Burgundy, golds stepping into limelight for holiday decor
When it comes to celebrating the holidays, most people tend to gravitate toward decorating the way their parents did. It tends to be a time of the year when traditions really matter and according to Laurie Kane, owner of Treetime Christmas Creations in Lake Barrington, most parents want to recreate for their own children the magical sights and sounds that they themselves experienced as children.
“The reds, greens and golds are always popular at Christmastime and this year we see people moving toward burgundy again, but now they are mixing it with the colors of gold, mustard and brown. The Victorian look where pink was mixed with the burgundy is gone. The lime green that was so popular for several years is also starting to wane. It is being replaced by emerald green,” Kane explained.
“Combinations of silver and gold are popular, too, and people are mixing in neutrals in new ways to create trees with distinct personalities,” she added. “For instance, they are adding pops of glitter to their natural pinecones and other items for a really cool look.
“People are in awe of glitter, even with the natural look ornaments,” Kane said.
And everything doesn't have to match anymore. Eclectic is in.
“Because many baby boomers are trying to recreate their youths, flocked trees, multi-colored lights and silvery tinsel are all coming back,” Kane said.
Flocked trees now come in many different sizes and types of flocking from a very cool frost-kissed flocking which shows just a hint of white to the heavier applications of white and, according to Kane, the flocking has been vastly improved so that it actually stays on the tree and doesn't make a mess of your house.
Most homeowners don't totally overhaul their Christmas décor each year, Kane said. They haul out years of accumulated items and add one or two new items each year, considering their Christmas decorations a constant “work in progress.”
“For those who want an eclectic tree which includes ornaments their children have made and ornaments they have collected on trips and others, many people are now choosing one cohesive element to tie the tree together. Many are using 6- to 18-inch floral picks of roses or poinsettias, flocked branches with frosted berries and bells or even pinecones that are tucked strategically into the branches of the trees to add pops of color and give a uniform look to the tree and then they are surrounding them with their traditional ornaments,” Kane said.
Ribbon loops, bows and drapes are also popular as a unifying feature.
“Homeowners also want to see little touches of Christmas throughout their homes,” added Kane.
So, they are creating themed trees of all sizes and shapes in many rooms of their house. There are slim trees in the corners, small trees in the children's rooms, potted trees near the front door and even small potted trees along the banisters on the staircase, on the buffet and in front of the hearth. Gone are the days when there was only one tree per house. Themes like elves, snowmen and angels are popular on such secondary trees.
The vast array of artificial and pre-lit artificial Christmas trees which are now available also help homeowners periodically change the look of their holiday décor. Some trees are dense and some are sparse. Some are skinny and some are fat. Some are flocked and some are natural, Kane said.
There is no such thing anymore as a typical Christmas tree. Between the tree itself and the decorations each homeowner chooses, each tree is wildly, refreshingly unique.
Some homeowners are even trying to make Christmas fit the color schemes and atmospheres of each home, according to Kane. For instance, she is seeing non-traditional colors like champagne and aqua used in Christmas-themed decorations in homes where those types of colors work well.
“We even have a green tree in our showroom that is decorated all in white with an arctic, wintry theme. That is a wonderful, whimsical look,” she said.
In addition, many homeowners are tying small ribbons to the tops of individual ornaments, adding an extra layer of decoration to the tree and unifying it.
“Layering is a big deal today during the holidays — on trees, mantels, everywhere. It is a way to get a bigger look with the items you already have. For instance, tying unifying ribbons onto the tops of your ornaments adds another element to unify everything on a tree,” explained Kane.
Mantels and hearths are another focal point for holiday decorating and often for religious touches like Nativity scenes and angels.
“The pine garland is the heart of every mantel,” explained Kane, “and most of them are lit. Then we usually weave a soft cascade of ribbon through it and accent the garland with picks of something to coordinate with the rest of the room like berries or fruit or packages or whatever. We often also put potted trees on the floor on either side of the hearth and a large wreath above the mantel.”
Doorways, particularly exterior doorways, are also often festooned with pine garlands and wreaths. New bendable velvet glitter bows that light up (if you have a handy place to plug them in) are also becoming increasingly popular as accents on these greens.
Treetime Christmas Creations is located at 22102 N. Pepper Road, Lake Barrington. They can be reached at (847) 527-8880 or by logging on to www.treetime.com.