A Foraged Christmas Branch: A Charlie Brown-Inspired Christmas Tree by Amy Ilias
We’ve been noting the slow rise of sparse-chic, Charlie Brown-style Christmas trees in the homes of trendsetters the past few years. Photography by Amy Ilias. Amy and her husband, artist Jim Denney, started the tradition of the holiday branch back in 2010. After moving into a large Victorian in the Hudson Valley (see the house tour here), they transitioned to much larger, free-standing branches. The branches are each secured to planks of wood with long screws. It was around the holidays, and he was reading Richard Power’s beautiful book The Overstory [a novel about trees and the interconnectedness of everything]. Amy decorates the branches with colorful ornaments, beads, and, of course, string lights. Pictured on the left are the branches they foraged for the 2021 holidays. Pictured on the right is where they found those branches that year: in a brush pile next to a parking lot near their home. A few days after we connected with Amy about her branches, they came crashing down, likely from one of the couple’s three overzealous cats. To see Amy and Jim’s inspiring home, check out The Lavender Ghost: In the Hudson Valley, a Creative Couple’s Victorian Home with an Old Soul. To see their garden, go to Before & After: A Creative Couple’s Daring Garden Do-Over in Upstate New York.