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.
If you haven’t done so already, it’s time to pull out your collection of holiday décor – the bundles of tangled lights and boxes of ornaments and accessories that have been around longer than you can remember – and adorn your home for the season. This can be daunting I know unless you keep yourself on track and stick to a simple theme.
Accents can be frosty snow with clear sparkle, glittery silver, shimmery gold such as this ornament.
With that in mind, following are some simple decorating tips that can help add a festive flair to your holiday season:
Make it fun. Create a party among friends and family and invite them over for cocktails and hors d’oeuvre – let everyone have a hand in transforming your home.
Decide on three key elements: a sparkle factor, a color scheme and a theme. Sparkle accents can be frosty snow with clear sparkle, glittery silver, shimmery gold or a colorful sparkle. Next decide on two or three main colors. Lastly, dream up a theme such as “Winter in Montana” or “A Children’s Fantasy” or whatever strikes your fancy. Making these three key decisions in advance will help keep you on track.
The front door is an important focal point and, of course, sets the stage. Don’t hesitate to go all out with a beautiful wreath, ribbons, pinecones, garlands and more. This year we are planning to search for small- to medium-sized pinecones and spray them with white glitter. Incorporating pinecones into the bows adds a real sense of depth and a wonderful pine fragrance. In addition, drape a fresh cedar garland around the front door frame and intertwine it with twinkling white lights. When making your wreath be sure to add ribbons and small white lights. And don’t forget to hang mistletoe above the front door for extra fun.
Use the ribbon in your front door wreath as a continuing theme throughout your home. For example, last year we glued a 3” wide green and red plain ribbon to a 4” red velvet ribbon. We made up yards and yards of this double layered ribbon, so we had lots on hand as we decorated our home.
A wonderful aroma adds to the festive holiday feel. Place scented candles and plenty of potpourri throughout your home. Use lots of candles as they always infuse warmth and sparkle – key holiday elements.
Since candles can sometimes be expensive, gather and melt half-way burned candles of the same and re-make them into new holiday candles. I take square milk cartons, fill them with ice and then pour the melted hot wax into the cartons on top of the ice to create interest. Then tape off an inch or more at the base of the candle. Coat with white glue and roll the square candles in gold or silver glitter. Don’t forget to add the wick before you fill the cartons with ice!
Fresh flowers are an important element of your décor at any time of the year, but especially during the holiday season.
Fresh flowers add so much to any interior – especially during the holiday season. Create beautiful arrangements and centerpieces with roses, poinsettias, white chrysanthemums, tuber roses lilies and more. Always, always arrange with fresh evergreen, pinecones and shiny ornaments from last year’s Christmas tree.
Start a collection – e.g. nutcrackers, distinctive candles or Santa figurines and add to it each year. This will create family traditions and memories and enhance your holiday décor. For example, nestle nutcrackers in and among a garland atop your fireplace. Add twinkle lights or battery-operated candles for extra sparkle and shimmer.
A collection, such as nutcrackers or other figurines, adds interest to holiday décor. (Courtesy of The Grand Del Mar)
Ask those who will gather around your tree this season to write on a card a wish for themselves and for others. Put the cards into two colors of envelopes – one for each type of wish. In addition to ornaments, hang the colorful envelopes on the tree. Make sure each guest will be able to open one each of the colored envelopes. For an even more festive touch, reuse the front of old holiday cards and glue to the front of the colored envelopes.
Over the holidays, people tend to go all out with décor and accessories. I think this is wonderful – decorate for the season and have fun with it! But again, do stick to a singular theme and color scheme. While you want your home to be fun and festive, you don’t want to overwhelm.
Ornaments aren’t only for the tree. Try putting an assortment in a bowl or adding to evergreen and garland. (Courtesy of The Grand Del Mar)
What are your favorite holiday traditions, shops and/or decorating tips? During the holidays, I love to shop at Dandelion on Potrero and Sue Fisher King on Sacramento – both in San Francisco.
I would love to hear from you! Take pictures please, and post to my Facebook page.
You may have your Thanksgiving menu planned to a “T” – but have you carefully considered the table décor?
A beautifully appointed table is almost as important as what you serve, and takes careful planning and consideration.
To me, the aesthetic appeal of a table is almost as important as what you serve. A beautifully appointed table is a work of art that requires careful planning and consideration. It is also much easier to achieve than you might think. Whether you are entertaining two guests or 25, following are some simple ideas, which are sure to impress your visitors and make your Thanksgiving an extra special one:
Choose the right color palette. This will set the tone for your table setting. For Thanksgiving, I love to use a background of marigold yellow accented by harvest colors such as rich burgundy, clarender red, au chocolate and pale crème brulee.
Create a commanding centerpiece. As an example, a centerpiece could consist of at least seven to 10 candelabras with white taper candles – lit prior to guests’ arrival – and set atop a brightly colored table runner. This can also be placed at the center of a round table. A dramatic focal point always sparks lively conversation!
Use large-scale florals in either one or two strong fall colors, and accent them with large white mums, bringing focus to your overall palette. Accompany these with large waxy maple leaf branches. Simple sunflowers mixed with white and deep red mums make an outstanding focal piece.
Always use plenty of sparkling glasses, which make a great combination with candlelight.
Accentuate with plenty of fresh, natural elements. For example, incorporate pumpkins, gourds, berries or fresh fruit atop a bed of maple leaves into your centerpiece, or on a smaller scale, on a place setting.
Use sparkling glassware as much as possible illuminating a shimmery combination with the candlelight!
Invest in a few pieces of quality holiday China. I love Anna Weatherley’s hand-painted botanicals or a piece or two of antique Majolica.
Invest in quality China. Pictured are the exquisite hand painted botanical designs of Anna Weatherley.
Always use cloth napkins in fun fall colors. These work well when accompanied by a fresh flower in the napkin ring. Or depending on your China, use printed linens, with a whimsical fall motif such leaves or berries.
Personalize each place setting. Tie a carefully written name card to each napkin ring, or place a miniature pumpkin at each place setting and cut a slit into the top and slip in a name card – try alternating white and orange pumpkins for a festive touch.
For a quick decorating fix and to infuse more holiday flair, dress up your chairs with handsome slipcovers, or ask children to hand make personalized Thanksgiving cards and affix them to each chair with a double up ribbon tie.
Place photo albums on coffee tables to encourage trips down memory lane among your guests.
Always send guests home with a memorable gift. For the Thanksgiving holiday, fun ideas might include a bag of jellybeans in fall colors, a specialized bag of coffee beans or a personal recipe.
Most importantly, keep your decorations consistent and simple – with an element of drama.
However you set your table – whether formal or whimsical – remain true to your own personal style and personality. A warm, inviting setting and décor will help spark camaraderie and generate memories for years to come.
This beautiful gravy boat which combines delicate colors and patterns is designed by Bernardaud and is ideal for the Thanksgiving table.
