It's a Wonderfully Designed Life

Professional decorator extraordinaire and father of Quite Frankly host, Frank Valbiro, Anthony Valbiro shares his heart for the holidays and designing a cherished Christmas that stands the test of time.

By Krista Roman

Anthony Valbiro grew up appreciating the beauty of simpler things and observing the holiday traditions instilled in him by his highly creative parents. Born in the 1950s and raised in Port Chester, New York, Valbiro’s upbringing had an enormous influence on what would eventually lead him toward a fulfilling career in the arts and design world.

“It sparked my imagination and opened my mind to so many possibilities. An everyday item, a piece of Styrofoam with proper wrapping and glitter, could become a majestic bell; a simple garden hose could become a vine for a sturdy eight-foot pumpkin made from plastic tablecloths. My parents were both artists of the highest caliber. Nothing was impossible in creating an illusion of art if you had the proper vision,” Valbiro said in an interview over email.

Anthony poses in the front lawn with the Nativity scene, c. 1994.

Completely self-taught, Valbiro says that his education is his life. Always one to research and experiment, he prides himself on making his art an individual expression. “I work against the grain of what is expected in decorating. It is about making it your own.”

When it comes to sourcing design elements for holiday decorating, Mr. Valbiro believes there are many choices on the market, but you can find a treasure trove of bargains at the simplest and least expensive stores. National retailers he prefers includes Michael’s and The Home Depot.

Beyond finding inspiration on the big box shelves of mighty merchants and humble local discounters, Valbiro is the resident designer for Lyndhurst Mansion, a famed Gothic Revival Country House, located about 35 miles north of Manhattan in Tarrytown, New York.

“Nothing can compare to its opulence and how I honor it in creating something new and special every year.”

Valbiro believes in making the magnificent estate sparkle through paying close attention to detail and knowing how to display the right amount of decorations. “I always tell my staff to never let the wires show! Make sure they are neatly tucked in garland and concealed. That is where the magic happens. Not letting anyone see how your lights are connected.”

While designing the holiday decor for one of the nation’s most eminent house museums holds significant value, for Valbiro, his most cherished holiday task is taking down all the personal treasures from the attic of his own home. From reminiscing about the origins of each glistening bauble to dusting off an indelible memento, he thoroughly enjoys it all. Valibro recommends rotating your decorations and always finding new places for it to shine from year to year.

Hand-made, life-sized camel from the Nativity scene.

Whether he’s designing for elite clients, private residences, friends and family, or styling his mid-century home, Valbiro explains that decorating brings him a sense of serenity.

“It is a Zen-like order that comes from decorating and creating a mood for not only your guests but for yourself. I must feel satisfied myself, first and foremost. Once I feel that balance and quiet joy, I know my guests will feel what I am trying to convey.”

The joy of creating is something Valbiro firmly believes is a sacred, individual contentment that comes from the actual completion of your vision. But having two enterprising young sons, provided a wellspring of creative exploration in their Port Chester household during the 1990s.

“Frank appreciated and got excited about the work and the effect that it had on our many visitors that came by to view our elaborate scenes. Anthony sat vigil outside in the cold as I created horses and life-sized camels out of materials like mops and leatherette,” Valbiro said.

Handmade horse named “Jack” from the Tavern on the Green, NYC.

Creating exterior sets for the holidays was a yearly tradition. When asked what the most memorable theme or decoration he ever created was, Valbiro recalled a very special design. “I once created the entire town of Bedford Falls from “It’s a Wonderful Life” building for building, down to replicating George Bailey’s Parlor in front of our home, all in black and white, like the original film.”

In an age that preceded modern social media, somewhat miraculously, by word of mouth (and a local news feature), tourists visiting nearby New York City flocked by the bus loads to check out the wondrous holiday display. It has since become a bit of family folklore and a story that the Valbiro boys, now grown men, remember fondly.

Frank and Anthony pose in a gondola in Venice.

Valbiro is a proponent of celebrating the magic of Christmas but staying true to your own interests and expertise.

“If you are going to approach decorating for the holidays with drudgery, then just don’t do it. There is nothing sadder than a half-hearted attempt at front yard decor or a thrown together Christmas tree. Leave it to the folks who do it from their hearts – it shows!”

Q&A with Anthony Valbiro

1. What are your favorite Christmas songs? Do you listen to music when you decorate, or do you have any other rituals?

Christmas music is always playing from The Andrews Sisters to Windham Hill ethereal. Nothing is more welcome than a hot cup of coffee and favorite cookie to dunk.

2. Favorite holiday components? Nativity sets, garland, lights, the tree, nutcrackers... Do you collect anything in particular?

I collect everything. I am like a rescue center for old ornaments, abandoned miniature buildings from Dickens’ Villages, pieces of trees, lights and Nativity sets? I collect Nativity sets of all varieties from Franklin Mint Renaissance to a bear Nativity from Provincetown, Massachusetts.

3. Any struggles or adversities you have faced which made you a better designer?

Failure. At something you envisioned. It makes you a better designer. You take a deep breath, walk away, and come back and methodically think through things. That’s where your solutions become the education you get to pass on.

4. What do you make of the success of your sons’ careers? Do you think creativity runs in the family? Do you credit your genes and nurturing with some of their talents?

I am, of course, very respectful and proud of their ingenuity. They have taken our family gene pool, which is vast, and made their creativity their own. The only credit I take is that I hope I helped them to look at the world with wonder and challenge.

5. Do you decorate for any other holidays?

All of them, especially Easter, ushering in the spring.

6. What does the holidays mean to you? Is Christmas your favorite?

I love Christmas with my heart, my soul. My mother and father instilled this love from their love, their theatrical approach toward the season. But this also applies to Halloween, an actor’s autumnal fantasy.

7. What do you want the Quite Frankly audience to know about who you are and what decorating for the holidays is all about?

Decorating for the holidays is about our individual memories—our deepest joys, our family. It’s not rocket science, but it is very hard work and the end to that work is the smile that exudes from the viewer of your vision.

8. Christmas trees—real or fake? Colored lights or clear?

My trees stay up for close to two months. Always artificial, although I appreciate a real tree very much. I have several trees, easily between eight and twelve. I like to vary their styles and lighting designs from crystalline magic to Victorian splendor. I get to use the gamut and that is exciting to me.

9. Any plans for this Christmas? Do you switch things up every year? What stays constant?

I live in a glorious mid-century home that has been in the family for over 70 years. It will be “A Mid-century's Night’s Dream” this year. In pink and aqua, with dancing teenagers in poodle skirts. It always changes every year. As does life. The one constant is the excitement of taking down those bins and getting started. That's Christmas to me!

10. What is your favorite part of Christmas? What does decorating mean to you?

It is the prep. I start in November with ideas ruminating from the summer. It is the anticipation of the season. It means that our ancestors—the people we love and always will love—live again.