Shamrocks, leprechauns and lots and lots of green lights.
This is the scene at Brooklyn’s Home for the Holidays, a single-family home in Georgetown that showcases large, magical displays for all of the major holidays. Currently, the house is decorated for St. Patrick’s Day, which is Friday, March 17th.
A jumbo rainbow glows on the lawn above three chipper leprechauns, each decked out in green suits with long white beards and black boots. Black and green pots of gold coins are scattered about, carefully being looked after by the leprechauns.
Off to the side sits a huge green top hat, made to look like a fairy home for the little green gnomes, complete with window frames and a front door. On top, a dancing leprechaun animatronic performs a jig to the traditional Irish music playing over speakers by the front door.
Many of the decorations are actually handmade by the 21-year-old decorator behind the displays, Austin Ferrazzano, including the leprechaun hat-home and lighted rainbow.
“It took a lot of work,” Ferrazzano said of his display. “It wasn’t easy, but it came out really nice.”
Ferrazzano’s holiday displays are always designed, planned and put together by himself, no outside help involved. The St. Patrick’s Day display took him around 20 hours total to create and put up, often working late into the night to get it done.
“Irish? I guess this makes me a little Irish, even though I’m not, technically,” he said with a laugh during an interview with the Canarsie Courier.
Usually, he’ll start big decorations with a sketch, before figuring out what materials he’ll need and then physically building it. He uses his home’s driveway, front lawn and large sidewalk space to build his pieces.
Building is just something he’s learned along the way. Ferrazzano has been creating displays since he was about 10 years old, with the displays getting bigger and more intricate as he ages.
“Over the years, as you put together the displays and build things, you kind of have an idea and can build anything,” he said. “You learn as you go.”
Regardless of temperature, rain or snow, Ferrazzano will be outside, building displays and decorating his house.
“As long as it’s not feet of snow, then I’ll be lit up,” he said. “I think it makes the display twinkle a little more; it makes it look better. It really puts accents on the lights. As far as working, it only makes it a little colder for me.”
If you’d like to see the results from Ferrazzano’s artistic process, his display will be up until March 18th at 1102 East 72nd Street. The lights go on at around 6:30 p.m. every night and stay on until about 11 p.m.