You can bring a fresh spin to your home’s festive look by pairing unexpected items, bringing beloved collections into the forefront and personalizing the color palette. Consider these tips and trends for the 2015 holiday season.
Be merry with metallic
Add sophistication to your family tree with a silver, gold or crystal vintage-inspired garland and mix of ornaments, suggests Atlanta interior decorator Julie Montgomery, owner of Julie Montgomery Interiors. Keep the vintage-inspired sophistication going throughout the home with a grouping of old family photos or framed vintage holiday cards placed on the mantel or side table.
Even if your china is not a traditional holiday color, you can still set your table or display the pieces. Montgomery suggests using gilded stemware in soft colors (think blush or amber) when entertaining.
Mix shiny, matte and glitter ornaments instead of just choosing one style, says Sarah Fishburne, director of trend and design at the Home Depot. Another item making a comeback in displays: decorative faux fruit with an iced finish.
Update your holiday hues
The classic Christmas red can be mixed with softer metallic hues. Don’t be afraid to layer materials such as rose gold, copper, silver and bronze, in displays on trees, mantles and tabletops, the designers say.
Trending hues include gray, platinum and brown. For greens, Fishburne is seeing a shift away from evergreen and emerald green to a grass green or chartreuse. Even blues and aquas can be paired with red for a classic and even nostalgic look, she said.
You can carry your palette through rooms, even if they have different themed trees or decor styles, such as traditional and rustic. “When you do mix that, it does make it very approachable and livable,” Fishburne said.
Incorporate natural accents
For a front door wreath, stairway and tabletop, Lisa Turner and Wallace Bryan, co-owners of Trinity Mercantile & Design in Decatur, combined cotton with magnolia leaves.
“Anything that is part of what you love in your home could be used. Perhaps you have a beautiful blue vase, add flowers. White works well for the holidays, and try tucking in a glistening snow flake or a tree ornament in with the arrangement to add a bit of whimsy,” Turner said.
Shop your own yard for magnolia branches, twigs, acorns and pine cones, Montgomery said. For a bar cart display, the Trinity designers combined existing pieces with magnolia leaves. Plants with velvety leaves can be combined with white flowers, and if you need more glam, add silver accents. Driftwood is used for decorative trees, Santas, menorahs and nativity scenes sold by artisans and retailers.
Create seasonal curb appeal
Consider taking your holiday style from the mailbox to the back of the house and hitting major spots in between, Fishburne said. You can hang wreaths on the front door and windows, then position lawn inflatables or tinseled pieces to catch the attention of kids and others passing by.
Reindeer aren’t the only animals popping up in holiday decor. New inflatable options and lit outdoor art include a 6-foot schnauzer dog covered with a plush outdoor material, sold by retailers including the Home Depot, along with angels, deer, sleds, Star Wars, Disney characters and animals such as owls, penguins and polar bears.
“People like to have themes outside and add onto it year after year,” Fishburne said.
