Holiday decorating…advice from a decorator

My friend, interior designer Toni Berry, has written this great article on winter decorating…

When the days are short make your rooms long on comfort and style.  Look to create rooms that drive out the chill. And if you haven’t finished decorating your home for the Holidays yet, here’s a few of my warm and cozy ideas that you can implement right now.

·         I love white fabrics and sparkling accessories, they are natural choices for winter decor because they add much-needed light to a home’s interior. Softer than the bright whites of summer, winter whites come in a variety of pale colors.  Winter whites will cover a bed’s dark shapes the way snow blankets the landscape of the outdoors. Sink into the layers of winter with lavender, pale pink, mint green and white flannel linens, a fluffy featherbed, a winter-weight duvet, and a transparent bedcovering of icy voile.

·         Candles — and lots of them — cast a warming glow to every corner of a room, especially when company’s coming for dinner. Keep a stock of white candles, mirrored, silver and sparkling accessories, and frosted glasses on hand to keep the look fresh and inviting; simply create new groupings from your stash every time you set the table.

·         And don’t forget the Hearth.  In the winter, rearrange the seating group in your living room so it faces the fireplace. Winter white lampshades maximize the wattage of every bulb without creating glare.  Add a string of votives to the mantel and a group of pillars on the coffee table to multiply the warmth and power of the fire to ward off the chill.

·         The celebration of the season starts at the front door. Greet family and friends with a wreath that suits the whole season, greenery, sparkling ornaments (inside or out) and the ever-present candles on a console table in your entry/foyer are just as suitable all months as they are for December.

·         Greenery is always visually appreciated, but choose branches of leaves rather than pine boughs. Or, put pine boughs out for the holidays and switch to eucalyptus leaves in January for a fresh change of pace. A sprig of greenery, such as evergreens, on the nightstand is a gentle reminder of nature’s cycles