Photo by Melissa Oivanki
In Louisiana, it should be no surprise when we bring our culture into the holiday season, but the home of Aimee and Robby Walker is decked to the nines for a proper Cajun Christmas. Aimee, of Aimee Walker Interiors in Baton Rouge, used everyday elements such as shrimp boots and fishing nets to make the decorations for their outdoor kitchen look festive and authentic.
“Our home is Creole style,” Aimee says. “So doing a Cajun Christmas theme fit perfectly with the cypress cabinets and antique brick of our outdoor kitchen. I usually go more formal indoors, but I wanted something more fun and playful outside.”
Aimee utilized the outdoor area, which includes a bricked patio, a fireplace, and a table and chairs, for her Cajun Christmas décor. She decorated the fireplace mantle with fresh pine branches, a faux crab and crawfish, and red fish netting. She even hung white shrimp boots under the mantle, instead of stockings.
“The boots are as authentic as they come,” Aimee says. “My husband still has not forgiven me for putting holes in the tops when we hung them on the mantle!”
Aimee cut the mantle’s pine branches from her indoor Christmas tree. Before decorating the mantle, she soaked the branches in water for 24 hours, which helped them stay fresh-looking for the entire month.
Aimee purchased the netting at a party store, for a more festive appearance.
“The real nets didn’t show up on the garland, so I wanted something with a holiday color and ran across these.”
The faux crab and crawfish were also purchased from a party store and spray-painted a high-gloss red, with a touch of glitter so they sparkle in the light.
Just above the decorated mantle is a wreath, decorated with Louisiana favorites like a bag of Community Coffee and a bottle of Tabasco sauce. It also has moss, red netting, and an old fan blade with an alligator carved into it.
“I love using unexpected items for decorating, like the white boots instead of stockings, for example,” Aimee says. “I try to change the look from year to year because I get bored doing the same thing.”
For the outdoor table, Aimee covered a tablecloth with the same red fishing nets and topped it with candleholders filled with dried red beans, black eyed peas, and green peas.
“Christmas is my favorite time of year because the house is so festive looking and we always have wonderful food, family and friends over,” Aimee says. “Don’t be afraid to try something different. It doesn’t have to be red and green with candy canes to feel like Christmas.”
