A Christmas tree and other decorations in the four seasons room at the home of Shannon Hall in northeast Cedar Rapids. Hall goes all out decorating for Christmas. He has an extensive collection of decorations. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Indoor Christmas decorating for most people likely involves one tree, one room and one weekend. Some people drop decorations into additional rooms. Others, well — they just do more. That group includes Shannon Hall. This year’s decorations involve six Christmas trees, five rooms plus the entry and two to three weeks of working nonstop.
In his eyes, “you can never have too much,” said Hall, 59, about Christmas decorations. “The more, the better.”
Seeing the decorations impressed neighbor Martha Booth so much that she recommended Hall’s home for a feature in The Gazette.
“He has such good taste, and everything is beautifully done. He is an asset to our neighborhood,” Booth said.
Hall has rows of shelves in the basement storing decorative Christmas items. Pictures attached to the outside of boxes help easily identify items, he said. When he was growing up, Hall said the family’s Christmas décor could fit in three medium boxes.
A display case and decorated Christmas tree at the home of Shannon Hall in northeast Cedar Rapids. Hall has an extensive collection of decorations to match the theme of each year. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Hall begins decorating right after Halloween. That means first removing everything from shelves, cabinets and tabletops. While that may seem like a chore to some, Hall said “it’s not work if you enjoy it.” After many trips up and down the stairs, Hall can stop to appreciate the decorations.
A Christmas tree ornament and lights on a tree at the home of Shannon Hall in northeast Cedar Rapids. Hall decorates every year for Christmas. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Garland dripping with red and gold ornaments adorns the sash windows in the living room. The gold and white place settings, complete with a crystal knife rest, glisten in the dining room. Small red berries burst forth on the branches of a flocked Christmas tree in the family room.
Santa with children figurine. Shannon Hall shops in thrift stores and on eBay for his Christmas decorations. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Birds nestle in the tree along with birdhouses and nests in the four seasons room. Decals turn a white refrigerator door into a snowman silhouette. White lights wrap around the front window frames like icing lines the gingerbread houses in the kitchen.
Booth’s reaction to the decorations: awe, she said. Her favorite part is all the different trees, which each have a different theme.
A Nativity scene at the home of Shannon Hall in northeast Cedar Rapids. Hall has an extensive collection of decorations to match the theme of each year. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Hall’s fondness for Christmas decorations began as a child. Every year, Hall, his mother and sister would drive around and look at the lights in the Quad Cities area. They saw elaborate Christmas displays. He vowed then to spread more Christmas cheer. “If I ever have the means to do it, I would,” Hall said.
A Christmas-themed table setting in the dining room at the home of Shannon Hall in northeast Cedar Rapids. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
He fulfilled his vow. Hall even went so far as to have a previous house rewired to accommodate lighting.
One of Shannon Hall’s newest acquisitions on display in the living room of his northeast Cedar Rapids. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
A Christmas tree ornament and lights on a tree at the home of Shannon Hall in northeast Cedar Rapids. Hall decorates every year for Christmas. Hall has an extensive collection of decorations to match the theme of each year. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Hall began his collection in 1982. It has taken some time to grow. Back in the day, Hall said, he had a skimpy tree. He continues to buy more decorations but not during the season, he said. “I don’t look at labels, price, trends,” he said. “If I like it, I buy it.”
Santa preparing to go down a chimney figurine at the home of Shannon Hall in northeast Cedar Rapids. Hall shops in thrift stores and on eBay for his Christmas decorations. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
All the sparkle, sheen and shine, as Hall described it, hasn’t obscured the spirit of Christmas. The decorations “don’t mean anything if you don’t have family and friends,” Hall said.
These deer figurines were the first Shannon Hall purchased, starting his own Christmas collection, when he lived with his sister in the early/mid 1980s. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
