Designer tips help shake up holiday décor
Break with tradition to add dramatic color, style without breaking the bank
When it comes to holiday decorating, there are so many decisions to make. White or multicolored lights? Fresh or faux? Traditional or contemporary?
For Michele Mendenhall Buckley of Michele Mendenhall Interiors, the more likely starting point is this: Kids or no kids?
At Christmas, families and — sometimes their decorators — haul out boxes of bulbs, lights and other holiday finery to get their homes ready for the season. While red and green are the traditional colors of Christmas, they’re far from the only picks out there.
In fact, the popular neutral color palette and penchant for contemporary and modern home décor are driving many Houston area families to go a different direction: using rose gold, teal or blue and white flowers.
What — beyond sentimentality or their simple preference — makes someone stick with red and green? Kids, says Buckley.
“Right now, I lean towards designing around the interior of the home. If I have a client who’s sentimental towards Christmas or has children, red and green are a priority,” Buckley said.
In need of help with your holiday decorations? Here are
10 tips from Buckley, who’s been working on garland and trees since Halloween.
Mix it up: Want a contemporary palette but can’t resist a little tradition? Buckley suggests a little of both. Decorate your front door or porch in traditional colors, but inside, let your décor dictate colors. Or, decorate formal spaces — foyer, sitting room or living room — in contemporary colors, and then set up a tree with traditional colors and more sentimental ornaments in your family room.
For kids: Another option is to use contemporary décor in all your public spaces, then let your children have their own tree in their bedroom or play room. Contemporary colors: New favorites for holiday decorating involve rose gold with teals or blue or mixing rose gold and gray. Stick with nature: Things like magnolia leaves, pine cones and eucalyptus work well in contemporary or traditional décor. Stick with fresh if you can, and weave them into garland for your fireplace mantel or stair rail.
Fabric: Weave ribbons through garland and around evergreen trees. Buckley likes to mix up to four different fabrics, layering them throughout. If you use ribbons in your home, count on using at least two to three spools (per type of fabric, if layering) for a Christmas tree and at least four to five spools for a stair rail, depending on its size. Real or faux?: Homes with small children and pets need to use caution with too many glass or fragile ornaments. Buckley advises mixing goodquality shatterproof ornaments with the real deal. (Don’t be afraid to go as high as a 50-50 mix.) Tricks of the trade: It’s easy for the wire hook and cap on top of ornaments to pull off, sometimes sending expensive glass ornaments crashing to the floor. Keep them intact by using a little glue on the cap before putting them on the tree. Also, darkgreen pipe cleaners are a discrete way to attach ornaments on a Christmas tree branch.
On a mantel: Buckley favors garland that hangs across a fireplace mantel and reaches the floor on each side. To keep it in place, use an eye hook attached on the underside of the mantel on each end. Again, darkgreen pipe cleaner can discretely keep it in place. More bang for your buck: High-end garland is expensive, and the tab can add up if you have more than one fireplace and lots of stair rail to cover. Start with a basic, inexpensive garland, then use smaller pieces of nicer garland or items like pine cones or magnolia leaves to fill it out.
Storage: Hot attics are tough on bows, ribbons and holiday décor in general. Buckley recommends storing your decorations in boxes or tubs in a climate-controlled closet or room. They’ll last longer and look nicer.