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I just love the holidays. And nothing gets me in the mood more than whipping up some hot cocoa, blasting some carols, and making my home holiday-ready. I love the vibe of a decorated house, but I often find myself unsure how to get there. I end up buying a few cliché items and sprinkling them throughout, which inevitably looks unfinished.

This year, I decided to turn to the pros. I reached out to the fabulous and super on-trend (and mom of three!) Wendy Ditcham of Wendy Ditcham Interiors for her top tips and tricks on decorating for the holidays.

1. Create an inviting atmosphere in your entry

Let everyone know they are welcome by making a statement in the entry. A touch of warmth and holiday decor here will impress your guests and create anticipation for the rest of the house.

foyer

2. Work with the colors of your home, not against them

Decorate with colors that work with the color scheme you already have going on in your home. Enhance what you have so it’s all part of the plan rather than competing with it, creating clutter.

color-palatte

3. Go organic

Natural elements are the best way to obtain warmth and texture and really bring the season indoors. Plus, they just look much better than faux items.

4. Don’t forget the windows

For those guests who are standing, it’s nice to have decor at eye level. Putting holiday items only on tabletops leaves out a whole plane in your home — wreaths on your windows indoors fill that void.

window

5. Group similar elements for impact

A nutcracker collection, candles, and simple ornaments piled in a bowl have more impact and importance when kept together.

6. Experiment with candlelight, string lights, and table lamps

Soft, sparkling lights sprinkled throughout a room are cozier and more festive than bright overhead lighting.

7. Use items in unexpected ways

I’ve used a zebra cowhide rug as a tree skirt before. A chunky knit throw is another great idea. Explore ideas beyond the standard store-bought tree skirt. The same goes for the rest of your decor. I turned a ladder into an advent calendar (see the pic below).

unexpected

8. One tree is never enough

The main tree is, of course, the family tree with the varied assortment of ornaments that are meaningful to you because they were collected on vacations, handmade by your children, or received as gifts. Adding a second tree will allow you to indulge your tree-decorating fantasies.

tree

9. Flowers, flowers, flowers

I can’t say enough about what live plants and flowers can do for a room, especially at the holidays. A quick trip to Trader Joe’s every week to refresh your vases will keep your home bright and smelling beautiful inexpensively.

10. Hit up your party store for decor

Paper fans and tissue paper ornaments in holiday colors can make a huge impact when grouped together and are so unexpected at the holidays.

party-store

For more holiday decorating ideas, see how Wendy decorated a home for the Concord Museum Holiday House tour here. You can also follow her on Facebook for other general interior design ideas.

Thank you, Wendy!

2 COMMENTS

  1. Fabulous holiday decorating tips from Wendy Ditcham! Plan on trying them all and can’t wait to get started!

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