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Blog: It's good to be back!
 Sprucing Up for the Holidays Part I
Before the holiday season begins it is a good time to evaluate our current décor and begin thinking of ways to enhance what we have for better enjoyment and functionality. Quick changes can be made to update rooms and provide a fabulous background for hosting holiday events.
We have to think of decorating in terms of layering. Special to the holidays is the chance to create ambience and an atmosphere that glows with warmth and coziness that no other time would seem appropriate.
Before we jump into layering accessories we must first begin with a firm foundation. We begin by contemplating what our room's focal point will be. In some cases this will be a window with a great view, a fireplace mantle and hearth, a wall to highlight artwork or a corner where a holiday tree will be placed. Whatever the focal point will be we must give it great thought as it will determine our decorating style or theme.
In the case of a single wall, we can change that wall's color to create an accent wall. Try painting that one wall a rich color, such as butterscotch gold, deep sage or olive tone, plum, midnight blue or barn red. These are commonly recognized as "new neutrals" as they tend to be muted colors and will blend well with most color schemes.
After an accent color is chosen, try moving the largest furniture piece on that wall, grouping artwork to create conversation areas. Always keep in mind the room's traffic pattern to allow planning for other pieces.
Armchairs can be placed around a fireplace to allow intimate seating for guests to have a quiet conversation. You always want to have two or more seating areas to allow for multipurpose needs. Use the season to try out nontraditional seating arrangements in your home, maybe turn your sofa and loveseat on the diagonal or even possibly facing each other. Use slipcovers to update an outdated or worn chair, ottoman or sofa. These can be easily changed or removed once the season is over.
Now that a firm foundation is made with furniture placement you can begin layering with accessories. Using your focal wall color choose throws, pillows, rugs that create a seasonal theme. Throws in rich fabrics such as chenille, flannel, heavy tweeds or tapestries give a cozy warm feel to the room. Color tones should be orange, purple, red, gold and brown for fall and winter whites, gold, red, purple and green for winter.
Even if it is not your focal point, window treatments are essential. I have seen flannel blankets used for window treatments that really give the room a sense of texture. You can use decorative tiebacks or tassels to create small touches or décor that are normally ignored. If your budget does not allow for new window treatments try hanging a simple sheet of burlap fabric with a sheer panel overlay for drama. Sheer fabrics come in many different variations and can even have small embroidered motifs on them that will give a holiday feel and show up nicely against the burlap. Use ribbon to hang boxwood or red berry wreaths. This will help in bringing the outdoors in and give interest to your windows that can be enjoyed both inside and outside. When hanging your wreaths, remember the view from the street, making sure they are in proportion and are balanced across the line of the house. A bay leaf wreath hung in a kitchen window can be used all season for cooking.
Lighting is one of the most important areas of decorating in any situation. During the holidays you want to achieve the right mix of ornament and function. I usually like to have three layers of light. Downcast light provided by either chandeliers or recessed light, table and floor lamps provide eye level lighting and then decorative lighting with candles, wall sconces or even small accent lamps. Replace any worn shades and try dark or even red shades to give an old lamp or chandelier a new look.
Use your chandelier to hang special ornaments with ribbon, small crystals, or even string with boxwood garland.
Mirrors can be decorated as well such as lining the frame with tiny tree lights for illumination. If that seems drastic, use a simply strand of red berries for a more muted application. A swag of magnolia leaves, spruce or pine garland can be elegantly attached for adding visual height.
Fireplace mantles and hearth decoration needs to be functional. Too often mantles are clogged with so much that there is no balance or symmetry. Use large white candles with hurricane lamps on each end, fruit or boxwood topiaries, perhaps a few ornamental frames along with a decorative wreath or even a rod iron piece to create a unified look. Keep garland and tree lights to a simple strand for a clean look. A decorative fire screen with a basket of pine cones and greenery is enough ornament for an area that has to function without a lot of fuss getting in the way.
Use a pine or eucalyptus garland over entryways or tie branches of greens together for a yet another way to bring the outdoors in. Banisters can be laced with heavy bands of garland, tree lights and maybe a silver bell or two at the base.
Table dressings can be a place where ornate tablecloths, place settings and a fabulous centerpiece or two can be over the top. It is important to keep balance throughout the house and if simple understated dressings have been used throughout then all that glitters and some gold can be afforded on the dining table. Understated elegance is really a timeless look and can be tweaked each year for an update if needed.
Same goes for the tree, if you like multiple tree's be creative and use them as an opportunity to show a theme for each. Maybe all white decorations on one, vintage or antique ornaments on another. Keep them in proportion to the room and the traffic that must be taken into consideration.
Remember your clutter when decorating for the holidays. Now is the time to clear that stack of magazines, pack up a few knick knacks and streamline your home of debris. The less clutter your guests see the easier it is for them to see the wonderful effort you have put into decorating your home. Without the clutter your spaces will give the illusion that they are larger as well. If you do have collections try and group all your like items together. It creates a vignette for your guests to look at rather than one here, one there and so on. For example if you have a rather large collection of angels, showcase them atop of console table all together to create a display instead of scattered from room to room. The collection appears more deliberate and impressive when seen all together.
A clean house makes for a relaxed hostess. Take this time to spruce up old ceiling fans. You don't want someone to turn off the fan only to see inches of dust in an otherwise spotless home. Kitchen cabinets are another area that sometimes gets overlooked. Go over them with a fresh coat of paint or stain and maybe even replace the hardware for a new update if it has been a while.
Never forget first impressions are everything. Don't forget the outside of your home. Spruce up a front door with a fresh coat of paint, new door knob, or kick plate. Make sure your doorbell works. Make sure your windows are clean and shutters are in good condition with maybe a fresh coat of paint as well. Use a luscious wreath of greenery or topiaries on the front porch. Check to see if it is time to replace your front porch light. Use spotlights to create focal points in your yard or highlight the architecture of your home at night.
By making these simple, cost-effective adjustments you can achieve a beautifully decorated home that you might just decide to enjoy until next spring.
Next week's blog will focus on the organizing aspect of handling those year end issues while still in this year and managing your time during this stressful period. Happy Organizing!
posted on: 10/29/2009 2:00:00 PM by Melissa Searcy
category: Family
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