Stars at Home: Marcela Valladolid

Food Network star Marcela Valladolid decks her halls like no one else.

From: Food Network Magazine

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Photo By: Coral von Zumwalt

Tour Marcela's Holiday Home

It’s about 65 degrees and sunny in San Diego at Christmastime, but inside Marcela Valladolid’s house, it’s a winter wonderland. Marcelagoes all out for the holidays, decorating nearly every room with live garland, trees, and ornaments made by Mexican artisans — a nod to her heritage. Last Christmas, she and her fiancé, Philip, managed to go big even while she was nine months pregnant! Wall-to-wall holiday decorating is a tradition for Marcela: She remembers how festively her mom dressed up their house every Christmas when she and her two siblings were growing up in Tijuana. “She made sure everything for us was magical. I want my kids [Fausto, 13, David, 2, and Anna, 1] to remember everything—the fireplace, the cutouts on the mantel,” she says. “For me, it’s about creating those memories for them now.”

Warm Glow

The living room fireplace is old and tough to light, so Marcela fills it with pillar candles.

Mantel Art

Marcela’s 2-year-old, David, could spend hours staring at the Mexican village cutout that adorns the dining room mantel. She commissioned it from an architect friend in Mexico.

Foyer Tree

Marcela puts up three trees for Christmas. This is the one guests see when they enter, and it’s where the presents go. Marcela decorates it with simple red and metallic ornaments, so it’s the perfect spot for a family photo.

Traditional Decor

Marcela loves stocking up on new decorations, but it’s important to her to keep some favorites around (like these deer). “There’s something comforting about the same ornaments reappearing every year,” she says.

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