How to Make your Guest Room Feel Holiday-Ish for Guests

Table Top Tree

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Guests & holidays go hand in hand, so when this time of year rolls around its time to get your guest room prepped and ready. It can be an easy room to forget about when it comes to adding in holiday decor. There are some simple things you can add to make your guests feel that much more at home. A table top tree is the perfect holiday touch to add to your guest room. This does not have to be a large investment, and it can make such an impact in the space. 

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Holiday Throw Pillows

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Another easy holiday decor item to add to your guest room are seasonal throw pillows. These can be something simple like furs and plaids all the way to trees and gifts or holiday sayings. You can find pillows like these at great prices in stores like Target or Homegoods. Holiday pillows with neutral colors are always a good bet so you don't have to worry about matching them perfectly to the bedding in the guest room.

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Wreath in a Frame 

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One super simple DIY you can add to your guest room is a small wreath hanging inside of an empty wall frame. This takes a simple wreath and turns it into a piece of art that is more appropriate to hang on a wall in a bedroom than just a wreath on its own. We personally love the look of a classic green wreath and red bow with a white frame, but you can take it in which ever direction you choose! 

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How to Use Heirloom / Generational Pieces in Your Holiday Decor

Outdoor Displays

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Incorporating items that have been passed down from generation to generation is your home decor is a beautiful way to pay homage to the past. It can be even more fun and fitting to include these items into your holiday decor. When it comes to your outdoor display, things like vintage skis, wagons and sleds can make for the perfect addition. The great thing about these items is they can bring back priceless memories every time you see them!

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Indoor Displays

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When it comes to incorporating heirloom pieces into your indoor holiday displays, the possibilities are endless. Vintage items work so beautifully when paired with holiday pieces. For example, a vintage pair of ice skates can be hung with winter foliage tucked inside them for a gorgeous look. Another fun idea is to take an heirloom bowl whether it be crystal, glass or something else and create a mini winter wonderland inside it as shown below!

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Popular Themes & Colors in Holiday Decor

Neutrals

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

We all know the main holiday staple color combos like red and green will always be a classic and beautiful choice. If you are looking for something a little more updated and clean, using neutrals like whites, tans and grays for your holiday decor can also be a beautiful option. This is a great way of keeping the look and feel of your decor on the lighter side. It is also very easy for these neutrals to blend with whatever colors you have going on in your everyday decor!

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Silver & Gold

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One classic color combination to use that will never go out of style is silver and gold. There is just something about these colors that bring that warm feeling into a space with a touch of glam that is so fun! There are endless amounts of holiday decor to choose from in these colors which is one reason we love it so much because you can truly make it your own.

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Non-Traditional Colors

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Finally, non-traditional colors and themes are becoming popular all on their own for holiday decor. We know those old tried and true options will always be there for us, so why not try something fun and different?  These photo examples show how we incorporated pinks as well as white and black into one of our client’s holiday displays. These are not colors that usually come to mind when you think holiday, but when done right, can look gorgeous! 

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

What to Shop for now for Christmas Decorating

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Whether you are starting fresh with all new holiday decorating items, or just adding to your current collection, tis the season for holiday decor shopping! 

Our Favorite Places to Shop

When this time of year rolls around we have a few go-to spots for affordable holiday decor shopping. Homegoods, Pier 1, Hobby Lobby and At Home are some of the top places we hit year after year. We like Homegoods and Pier 1 for more specialty items like unique ornaments and handcrafted wreaths. We like Hobby Lobby and At Home for larger more staple items like trees and garland. All of these stores have consistently good sales so you don't have to break the bank on items that will only be out in your home about one month of the year.

HobbyLobby.com

HobbyLobby.com

Things to Replace Every Few Years

The great thing about holiday decor is you can pack it up and reuse it year after year. There are a few items however that will need to be replaced every so often to keep everything fresh and updated. Wreaths for example can begin to fade from the sun and get flatter and flatter every year so it is a good idea to update your wreath every few years. Another fun holiday decor item that will need replacing a little sooner than other items is your holiday welcome mat. Winter weather & dirty boots can give your seasonal welcome mat a beating so consider replacing that every couple years as well!

HobbyLobby.com

HobbyLobby.com

How to Create a Decorating Plan Now for Holiday Parties & Guests

The last thing you want to have to mess with last minute is decorating your home right before guests begin arriving for parties or to stay around the holidays. That is why we suggest creating a decorating plan so you know exactly when to plan to have things out and ready so its not a last minute stressor. 

Mark Your Calendar

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Pick a time that works for you to decorate your home and mark it down so you can hold yourself accountable. Although decorating around the holidays is fun for some it can feel more like a chore to others. By blocking off a good part of a day to decorate, you eliminate the feeling of being rushed before guests arrive. 

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Set Achievable Goals

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

If you have a large amount of decorating to do for the holidays make sure you set goals that are manageable and achievable. For example, you don't want to only set aside a couple hours to decorate the inside and outside of your home. Break the work up over a few days so you don't burn out. Also, recruit friends or family for help with larger projects, chances are they could use your help as well!

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Stay Organized 

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

When taking down your decorations and putting them away, the more organized you can stay the easier it will be when you do it all again next year. Make sure to throw items out or donate things you never took out of the box this year to put up. Label boxes with exactly what is inside as well as the room it goes in for easy access next year. 

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Unique Holiday Centerpieces

My husband and I hosted Thanksgiving for his family for the first time this year.  I loved it!!  One of my favorite parts of the hosting process was setting the dinner table.  Gorgeous pumpkins from a local farm adorned various parts of our house throughout October and November, so I gathered them at the base of a fun outdoor lantern stand.  (The stand might look familiar since I used it for a July fundraiser event.  For that tablescape,  I incorporated fresh daisies, appropriate for the summer season.)

The benefit of this lantern stand is that it is tall enough for the lowest lantern to hang above eye level when guests are seated at the table.  One element we often overlook when setting the table is the ability for our guests to converse freely.  It is important to select a focal point for the table that is low enough to talk over or tall enough to see under.  There is nothing worse than sitting down to enjoy a delicious meal and having to peer through the candelabra or flowers to chat with friends.

Here are a few creative ideas that can inspire you to make your own beautiful centerpiece for your Christmas table.

 A simple red cloth gathered underneath a grouping of silver candlesticks, hand-carved Santas and a vine of glittery berries makes a stunning centerpiece for a large table.

 Clustering pieces that vary in height adds dimension to a centerpiece.  Don't be afraid to turn items on their sides to make things more interesting.

 

For those who prefer something more traditional, gathering a plaid fabric around a beautiful floral arrangement makes any table gorgeous.

Spiffy Stockings

Some of my favorite Christmas memories include dumping out my stocking and finding chocolate covered coins, other candies and little trinkets come pouring out. Stocking have come a long way since the days of my childhood.  Here are a few of my favorites available now:
Pier One Regal Stockings.  This reminds me of William and Kate.  These stockings have a British feel and a regal color about them.

 

Pier One Striped High Heel Stocking.  For the funky at heart.  This stocking is soooo playful!

Ballard Designs Polka Dot/Leopard Print Stocking. A little bit of whimsy and style to adorn your mantle.

Happy stocking hanging!

Color Me Christmas

As with clothing and home fashion, colors come in and out of style for Christmas.  My mother- in- law (very traditional by nature) has started to take notice of the changing color schemes for Christmas and is getting a little bolder. She is venturing away from her traditional deep red poinsettias and gold ribbon for her tree and experimenting with lime green mesh.  

Lime green is still holding on as a favorite.  You can pair it with the traditional Christmas red and emerald green to create a fun color story for you tree.  Combining it with pink makes the decor very whimsical.  Silver looks beautiful with this shade of green, as well.  There is something about mixing an electric shade of green with a crisp metallic that feels very wintry yet chic.

Rose, white and gold.  I refer to this grouping as Victorian because of the feeling it evokes when I see these colors together. They look very romantic and feminine when used together.  Throwing in a little blue is a beautiful compliment, as well.

Turquoise and gold is a pairing inspired by the peacock.  When feathers started creeping in to Christmas decor, the richness of turquoise began to take hold.  Accenting with plum gives you a regal look.  The gold serves as a little bling to keep your tree from getting too dark.

Black and silver make great accents to any color scheme.  Ornaments or decorative stems in black add a backdrop for the bolder colors to stand out.  Silver can do a variety of things.  The color can bring a sense of winter when used with other metallics, blue, or citrus colors (like the lime green I mentioned).  It can also be used as an accent to beautify more traditional shades- red, rose, or emerald green.

Another mix of colors that has remained popular are the bright jewel tones.  I used electric blue, hot pink and purple on a black Christmas tree this year and it was gorgeous!  Those colors jumped right off the tree!
Over the past few years I've found it interesting that there isn't just one "hot" color or color combination but several.  This year is no exception! Be like my mother-in-law, lose your inhibitions about Christmas and go for a new color scheme.

Christmas Trends

It's finally December so I can talk about one of my favorite things: Christmas!!!  This time of year is so exciting with the shopping and the festive decorations.  And I'm lucky enough to get to adorn many people's homes in Christmas decor.  I've already completed two homes and have several left to do in the coming weeks.  Every year I read the trade magazines and blogs, attend market and gather info to discover what new items will be popular and what unique ideas there are to make my client's decor even more stunning than last year. Now I'm excited to share them with you!

Traditional tree toppers are going by the wayside.  Instead of topping a tree with an angel or a star, people are using decorative stems.  Creating a cluster of stems at the top of the tree adds extra height and keeps the top from getting too narrow and boring. You can take a mixture of items and work them in together to create a visually stunning topper.  The best part is you can't mess it up.  You simply stick the stems down into the tree and twist some small branches around them to keep them in place.  If the branches don't cooperate you can always buy green pipe cleaners,  Ribbon intertwined with the stems is also pretty.  Here's an example of a tree I did that incorporated a funky topper full of stems.

 Burlap is staying strong even now that Fall is over.  I devoted an entire post to this fabulous textile a few months back.  I've used burlap in wreathes and in ribbon form for a tree.  Burlap pairs very well with shiny ribbon or ornaments to juxtapose two completely different textures. 

Feathers are still a hot commodity like they have been in previous years.  You have an assortment to choose from- peacock, pheasant, brightly colored feathers to suit any color scheme.  You can bend and shape them so they are exactly how you want them.  Feathers are fun to incorporate in wreathes, garland or your tree topper to make the item (tree, wreath or garland) appear fuller and larger.


You can't go wrong with incorporating food into the Christmas decorating.  As long as it's the right kind of food. I'm not talking about mashed potatoes or turkey.  Berries and apples have always been prevalent in holiday wreathes, garlands and centerpieces.  They are especially appropriate in dining rooms and kitchens.  This year artichokes are joining the ranks.  The layered skin adds depth to decorations and the texture looks beautiful next to evergreen needles. 

Come back Monday to read about the popular colors for this Christmas!

Old School

Classrooms are leaving chalkboards behind and opting for dry erase boards and even smart boards. I, on the other hand have found a new appreciation for chalkboards! There are a slew of ideas that involve using chalkboard paint and creating a writing area on the wall to hold your grocery list or to let your children get creative.  More recently, though, the idea of having a writing area on your drinking glass has popped up. You can buy glasses with a strip of chalkboard material on the side of the glass. For parties or large gatherings, this allows people to write their name on the glass to avoid mixing up drinks.  For stemware, instead of placing the chalkboard on the side, the paint can be applied to the base of the glass. This allows the beauty of the drink or the glass itself to be seen.

 As we move into the Christmas season, I am busy painting a variety of ornaments and glassware that people often buy as gifts. This year I am excited to add the chalkboard glasses to that offering. People are loving the concept and are ordering pairs to give to friends as hostess gifts. 

The New Flower

I've been seeing gorgeous arrangements all over Pinterest and in magazines.  I wouldn't call them floral arrangements because they don't contain many, if any , flowers. the focal point of the pieces are bare tree braches.  No leaves on the branches, just beautiful, shapely arms stretching out from the trunk. It may sound barren, but look at these arrangements to see how you can blend the branches with other greenery to end up with a beautiful conversation piece!

A Fall ensemble that creates drama and interest for a mantle in a vaulted great room.  The branch will provide the serious height we needed for a room with high ceilings.

A pair of these will create a winter wonderland in any room. It's the perfect balance of traditional (with the gilded greenery), trendy (tree branch) and dazzling (the metallic shades that play with the light). They will be used as part of Christmas decor in a formal room with a variety of gold silver and pink decorations.

All of the pieces shown above were custom created for my clients. I worked closely with my floral designer to find just the right pieces to compliment the decor of the homes we were working in. After the pieces were complete, my floral gal shared with me that before we made the arrangements, not too many people were interested in the tree branch. They didn't understand how to incorporate it into their decor. After our pieces were complete, the branches are selling like wildfire. We gave people some vision and they ran with it.

Bonkers for Burlap

Hitting the scene hot and heavy has been burlap. Everywhere I look, I see burlap throw pillows, tableclothes, bulletin boards and signs. If you flip open a Ballard Designs catalog there are pages devoted to products made from this fine fabric. If you search for burlap items on Pinterest, a world of photos show up. I have always loved the visual texture provided by this natural fiber. It brings such rustic beauty to a dinner table when placed with fine china.  You can shred it into pieces and tie it off to make a welcoming wreath for your front door.  People are getting very creative with their application and I couldn't be more excited! 

One of my favorite items I have found is burlap ribbon.  It is available in an assortment of colors and widths perfect for a Fall wreath or your Christmas tree. The beauty of burlap is that it can be used for indoor or outdoor decoration.  One friend is using shiny gold mesh and turquoise burlap in her tree to create not only a gorgeous color palette, but an interesting mix of textures and finishes. I encourage you to be creative when experimenting with burlap. You never know what you might come up with!

Black & White

It's black. It's white.  As I am typing, I am humming Michael Jackson's hit  (As mentioned in previous posts, everything to me related to a song).  I'm sure that you are glad this is a text post and not a video!

Enough about music, I really want to talk about the trend of using black & white in home decor.  These colors have been strong in the fashion world for the past couple seasons and now are making a big splash into the home scene.  Everything from checkerboard tile floors to mod bedding to luxurious throw pillows. 

Some people are jumping into the trend and re-doing entire rooms to reflect their love for black & white.  If you aren't so sure, start off slow.  Introduce black and white in small ways.  Ceramic accessories in these solid colors lend an air of sophistication to a bookcase.  Are you afraid of being void of color? Choose a gorgeous wall color like turquoise, use all black and white patterned fabrics in the space and top it all off with a punch of yellow in the throw pillows and accessories.  Be careful not to overdo the yellow, or it will lose it's impact.

Don't forget about Christmas decorating with these colors!  White has always been a favorite for the feel of fresh fallen snow that it provides.  Pairing black and a dash of silver with it takes the decor to a Chanel level.  Very chic, classy and beautiful.

New Year, New Look

Happy New Year everyone!  December was a wonderful business boom, and as a result my blogging fell off.  But I'm back and ready to go for 2011!!!

As I type, people are taking down Christmas decorations and packing them away.  As the clean up winds down, they are looking around and realizing the house seems bare. It's a bit of a letdown following a magical Christmas season. I experienced the same feeling myself.  After having a tree up for 2 months, my living room seems very blah now. There was a simple solution, though- simply re-accessorizing my space.  Within an hour, I moved some chairs, reworked the bookcases and strategically placed some greenery.  Voila!  A whole new look without spending a dollar.  Suddenly I'm noticing pieces that used to blend into the background and I once again love my space!

Happy re-arranging!

Holiday Tricks of the Trade

This week has been all about Christmas decor for me.  I hosted the holiday preview party for Polka Dots & Rosebuds and was honored to speak at the Living Well Holiday Edition at the Fayette County Extension Office.  In light of that, I thought I would share some fun and unique tips for you to put to use this holiday season.

- In lieu of weaving wide ribbon through the tree, try a table runner.  It gives a dramatic and luxurious look!

- Replace your traditional tree skirt with gathered fabric.  You can fluff it up to fill in holes between the gifts.

- Place your basic ornaments toward the center (trunk) of the tree and work the more decorative ornaments  further out on the branches.  It allows the fancy ornaments to stand out.

- Refresh old ornaments with a little spray paint and repurpose them as place card holders, fill with flowers to serve as a party favor or simply cluster them on a tiered plate stand for tabletop decor.

Happy Decking the Halls!!

Just a Twinkle For the Season

For those of us in the decorating business, Christmas time is already here.  Planning is underway, decorations are being purchased and the schedules are filling up!  I focus on the interior of a home but when it comes to outdoor decorating, I turn to Eddie McNeal of Just a Twinkle for the Season. His business focuses on nothing but outdoor holiday decor. Eddie is a fabulous resource for me and my clients so I wanted to share some insight with you that he shared with me.

Trends in outdoor decorating:
1. Using LED/commercial lighting.  Forget your Walmart strands, these commercial lights don't have to be scrapped when just one bulb burns out.   Another huge benefit is that up to 46 strands can be connected and feed off of one outlet.  When you order these commercial lights, they are cut to fit your exact dimensions leaving no excess.  That means you don't have to worry about getting tangled up in wires.

2. Yard art. Tasteful yard decorations are all the rage- everything from wooden reindeer to oversized ornaments for the lawn.  If you can't find the exact piece for your yard, look into having it made.  A good craftsman should be able to create the shape you envision and you'll have it for Christmases to come.

3. Shaped lights. What are those?  The lights that are shaped like icicles or candy canes or snowmen or, well you get the picture.  You typically see them hanging from the roofline of a home.  One thing to know before you buy these types of lights- be sure to purchase the  kind that won't blow in the wind and flip up into your gutters.  You don't want to have to climb up there and end up hanging off the edge of your house Clark Griswold style!

4. Outdoor trees covered in lights.  Depending on your overall theme and size of your tree this could mean draping in simple white lights only OR adding large outdoor tree ornaments to create a Christmas tree that would rival the one in Rockefellar Center. 

A good rule of thumb for the appropriate time span of decorations is Thanksgiving to New Year's.  It's okay if you don't spend New Year's Day packing up your decorations, but by the end of the week you want to have things taken down. 

Thanks to Eddie for his insider advice.  If you need some help with your outdoor decor, call Just a Twinkle for the Season at 859.519.7424.

Happy holiday decorating!!