How Not To Decorate For The Holidays

Last week I was in the Grange showroom winding up some business. It happened to be the day the Design Center was holding a special event on Holiday Decorating.

Poor Grange. They were supposed to be paired with a design team that understood the Grange aesthetic. I have to say, most of the other showroom had some nice looks. But truly, nothing I haven’t seen before. I know times are hard, but that’s when we go wild!  I won’t mention any names, but this was frightening. Unfortunately, I was too dazed to take a photo of the 8-foot tall tower of terror. A red mess of “velvet” ribbon covered in dust and a few stray hairs (true).

Okay, first, don’t use the cheapest ribbons in the world. These looked like they were from the bulk bin at JoAnn’s. No joke – dead serious. The designer added the carpet, the curtain and filled the shelves with Spode’s Christmas tree china. Been there! And I’m not going to say a word about that angel.

If you’re going to wrap ribbon around the chairs, why not use a beautiful grosgrain or satin ribbon? I think that’s an angel wired in there. Ick. I would have preferred to see a surprise – maybe a smaller ribbon with a handmade, felt angel or snowman.

Again, this tacky, needlepoint pillow is so dated it has Alzheimer’s. Anyone from Paris would quietly leave this party (the French are more polite than you think).

How to get it right.

I know this can be a tough subject. Some people like to go overboard with the decor. It’s especially fun when you have small children. But the style shouldn’t be something that you’ve been looking at for the last 30 years. Take a look at your style and decorate with things that match your personality. If your style is The Nutcracker, then do it with taste. Here are a few more tips.

Create a focal point. If you want to create a critical mass, limit it to one area. Just as we create a focal point in a room, do that with your holiday decoration. The mantle is the perfect spot for this. Candles, greens, stockings, ribbons. Go for it. But don’t spread it all over the house or you’ll be sick of it by December 1st.

Centerpieces, etc.. As for the table, I prefer objects from nature mixed with a few faux things. Satin or grosgrain ribbons please. Colorful glass balls are terrific. Real greens and/or flowers look great. Mix bark with greens, branches and berries.If you have a garden, that’s free.

Simple arrangements. I like simple, low arrangements because the beauty is spread across the table. Keep it low so everyone can see each other. One idea? Try white ribbon with gold balls and small vases of white flowers.

Christmas pillows – sigh. Really? Unless it’s something that’s really awesome from Oromono or similar, I say skip it. Remember, that focal point! A pillow here, a Santa there just looks rumpled.

Buy quality ribbon. Cheap ribbon looks cheap. If you buy high quality ribbon, it will last for a few years and you can iron most of it.

I hope to find the time to actually put my money where my mouth is this year and show you exactly what I mean. But I’ll wait until the real Christmas season gets underway.

Meanwhile, Do you need some help with ideas for a Thanksgiving centerpiece? Would you like to see some place setting ideas? Let me know and I’ll get my act together.

Meow.

• Posted by Jennifer at 10:03 am
• 5 Comments
• Tagged: Accessories, Design Ideas, Detroit, Furniture, Christmas, Christmas decorating ideas, Grange, holiday