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Submitted by Annette M. Callari, Allied ASID; Chair Holder, Color Marketing Group

I made up the word, Christmasizing, it’s true, but you knew what it meant right away, didn’t you?  We love the holidays, and it seems we are transforming our homes into winter wonderlands earlier and earlier each year.  We had barely cleared the turkey platter from the dining room table this year when my married daughter began streaming garland down her banisters.  So in the spirit of this wonderful season, here are some quick-pick ideas to add the
”festive” to your festivities….

Colors of the season are no longer just red and green.  The seasonal colors for Christmas 2011 include silver, pastel blue, cobalt blue, deep purple and gold.  All are on-trend for this year’s holiday palette. Sparkle is hot, so sprinkle it generously throughout your decorating.  Tiny twinkling white lights on your mantle, crystal-laden branches in elegant tall vases, mirrored trays with flickering candles, all add enchanting sparkle.

Do you have an entry accent table or credenza in your foyer?  Drape it in silver or gold yard goods (you can buy it by the yard at any fabric store).  Add champagne flutes interspersed with flickering votive candles, and you have a stunning “welcome” awaiting your holiday visitors.  Fill the glasses before they arrive and get the party started at the front door!

Floating ornaments always delight guests (and, no, I haven’t been hitting the spiked eggnog as I’m writing).  Dress the chandelier in your entry or over the dining room table to become a holiday focal point.  I love to buy different crystal ornaments and hang them on fine-gauge fishing line from the arms of the light fixture.  They appear to be floating and the prismatic effect radiates sparkle throughout the room.  If you are a very generous hostess, you can give them away at the end of the evening as a holiday memento for your guests.  I did just that, and my dinner guests absolutely loved the unexpected gift.

I am shocked at what florists and craft stores charge for Christmas centerpieces.  You really can create your own and save about $100.  Floral design has evolved to become less static and rigid.  Clear vases in different sizes and shapes lend themselves to creativity.  Cluster three or five in varying heights (always group in odd numbers) and add fresh flowers.  Mixing it up will add interest:  white and red roses, sprigs of pine and wispy baby’s breath–all mix to create an ethereal arrangement at a fraction of the cost a florist would charge.  And experimenting is half the fun!

Have you discovered the oversized-Christmas ball ornaments available at the big box stores?  These colorful ornaments are 12” in diameter and come six to a package.  If you have a covered front porch, you can attach each one to decorative ribbon and tack them at various heights.  This same idea would work great for a patio cover as well.

Indoors, there are some easy (and economical) ways to usher in the season.  A holiday welcome mat in bright colors sets the stage at your front door.  Candy-colored accent pillows on a sofa, flameless candlesticks on every windowsill, a colorful room-sized area rug in the colors of Christmas—all of these ideas bring joyful spirit to your rooms.

As you Christmasize your home, be attentive to sense appeal.  Taste, touch, smell, sight and sound complete the sense appeal package.  Steep your interiors in sensory-rich touches, mix well with friends and family, then step back and enjoy this recipe for magic.

Best wishes to all…..

Annette

By Annette Callari, Allied ASID; Chair Holder, Color Marketing Group

It’s official.  I am married to a man who is addicted to the DIY Channel.  I enjoy the how-to programs, but on a limited basis. He (on the other hand) is under its spell and can watch for hours at a time.  For any professional designer watching, it’s impossible not to critique the finished interiors we are force-fed.  Most of the time, the designs are creative and spot-on as to good design theory.  But (someone has to say it) there are times when the finished design is a swing and a miss.

I can hear the DIY disciples screaming, “You can’t be serious.  That’s not possible.  It’s on TV after all, so it has to be good design.” All I can say is be wise and understand that it’s inevitable that everybody misses now and then.  I’ve seen model homes that also went too far in an effort to be creative. When you push color harmonies and design principles beyond the limits, that’s a recipe for bad design.

My fellow-ASID designers said it quite well — “DIY is creating unrealistic expectations from clients.  They see an entire design (and sometimes an entire house) come together in a week or less, so why can’t real-life designers do that?  Maybe because we don’t have a crew of 100 people off-camera working to get it done.  Maybe because manufacturers are stocking less inventory in these tough times, and back-orders are inevitable.  Maybe because we are dealing with real life and don’t have the advantage of “cut and edit” to make the design appear to be moving seamlessly.  And that’s just one angle that makes TV design pure fiction.

The other part of this is that these amazing TV shows make design look effortless, something that anyone can put together.  I assure you that there will be a difference between the DIY room designs you attempt on your own and the designs put together by a professional who has studied color and design principles for two, four, and in some cases five years.  It’s an intricate profession that takes knowledge, hard work, intense task management and thorough follow-up.  By the time I have completed just one design, I have a 4” binder notebook (tabs for each room) filled to capacity with sketches, specification sheets, vendor P.O.’s, and of course a master schedule to get things done IN SEQUENCE and efficiently.  Your professional designer already has a credible cache of craftsmen to call on to implement every facet of your design.  And THAT is why it’s not so easy to DIY.

I cannot give you specific numbers, but every designer I know has been on the receiving end of a call from a frustrated customer who gave the DIY method an honest try.  After creating a mess and spending too much time and $$$, they make the call for professional help.  My advice to wfca.org readers would be this— if you are in need of a big design plan—one for your whole house—you will end up saving yourself time, money (truly) and throwing tools at your spouse, if you enlist the help of a professional designer.  Trying to take design too far all by yourself is treacherous territory.  Design should be an exciting and fun process, and the right “guide” will get you exactly where you want to go.

For more information on flooring visit the World Floor Covering Association’s Consumer Carpet & Flooring Guide.