At home with...Jo Frank

“Decorating the dining room table for the holidays is the first tradition I begin with every season. The two bronze elk from MODA Antica stand guard over the season.” “Gingerbread houses—we make them every year with my sons and friends. They are always a fond memory of the gingerbread villages they constructed in the past.” “Every year we play our “Crazy Family Bingo”—a tradition started by my mother and repeated year after year with family and friends.”

The holiday season has always been about traditions for the Frank family. “Traditions add civility to our lives; they are the glue that connects one generation to the next, and to some degree, define a family.” Everything about Jo Frank’s residence reflects her devotion to family and to celebrating the holidays with those she loves and values most in her life.

Many of the holiday customs Frank embraces began when her sons were young, and these continue year after year. While running the Denver Design District (DDD), 595 S. Broadway, (303) 733-2455, denverdesign.com, keeps Frank busy year-round, the holidays are a priority come November. “This year, I added a new tradition to my routine. I picked the greenery for my dining room centerpiece from my boyfriend’s ranch at the base of the Spanish Peaks near LaVeta. This spring, I will plant the two trees in honor of the marriages of my sons, Eric and David, and the new additions they have brought into our lives—my two wonderful daughters-in-law. The trees will grow as their futures unfold.”    

Another important holiday tradition is Frank’s famous chocolate-dipped, buttercream-filled, hazelnut cookies—a favorite of the family. Although baking these tasty treats can be a three-day process, the heavenly aroma that fills the air evokes fond memories for Frank. After all, the best part of tradition is combining treasured moments with the  anticipation of the coming holiday.