Houston Chronicle Sunday

What are seasonal decoration­s that take up no room in home?

- By Christine Brun Christine Brun, ASID, is a San Diego-based interior designer and author of Small Space Living. Send questions and comments to her at christineb­run@sbcglobal.net.

It has been said that people who decorate the outside of their house for Christmas are happier. It follows that people who bring adornments inside, too, are willing to make an effort to create a special ambience in their home. Both practices are subtle ways to increase satisfacti­on at a time of year that can be tricky for a lot of us.

Decorating your home for the holidays can lift your mood, and I am reminding you that decoration­s can range from a simple front door wreath to an elaborate Christmas tree, depending on your circumstan­ce.

If you’ve been keeping up with the news, you likely already know that fresh Christmas trees are supposed to be scarce and more expensive this year. So this could be the best year to shift to an artificial tree. Ironically for me, I proclaimed to my family weeks ago that this year, we would buy a real tree and leave our handsome synthetic one in storage.

That’s bad timing, but I am yearning for the aroma of evergreens.

Solutions to this potential problem include evergreen garlands on your mantel, wrapped around the stair banister or resting on your long dining table or buffet.

There are a myriad of candles with a fresh fir scent and aromathera­py atomizers that are quite authentic.

I suggest you invest in good-quality products and avoid those with a sickeningl­y sweet smell.

Look at other ideas that will take up little room in the spacestarv­ed home. You could replace a framed piece of art for the season with a fresh evergreen wreath.

This could be hung in your dining or living room, at the end of a hallway or even in your bedroom.

Light it up

Give your wreaths a boost by adding batteryope­rated micro LED lights that do not require a nearby electric outlet.

Such tiny lights allow for creative decoration­s that can be mounted on a wall, thereby conserving floor or tabletop space.

Here is a peel-off decal in the form of a Christmas tree. You can find numerous designs of trees, wreaths, reindeer and other seasonal motifs on the internet. Nothing could be more spaceconse­rving than something you simply stick on a wall.

Arrange the mini LED lights and hang them with push pins into the drywall and you will create a lit holiday decoration that takes up zero floor area.

Other ideas include arranging lights and evergreen garlands on an outside balcony rail, creating a centerpiec­e for a hall table with the battery-operated lights or inventing something for your coffee table.

Cost is minimal if you can go for a walk in the woods and scoop up pine cones or buy a bag at a local hobby store.

Cut evergreens and insert them into a basket or bowl with the cones, or add ornaments to complete the arrangemen­t.

You could replace a framed piece of art for the season with a fresh evergreen wreath.

 ?? Creators Syndicate photo ?? Here is a peel-off decal in the form of a Christmas tree. You can find numerous designs of trees, wreaths, reindeer and other seasonal motifs on the internet. Nothing could be more space-conserving than something you stick on a wall.
Creators Syndicate photo Here is a peel-off decal in the form of a Christmas tree. You can find numerous designs of trees, wreaths, reindeer and other seasonal motifs on the internet. Nothing could be more space-conserving than something you stick on a wall.

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