no treatments.  "We picked out two beautiful fabrics from Lewis & Sheron Textile Co. that blend nicely with the room's furnishings and can stay up year-round.  To visually stretch the ceiling's 8' height, we placed the valances designed by Carlos Oliveira at a slightly higher level than the window," Shelly says.  "Finally, we added wall décor to bring the room to life.  It includes beautiful artwork featuring a collage of birds on branches from Corporate Art Services and brass candle wall sconces and shelves embellished with antique brass leaves from Dessau Home."  As an added bonus, Jane and 30 of her friends and family received a private shopping night at The Scarlet Tassel.  Shelly and Deirdre closed the store so the staff could personally assist with all their holiday shopping and gift-wrapping needs.

Help From The GMC Envoy XUV
Already a big fan of SUV's the Hines family quickly discovered the GMC Envoy XUV is the perfect vehicle for every home improvement project, lifestyle and season.  Did that needle-dropping, sappy Christmas tree leave a mess?  No problem!  The GMC Envoy XUV's QuickDrain™ system located in the all-weather cargo area makes cleaning a snap.  Simply raise the MidGate™ glass and hose the area out.  Two water troughs and six one-way drain valves help channel water out quickly at a rate of up to 30 gallons per minute.

Jane has a gift for refinishing furniture and is always on a quest for that perfect piece she can transform into a modern-day masterpiece.  She was completely wowed by the GMC Envoy XUV's dual-function tailgate and revolutionary, power-sliding rear roof that let you load and haul all kinds of large, tall cargo—upright.  The dual function tailgate drops down or swings open for easy access and also gives the most flexibility for loading and unloading heavy items.  One push of a button and the power-sliding rear roof opens, creating a 32"-by-32" opening.

Whether you're hauling bulky objects like ladders, bicycles and golfing gear, transporting bags of presents, stowing away suitcases for a holiday visit with family and friends or bringing home a freshly cut Christmas tree, the GMC Envoy XUV's fold-down MidGate™ provides expanded cargo room for all your needs.  Simply push the button from the overhead console to raise the power MidGate™ glass to seal-off the passenger compartment from the rear cargo area.  Or, lower the glass, fold and tumble the rear seats, and fold-down the MidGate™ flat to accommodate wide and long items like 4'-by-8' building sheets.  "I really like all of the GMC Envoy XUV's unique features that make it easy for women to handle on their own," Jane says.  "I'm usually out by myself or I just don't want to bug my husband for help."

Wrapping Up
Jane and Mike are amazed by their family room's transformation into a sparkling holiday showcase and consider themselves extremely fortunate to be chosen for the GMC Professional Grade Home Makeover Series.  "We're so grateful to GMC and Atlanta Magazine.  Winning this contest has meant so much to us because it has been such a big gift and everyone has been so wonderful," Jane says.

From the beautiful holiday décor to the private shopping evening, the Hines family also greatly appreciates all the products and services that The Scarlet Tassel and their resources graciously contributed to help make the GMC Home for the Holidays Makeover a success.  "This has been such an exciting experience.  I don't care whether it's Christmas or not, I'm going to keep a little bit of the decorations out all year long to keep everyone in the holiday spirit."

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