A fix for the 'hand-me-down' room

Although we love our "hand-me-downs," it's time for our family to have a living room/dining room that we can call our own.

We use this room for entertaining when we have guests over and would also like to start having weekly Sunday dinners in it, as well. Please help us as our "hand-me-down" room needs a makeover.

Design by Treetime Christmas Creations

Budget: $3,000

This room has some great spaces ready to be decorated for holiday entertaining.

Suggestions:

• To get this room ready for holiday entertaining, we placed a table runner across the dining room table and created a tablescape featuring a red lantern filled with decorative candlesticks, faux red magnolias and berries. The lantern is placed on greenery decorated with ornaments and berries. Two glittered deer complete the scene.

• Linen embroidered pillows (matching the table runner) add a festive element to a chair, as well as a red fabric panel and a bow tied around the chair back. Red fabric panels come in very handy during the holidays as they can also be used to cover risers for a multilevel buffet display or even as a tree skirt.

• We recommend a 7½-foot pre-lit Oxford Pine artificial Christmas tree, an interesting blend of pine, spruce and fir needles of varying shades of green. This tree is as unique as it is beautiful and complements any type of decorating theme.