Advice from an Interior Designer on Holiday Decorating

02 Dec Advice from an Interior Designer on Holiday Decorating

Several years ago a client asked me if I would be interested in decorating her house for Christmas. It was something I had never done outside of my own home but I thought…why not? It was so much fun! Since then I look forward every year to creating that unique, warm and celebratory mood for my clients, their families and guests.

Holiday decorating is really as personal as crafting an interior design plan, and I approach both these projects similarly. I talk to my clients extensively to understand their vision and the mood they want for their holiday entertaining festivities and their own family’s comfort. Some prefer formal holiday décor, others are looking for casual comfort, and some love to go big while others are minimalists. Especially around holidays, decorations can have deep personal meaning and family history; many of my clients have special collections they want to highlight. I bring all those personal elements together to create some holiday magic.

Creating a Festive Mood

Once the scope of the plan has been established, it’s time to go to work. Start with the focal points in a space, decorating the Christmas tree, and adding garlands to mantels and staircases. These really set the mood. Put a touch of the holiday spirit throughout your entire house by finding smaller areas to place decorations. Coffee tables, kitchen islands and powder baths can hold arrangements of holiday flowers, sprigs of greenery, wreaths or a simple bowl filled with ornaments.

Choosing a Color Scheme

I am a more-the-merrier kind of decorator; I like incorporating lots of lights, sparkle, and bling. The holidays are a time when you can go all out and have fun—more trees, more lights, more sparkle and more color. I suggest staying with traditional greens and reds, or decorating with colors that match your room’s décor. In a client’s home in Terre Haute, we chose cream, champagne and turquoise decorations, as these colors were already present in their home. Winter whites, golds and silvers also work well for the season.

Personalized Themed Trees

Themed or personalized trees tell a story and can make your decorating time more meaningful and fun. In our home, we have our main Christmas tree, and a small tree that I put in my son’s nursery and it has turned into a tradition. His tree is covered in everything from his handmade school projects, ornaments from vacation spots, family photos and things he’s loved over the years, like Bob the Builder ornaments. This is the tree we decorate together, and it has grown from 3 to over 7 feet to fit all the ornaments. We love unpacking them each year and adding new ones as well.

It is important when decorating that you think about how your house will be used during the holidays. Will you be having big parties, or just entertaining close family and friends? In the end, making your space easy to mill around in and socialize will make your guests feel more at home. Determine while you are decorating how your space will flow so that there are no bottlenecks or confusion among your guests, and food and seating will be easily accessible.

Creating a festive mood in your home is a very personal process, but I encourage you to mix old and new, make some special traditions, and most importantly have fun!