Written By Kimberly Liddick-Byrnes, Photos by: Sherri Hosfeld Joseph
For many, holiday decorating is a major annual event; a way to briefly transform a home into a festive fantasy land. People spend a lot of time and money to create the perfect holiday atmosphere. Whether it is with bright colors and lots of lights, patterns and textures; a more classical feel with whites and silvers and crystal accents; or a homey style with fresh greens, live flowers, a collection of nutcrackers and a Christmas village – there are many ways to deck the halls for the holiday. Here are some suggestions from the pros:
Going Natural
A growing trend over the past few years, said Westminster resident and interior designer Sue Dipietro, has been toward decorating with natural or live materials.
“A lot of people prefer to use live materials for wreathes, dcor and centerpieces, whereas the trend maybe 10 years ago was to use fake or artificial stuff,” said Depietro. “But the artificial items start to wear and look bad, so people are returning to live items.”
Evelyn Beall, owner of Flowers by Evelyn, knows first hand how popular live items are around the holidays. She said live materials are always a hit – both for their beauty as well as for the fresh scents they offer. Whether it is live flowers, fresh greens, a wreath, a live tree, or a centerpiece, living materials offer endless decorating opportunities.
“People use a whole variety of live items in their decorating, said Beall, “pods, cinnamon sticks, natural berries, fruits, nuts. It’s festive and can add some wonderful aromas to the home.”
Beall added that she does a lot of Williamsburg-style centerpieces around the holidays. These traditional centerpieces contain mostly fruit but also pods, magnolia leaves and fresh greens.
Diane Martin, who works for Flowers by Evelyn, said that she is amazed by the variety of color and patterns that poinsettias display this year. She said some are stunning shades of pinks and reds, while others have blues, purples and even colored spots. Other popular holiday flowers are magnolias, amaryllis, and Christmas cactus.
This year, Martha Bupert’s Westminster home will be featured in the Historic Homes Tour that begins December 11. Bupert said that when she entertains for the holidays, she likes to build edible centerpieces; arrangements that look festive but also serve as hors d’oeuvres.
“If I am hosting a party,” she said, “I will do a more elaborate centerpiece, like something that can also serve as an hors d’oeuvre or dessert, using something like cherry tomatoes or candy canes.”
Going Green
Not only is “green” a traditional holiday color, but it also characterizes a new trend in decorating. San Francisco-based event planner Shannon Leahy, daughter of Westminster resident and interior designer Susan Leahy, said that some companies, such as West Elm (www.westelm.com), offer decorations made out of recycled materials. She added that people are also making the eco-friendly choice to purchase live Christmas trees that can be planted after the Christmas holiday.
According to Evelyn Beall, there is now even the Veriflora certification – a sustainability certification program for fresh cut flowers and potted plants, for those who are committed to going organic. No pesticides or chemicals are used in growing the flowers and plants, sellers use sustainable technologies and practices, and the packaging is eco-friendly.
Building Collections
Many people build holiday collections, from miniature Santas and nutcrackers to retro ornaments and angels. Depietro said the collections serve several purposes: among them being the attachment of personal meanings and memories.
“I once decorated a home for a woman who has hundreds of nutcrackers,” said Depietro. “They are in all sizes, from all places around the world and they are in every corner of her home during the holidays – down the staircase, on the mantle – and she had stories about where she got them over the years.”
Shannon and Susan Leahy agreed that collections are popular holiday decorations. Susan said she has been collecting crystal glass ornaments for 25 years, and Shannon collects all-glass Santas.
“I have a huge collection of glass ornaments,” said Susan Leahy. “So I start with those and then add a color theme that I carry throughout the rest of the house. Last year I used Magnolia leaves and copper, it was beautiful.”
Shannon Leahy added that copper is really easy to work with and has a color that offers an alternative to the more traditional gold and silver.
Collections are also popular because they can be passed down through families, making decorating meaningful as well as creative.
“Find something you are passionate about and develop it,”said Depietro. “Look for it throughout the year and try to add to the collection whenever you can.”
Building Style
Not everyone has the decorating gene. Some enjoy decorating but are just not sure how to update their styles. Depietro suggests visiting thrift shops and second-hand stores to find unique items.
“You can find good and unique stuff at thrift shops that can be used in a hundred different ways.” she said. “You could pull the crystals off an old chandelier, line a mantle with a garland and hang the crystals off the garland. Add some lights and it’s beautiful.”
Bupert suggests taking ideas from catalogs. Catalogs like Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn offer pictures of beautifully decorated rooms, using trendy pieces and materials.
“Higher-end catalogs have beautiful photography and show off lots of great dcor,” said Bupert. “Get some ideas you like and then go to Michael’s or Target and try to mimic the style from the catalogs. It’s a great way to get cool, trendy ideas and decorate on a budget.”
“You could build a whole theme around old ornaments,” said Susan Leahy. “Decorate the tree with them, or just fill a glass bowl with them. It makes for a beautiful and unique decoration.”
The options are endless when it comes to finding unique and ornate ways to deck your halls with creativity. The experts say that anyone can do it, even on a budget, with a little imagination and tenacity.
