Are you hesitant to have your living room or dining room repainted because you’re not sure how your new wall color will look with your Christmas decorations? Maybe it’s time to think outside the (ornament) box!
If you just can’t stand the paint color of your living room a minute longer, then go ahead and have the paint color changed! There’s no need to wait until after the holidays are over. Gone are the days of red and green dictating your holiday color scheme. Decorations have changed over the years and so have we. Many people enjoy coordinating their decorations to their individual lifestyle and favorite colors. If your dining room is a cheery yellow, then red and green decorations probably won’t make sense for you. But mix some holiday greenery with ornaments in whites, golds, and burnished copper and you just might work some holiday magic. Likewise if you have a room that is light blue or gray, try some decorations in taupe, white, or silver – or the newest trend, Mercury glass. If you’ve decided to repaint your walls in a neutral shade like beige or white, the sky’s the limit for your decorating. You can go for the traditional colors, or opt for bold or bright pops of color such as the popular shade of green some people call “lime” and others call “kiwi.” Mix it with peppermint pink and white for a fun, fresh take on the holidays.
I’ve talked to more and more people over the years who don’t limit themselves to just one Christmas tree. Many find it fun to have one tree in the living room, and another in the family room or kitchen. This opens up many more decorating options. Some dear friends of ours put up 5 trees every year; the tree in their kitchen is a frosty white and boasts ornaments in silver, white, and ice blue to coordinate with their white kitchen cabinets and blue and white dinnerware. A small tree in the dining room boasts small ornaments, some old, some new, and some homemade. They also have a small tree in their den which holds a collection of snowmen ornaments, a small tree in the office which holds the official annual White House ornaments, and a large tree in their parlor boasting all of the family ornaments passed down through the years.
When decorating our Christmas tree we always like to include a variety of photo ornaments. They add a personal touch, and remind us of times past in a fun and very personal way.
However you decide to decorate, we hope you have fun doing it. For inspiration on traditional and non-traditional holiday decorating, check out your favorite home decorating magazine or home improvement catalogue, such as ballarddesigns.com or potterybarn.com. Happy holidays!