Frosted pink glasses, glimmering candle sticks, metallic touches—just some of the genius ways Eddie Ross styled our November Style Guide. We sat  down with Eddie, co-founder and chief content office of Maximalist Studios (read more about Eddie here)  and Jaithan Kochar to talk all things holiday—from new hues to embrace to colonial gingerbread houses. 

Read on, and prepare to be inspired beyond the traditional tinsel. 

Think winter pink: A behind-the-scenes look at our November Style Guide.

A modern aesthetic for holiday entertaining would be to think outside the box of a holiday color palette. And instead of using one big arrangement, try smaller groupings. I think a more modern take on setting a table is not using a full table cloth but using modern placements instead. 

For J. McLaughlin, I did a table setting in a frosty palette of peach, pink, silver and gold with accents of vintage mercury glass ornaments. I kept it modern with the all-white glass, the brushed gold flatware and the mix of china.

Winter Rose: A moment from our November  Style Guide with Eddie Ross

Seen Here: Roslyn Coat, Watson Jean, Clara Sweater,  Dillon Loafer

To create not just a holiday mood but a winter one you can use from December through February, I would opt for frosted hurricanes, candles, and small touches of winter throughout the house. You can swap out your throw pillows for faux fur and use spray frost on mirrors and windows. You can also add a really cool stack of wood next to the fireplace. Sprigs of greenery placed throughout the house will last a long time. And for candle light, switch out normal candle sticks with twig candles for a woodland touch.

 Lastly, be sure to light good scented candles from Diptyque or Jo Malone. 

: My favorite holiday menu items have to be a crown roast and a beef wellington. I also make my great grandmother's polish perogies. I’ll definitely make a croquembouche or a bûche de Noël. The other thing I’m going to do this year is make a gingerbread house of our 1923s center colonial from homemade gingerbread.

On a silver tray: Eggnog at Eddie’s photo by Emily Genzer

What am I drinking? I always make a big bowl of frothy eggnog and definitely something with pomegranate and blood oranges. Some of my favorite holiday cocktails are a blood orange martini, pomegranate juice and champagne, and an ice-cold dirty martini.

Santa’s Little Helper—Chutney, Eddie & Jaithan’s four-legged friend, gets in the holiday spirit

Can’t go wrong with the Mariah Carey station on Pandora. We also love the Puppini Sisters holiday station and of course the original Christmas classics. For more of an upbeat vibe, we do a Pandora station with Bing Crosby's Happy Holidays (Beef Wellington Remix).

‘Tis The Season For Host & Hostess gifts, Door by  Eddie Ross

- I always say vintage as a go-to because I feel like I know my friends well enough and their style that I can find something unique that has history and charm — sterling silver barware, serving pieces, etc.

- I love giving people a great coffee table book on topics they’re interested in 

- A cool bottle of wine with an antique wine opener

- Twig taper candles in a color they love

- And one of my favorite one-stop-shops for great gifts is the Little House Shop in Wayne, PA

All of the lights: A very Eddie Ross holiday

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had real Christmas trees, but last year I found my new favorite tree — it’s a great faux tree pre-lit from Terrain. I still do a real tree in the living room so it smells like Christmas, but in the family room, I use the faux version so the heat from the gas fireplace won’t affect it. I decorated it in a glam woodland style with birds, pinecones, icicles and glass-glittered deer. 

I also found these really great exterior lights which are light-up branches that I wrap around the garland at the front of the house — it's just so pretty! I also got those at Terrain last year. It’s dangerous having one practically in our backyard in Devon, PA.