Vintage Collections Give This Home the Nostalgic Feeling of Christmases Past

Holiday collections cozy up with more versatile antiques to create a festive blend of Christmas charm in the home of a lifelong collector.

Christmas is the most anticipated holiday in the Folino home. Melissa Folino is an avid collector of many things, but come November first, her holiday collections are the main attraction. “I don’t mind the work of unpacking and decorating, but the house is in disarray for a good week,” she says.

“My first Christmas collection was my Christopher Radko ornaments,” says Melissa, who’s on Instagram as @melissaashleyhome. These handcrafted European glass ornaments are known for their rich details and playful designs. “The day after Christmas, my mom, dad, aunt, and cousins would get up really early and go to New York City and buy Radkos that were significantly discounted,” she says. “The collection grew every year. When I got married and had the chance to do my own tree, I started to collect them for myself.”

Melissa’s husband is in the military, so the family has moved a number of times. Most of the collections have traveled with them. With two young daughters, the Folinos hope to be permanently stationed now and only moving ornaments from the main floor to the basement rather than across the country or overseas. Last year was the family’s first year in their historic home north of Detroit and a chance for Melissa to enjoy her entire Radko collection displayed on a pair of trees in the library.

As a child, Melissa’s mom regularly took her to garage sales, flea markets, and antiques stores. Those early experiences stuck with her and influenced the way Melissa shops for home decor and decorates her home. “It’s something that runs in our family,” she says. Melissa is continuing the tradition with her daughters, taking them with her when she shops at antiques stores in the hopes that someday they will share the tradition with their families.

Related: 21 Vintage Christmas Decorating Ideas That Give Us the Holiday Feels

I'll Be Home for Christmas

A display of tiny houses, featuring colorful exteriors and glittery accents, sets a charming Christmas scene. Japanese-produced Putz houses, popular from 1928 through the 1950s, were handmade out of cardboard. “I’ve been able to find them in bags at the Salvation Army for a couple dollars,” Folino says. “I like to display collections together. They make a bigger impact that way.”

Mortars and pestles, some with wooden handles, are one of Melissa's other favorite collections. She adds greenery and bottlebrush trees to add depth to the Christmas village scene.

Related: The History of Christmas Villages Makes Us Love The Tradition Even More

All That Glitters

A pair of Christmas trees is dressed to the nines in Christopher Radko ornaments in the Folinos’ library. Melissa estimates her collection has more than 500 ornaments primarily from the 1980s and ’90s. The company has changed owners since it started in 1985 and, “You can tell the difference between a new Radko and an older one,” she says. “The craftsmanship is just different.” Melissa is still working on the “Magic 25”—25 hand-numbered Radko ornaments produced in 1995 to make up for a delivery issue that year.

Vintage ornaments get new life on a wreath made by Melissa’s mom, who got the idea for the project after a vintage ornament was broken during a family move. This project features some of Melissa’s favorite handblown glass ornaments from Germany and Poland. Her mom started with a foam wreath base and hot-glued the ornaments to it. This is a great way to salvage damaged ornaments.

At the end of the season, Melissa wraps each ornament in acid-free tissue paper and gently layers them in clear storage totes.

Related: These Holiday Ornament Organizers Are Next-Level—No Really, They Have Multiple Levels

Natural Beauty

Vintage wood potato mashers, with all their nicks and cracks, have a character that Melissa loves. Her favorites have painted green handles, but anytime she finds one she brings it home. A gathering of vintage bottlebrush trees with mercury glass beads rounds out the arrangement.

Related: The Best Places to Score Vintage Furniture and Decor Online for Less

Going Green

Jadeite’s green hue makes it a natural choice for holiday decorating, but Melissa showcases her collection all year. Jadeite is becoming harder to find, Melissa says, but Jane Rae Fire King is a design she sees regularly at antiques stores. The milky green pieces were given as promotional items in bags of flour and cereal boxes in the 1940s and ’50s. It was also used in hospitals and diners because it was very sturdy and inexpensive to produce.

Jadeite isn’t used only in dishware. Melissa also collects Jadeite lamp bases—all of them operable. The bases come in many styles, and Melissa is always on the lookout for one she hasn’t seen before. Here she tucks them into a vintage box along with pinecones and bottle-brush trees to create an unexpected tabletop display.

Related: How Jadeite Glassware First Charmed Americans During the Depression

Everyday Style

Ironstone is a collection the Folinos use on a daily basis. Melissa displays the dinnerware in a rustic cabinet year-round, but adds greenery and bottlebrush trees in various colors and sizes at the holidays. The durable, utilitarian dishware has been popular since the early 1800s. It is known for its white finish and classic farmhouse style. “A lot of ironstone was used in diners and restaurants so you can find many useful sizes,” she says.

Santa Baby

“I remember thinking at one point in time, these are so ugly,” Melissa says of her Santa mugs. “I developed an appreciation for them.” The vintage mugs are made by multiple companies, but the most popular are stamped “made in Japan” and Holt Howard. They have many expressions, such as side-eye Santa or winking Santa. Melissa’s mugs are for decoration only because of their age—they are very thin and have a stained finish.

Related: 10 Iconic Christmas Trends That Are Making a Comeback This Year

Styled by Lacey Howard

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