Festive SETTINGS

Decorators offer inspiration, ideas for creating holiday home

The holidays are

here. If the idea of home holiday decor stirs up disturbing visions of garish Griswold light displays, rest assured that there are simple ways to create a classic, comfortable and celebratory style.

“Because the holidays are filled with opportunities for entertaining family and friends, along with the fact that we are home more to enjoy our surroundings, this is a great time of year to evaluate your home’s design,” said Sandy Lucas of Lucas/Ailers Design Associates.

Most folks need remember “less is more,” she said, and edit their space before “that one well-chosen piece of art or furniture can make unique statement.” Lucas and other members of the regional chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers shared a variety

of holiday inspirations.

Tables and chairs

“The most important pieces of furniture you need during the holidays are great tables,” said Linda Eyeles of Linda Eyeles Design. “You might not be able to get a wonderful new dining table in time for turkey dinner, but you can always upgrade your coffee table or add new side tables. Guests need a place to put down a drink or a plate — small round or rectangular tables, even those just 12 to 18 inches can be enough.”

Oftentimes friends and family groups require extra seating – but don’t settle for folding chairs when you can find versatile chairs that can work year round. “I love beautiful, functional pieces that serve a multitude of purposes,” said Mary Lindsey Wilson of Live Beautifully. She recommended a side chair that “works great for an extra dining chair, pulls up easily into a gathering and can be used in other rooms of the house when you are not entertaining.”

Illuminating ideas

Lighting has tremendous power to set the stage.

“You can easily have an electrician swap out your entry lantern or dining room chandelier to something festive and unexpected, and don’t be afraid to play with scale,” said Marie Flanigan of Marie Flanigan In- teriors. “We love using oversized fixtures for a more dramatic effect, and if any season calls for drama, this is the one.”

This is the perfect season to add a chandelier, said Joanne Giannarris, marketing director of By Design Interiors, as it can be a great place to hang stars, ornaments and wind wreaths, or temporarily substitute lights for candles.

“After the holidays are over you still have an amazing lighting fixture without the decorations,” she said.

Lucas said that by simply adding dimmer switches to any lights that don’t already have dimming capabilities, you can control the mood you set for entertaining.

“Also, make certain that you don’t have any hold-overs of the early fluorescent light bulbs in fixtures or lamps that give off a blueish light,” she said. “The new warmer Kelvin LED bulbs are a big improvement — affordable, energy- efficient and long-lasting.”

Setting the scent

In preparing for the holidays, “I store away a lot of my regular home accessories, clean the house from top to bottom, and then I fill the empty spaces with special holiday throw pillows, mercury glass candlesticks and other festive accessories,” said Lynne Jones of Lynne T. Jones Interior Design. But her secret holiday weapon isn’t visible.

“I make sure that I have plenty of Thyme Frasier Fir fragrance in the house. The scent is heavenly and it will always put you in the holiday spirit,” she said. Thyme and other high-end candles and scents are available in a variety of local shops and online.

Accents

Sometimes it just takes a little thing to change the spirit of a space.

“I often will change an interior for the holiday season by slipcovering a sofa, a pair of chairs or dining room chairs. Using fabrics like velvet and brushed cotton give a formal or warm winter holiday feel,” said Blake Woods of Blake Woods Design. “A dash of something metallic will make the room glimmer and be festive. There are ready-made options available through retail and online stores that are affordable, and custom options that won’t break the bank that you can use year after year. “

Don’t be afraid to make your holiday space personal.

“I like to include existing personal items and incorporate it in the holiday decor. Holidays are about traditions,” Wilson said. Whether you have old pictures of children with Santa in beautiful frames set in a holiday display or if you simply mix holiday and classic items on tablescapes, don’t be afraid to experiment.

“I am a big believer in using and enjoying what you have, especially in unexpected ways,” Wilson said.

“I encourage my clients to look at items or accessories they already have an use them in a different way,” Woods said, suggesting, for example, that you can layer a holly plate on existing china to set the holiday theme instead of investing in holiday-themed china. “This saved money and eliminated the need to store a lot of china that would only be used once or twice a year,” he said.

And finally, poinsettias, which are dangerous, but not lethal, for pets, are not mandatory.

“Fresh red roses in simple vases splashed around your home or on your table add a dash of holiday red and remind us of love the holidays bring to our home,” Woods said.

Oftentimes friends and family groups require extra seating – but don’t settle for folding chairs when you can find versatile chairs that can work year round.