Everything Merry and Bright: Setting the Stage for a Beautiful Holiday Home

Today, anything goes in holiday decorating. Gone are the days of simple red and green décor. While these colors are still important, holiday accents now run the color spectrum from amethyst and deep blue to metallic to bright white and ivory.

Our mantra this holiday season? Keep it simple and ultra-chic with a personal flair. Read on for timeless decorating tips that will add fun and festivity to your holiday home this season:

• Always use fresh items in your décor like evergreen and tuberoses because the scents of the season are as important as the visuals.
• With this in mind, use scented candles and fragrance diffusers throughout your home – cinnamon sticks also add a wonderful aroma.
• Create a vignette of your favorite ornaments, photos or mementos. This works well in an entry hall, sitting area or front porch.
• Consider reducing your color palette to one color plus a metallic such as gold or silver. For a modern look, a cool white pairs well with many colors.

• White in the winter is always elegant – and makes color pop. As an example, use a bright white tablecloth with colorful accents.
• Change or add lampshades with a vibrant holiday motif.
• Show off large red and white poinsettias wrapped in silver or red foil tied with red or silver bow.
• Decorate a staircase banister with an evergreen garland accented with plaid bows. Add miniature pinecones with tips dipped in Bic Wite-out or Liquid Paper and sprinkled with silver glitter for a snowy effect.
• Spray glitter to greens for an extra sparkle, especially when evergreen branches and boughs become dry.
• Fresh flowers are an important element of your décor any time of year, but especially during the holiday season. In addition to tuberoses, white lilies are striking when paired with evergreen. Fresh red roses are always beautifully festive.
• Add clusters of gold or silver balls to floral arrangements.
• Colored ribbon is a fabulous way to decorate the tree, mantel or banister.
• Create a theme and incorporate into your wrapping, table settings and overall décor. Whether it’s a ribbon color used for packages and napkins or a particular style of font on your place card and gift tags, this will help create a cohesive look.

• Change out pillows, throws and other room accents with more festive option for the season.
• Conserve, reuse and upcycle. You certainly don’t need to buy new decorations every year. Use a scarf as a table runner or a blanket as a tree skirt. Pull out and polish heirloom family silver to use as sparkling silver accents.
• Skip basic ornaments such as glass balls. Instead add your own personal touches such as vintage ornaments, personal cards and clusters of miniature ornaments.
• Use plenty of white miniature lights (minimally 150 lights to one foot of Christmas tree height), but don’t restrict them to the tree – incorporate these tiny twinklers into garlands and centerpieces as well.
• Collections are always a fun way to add a personal touch to your décor – especially during the holidays. Collections of vintage toys or ornaments, nutcrackers, stockings and photos make distinctive holiday accents.

• To mitigate clutter, stow away non-holiday accessories and other items for the season.
• Remember that LED lighting is beautiful and saves electricity.
• And always hang mistletoe above a focal doorway!

However you decorate, have fun with it and make it a team effort. Put on your favorite holiday play list, pour some champagne and invite your friends and family to help transform your home for the season.

And please share your own holiday designs, decorations, front entries and trees. Upload your pictures of your holiday décor to our Facebook page. And visit our Pinterest board where we’ve set up beautiful seasonal design ideas to inspire you.