Adene Lucas, of Accent on Design Inc. (accentondesigninc.ca), suggests building seasonal decor around one simple item such as an elegant glass bowl. “A decorative bowl that is used year round could be filled with seasonal flowers, glass balls or pine cones,” says the Calgary-based designer. Another way to transform a coffee table is to place candles atop a gold charger plate (an accent plate usually used beneath a serving dish) edged with glass beads. Everyday decor items can be used creatively—such as a poinsettia in a jug, she notes.

Less is more, says Sherwood Park designer Marie Blackburn, of Blackburn ReDesigns (blackburn­redesigns@telus.net). She advises limiting colours, whether trendy or traditional. “Don’t overload the senses,” she says. “For a simple and harmonious look, keep your holiday decor down to one or two colours and tie them into your entire decorating scheme, from tree decorations to stockings to candles.” Go with favourite combina-tions: gold/burgundy, silver/blue, white/blue and this year’s trendy black and white.

Edmonton designer, Bev Norman, of Room For Change Décor (roomforchangedecor.com) helps those with uniquely painted walls. If a great room is aubergine, go ahead and use it in your decor, adding two more compatible colours and repeating them three times around the room. Go with aubergine and apple green decorations and white tree lights, with white being the third colour. Sheer ribbons in apple green, woven through the tree branches, will add a sophisticated touch. Place apple green and aubergine hued pillows in two nooks of the room. She suggests giving life to the room by adding something from nature—a spray of green branches in a pail.

Norman says clutter is best cleared when adding seasonal touches. Empty nesters with too many knick-knacks should pack away everyday collectibles to make way for a few Christmas-themed groupings. Themes include snowmen, birds, angels, nativity and Santa. Showcase three to seven items together instead of spreading them around. “The point here is not to fill up every space but leave room for your eye to stop and take in the displays,” she says.

“Your home should always represent your history, and your displays should always tell a story,” notes Norman. Maybe you have a chipped china Santa figurine from your great grandma. That figurine could become part of a Santa grouping. Or the Santa could be placed on a hall table with a black and white photo of your great grandmother. Add a sprig of holly, and the simple touch becomes a conversation piece and evokes a warm memory too.

Blackburn has a simple idea for decorating a mantel, especially one with a mirror above it. Suspend three large ornamental balls (of the same colour) with fishing line from the ceiling low enough so they’re reflected in the mirror and hang two outer balls at the same height and the center ball slightly higher. Alternatives include “clustering” three balls at varying heights on one side, and two candles of different heights on the other, or gracing the mantel with a clear glass bowl or hurri­-cane lamp chimney with ornamental balls of complementary colours.

If condo owners have a great room with high or cathedral ceilings, Norman has advice for a fireplace. Arrange striking red Saskatoon dogwood branches in a copper vase at each end of the mantel. Two small trees would work too, she adds. “They should be large enough to enhance the details of the mantel and not be dwarfed by the size of the room.”

Those without fireplaces needn’t fret. Stockings can still be hung festively with care; Blackburn suggests hanging them from a sofa table with metal stocking hangers. Meanwhile, Lucas suggests placing them attractively along an open staircase or even displaying them on a kitchen island with suction hooks. Or use a window as a fireplace and hang the stockings below the casement, she says. “Vintage coat racks are another fun way of displaying stockings.”  CL

Take A Bough
Smaller trees an attractive option for the ornamental novice

Designer Marie Blackburn offers practical tips for those with bare ornament cupboards:
• Arrange an ornament exchange with your friends. Make known your colour scheme and theme in advance.
• Instead of hanging ornaments, fill the interior tree branches with white mini-lights.
• Ornament alternative: stick large holiday picks—picks with berries, silk poinsettias or glitter sticks— between the branches.
• Buy a three-foot pine tree. For a natural look, some come embellished with pepper berries, eucalyptus leaves, magnolia tips or pine cones.
• Buy an 18- to 33-inch tree or topiary, pre-lit with white mini-lights, and place it on a sofa table. Keep it simple and elegant—don’t add decorations.


Seasonal Sparkle
Whimsical touches add Pizzazz

There’s always a buzz with tree decorations—what’s the newest thing? Calgary interior designer, Adene Lucas, has the scoop. “This year it’s all about bling. Ornaments that sparkle, shine and have a sense of whimsy,” she says. Dangly chandelier-style ornaments promise to tickle the senses. And the look of ice is cutting edge.

Retro rules. The ornaments making the biggest splash are mercury glass. Very Victorian, the metallic silver glass comes in clasic teardrop or ball shaped reproductions. For vintage mercury glass ornaments, check out eBay.

Persian glamour is big this year too, says Lucas. Add the exotic touch of blue to a tree with peacock feathers. Chocolate brown feathers are popular again this season.

For urbanites, this season’s look is fun and flashy, she says. This year’s hot colour combos are black/white and pink/purple as well as the soft sorbet shades of lime and orange. Black and white striped ornaments backlit by white lights make a bold statement.

City folk are more daring with their urban abodes, and stick to folksy Canadiana for their country/mountain cabins, Lucas says. “Carved wooden skates, hockey sticks and reindeer are popular for the traditional set.” The lodge look includes canvas Santas, another keeper.