Cooler air with a new year rounding the corner can invite us to draw inward and come together—all at once. With the winter months come opportunities to reflect on a year’s worth of memories while gathering with the people we love.
Seasons are special to us at Magnolia, and one of our favorite ways to mark each one is by transforming Magnolia Market with thematic displays. This winter, we’re exploring the theme of connection—a celebration of what brings us together.
Here, we’re sharing a behind-the-scenes look at how our Visual Display Team brought “connection” to life in the Market this year.
The Inspiration
When our team considered what connection could look like, one of the first things that came to mind was a post office—the kind you might stumble upon on a small-town street decked out for the holidays. For centuries, letter writing has been a timeless way to stay connected to loved ones near and far. This sentiment, paired with interlocking velvet chains, felt right to symbolize connectivity in our shop this season.
The Vision
Each season, our Visual Display Team starts with sketches before bringing inspiration to life. Here are some of their initial mockup drawings:
Final Displays
Once the drawings were finalized, the team got to work turning sketches to reality. Here’s a closer look at the final handcrafted displays, plus the process behind each:
Post Office Wall
The first thing you see upon entry is a large post office wall. Reading “Magnolia Post” at the very top, this main display features truly vintage keyed letterboxes mounted on faux brick paneling surrounded by stacks of oversized kraft parcels—each topped with thick, red ribbon tied into a bow.
Our team crafted the faux brick with joint compound and paint, and the letterboxes you see are found, vintage PO boxes. They hand flocked the boxes to look like velvet and lettered both the mail slot (with vintage envelopes inside) and parcel sign above the window by hand.
Mailboxes + Street Lamp
Centering the store, you’ll next find a cluster of three vintage mailboxes surrounded by snow drifts, kraft gift boxes stacked on a sled, faux evergreen trees, and a lamppost. Each of these mailboxes were also flocked by hand for a velvety appearance, pairing with the PO boxes on the wall and chains strung throughout the store. Fun fact: The hanging mailbox on the side of the post was color matched to Jo’s snowsuit on the cover of the winter 2023 issue of Magnolia Journal!
The snow piles were each made from insulation foam, then covered in epoxy resin and faux snow for a glistening appearance.
Velvet Chains
Reminiscent of the paper chains you might have crafted as a kid, counting down the days to Christmas, these strands were made from stiffened velvet fabric in three tonal hues—blush, spice, and beet red.
Each was cut individually by hand, then linked together by the team as an ode to connection. Draped throughout the store, these nostalgic chains serve as a backdrop to merchandise and other winter displays in the Market.
Mailbox Wall
Jo and the team loved the wall-mounted PO boxes near the entrance of the store, so they decided to add more flocked- velvet mailboxes to the front wall of the Market, where guests come to check out.
From Wall to Wall
From Visual Display to Merchandising, each of our talented teams do a beautiful job of filling our shop with displays and curated products that speak to the season. Here’s a peek at what’s on our shelves this winter!
Winter in Waco
We hope you'll join us for winter in Waco! It may not snow often in Texas, but you’re sure to find glistening drifts inside Magnolia Market all season long.
P.S. Along with transforming our market for the season, we also flip our menus! Explore An Inside Guide to Food at the Silos to see what festive flavors you can expect.
Take a look back at our other seasonal installations from 2023:
