Holiday trends: inventiveness, eclecticism.

AuthorCook, Kim
PositionLiving

Byline: Kim Cook

Following the general trend in home decor, holiday trim and accessories this year are an eclectic mix of traditional and non-traditional colors and styles.

Remember when blue or pastel pink ornaments were the height of kitsch? Now they're mainstream, elegant options. And while red and green are popular hues, they are not married to each other. Red might be paired with ivory, or amethyst; green may partner with copper, caramel or bright white.

As for what goes on the tree or the mantel, well, that's the thing -- anything goes.

Style watchers say we're approaching the holidays with a more open mind. Households are more diverse, relaxed and less tied to old-school ways of celebrating. So it follows that ideas of what works in decor have never been more expansive.

Some general trends:

Holiday hues

While jewel tones and creamy palettes hold strong, red is red-hot.

''When it comes to an 'it' color for Christmas this year, it's red -- a bright, cheery red like you find on traditional Scandinavian ornaments,'' says Sara Peterson, editor in chief of HGTV Magazine. ''Red may seem like an 'oh, duh' color trend, but there have been years when greens, blues and purples were more popular. This season, we're seeing a ton of decorations in candy red.''

Ikea has a cheery collection of traditional Scandinavian ornaments including folk people, stars and goats. Land of Nod's Rising Star tree topper features curly white embroidery on crimson felt. Cranberry red candlesticks from Pier 1 take mercury glass down a different road, while beaded reindeer and snowflakes bring glamour to red velvet and satin throw pillows. (www.ikea.com, www.landofnod.com, www.pier1.com)

Grandin Road's Zoey chevron-patterned, ruby-and-white-resin urn could be used to hold a live or artificial tree, or an assortment of greens. (www.grandinroad.com)

Winter white continues to appeal to holiday decorators; with or without touches of sparkle, it's calming, elegant and chic. And don't disregard earthier colors -- think of bare birch branches hung with gold and silver stars; luxe bowls brimming with copper ornaments; chocolate brown mohair throws.

Rethinking the traditional

''Since folks are open to re-imagining what Christmas can look like, we'll continue to see a looser interpretation of the traditional tree,'' says Catie Parrish, associate editor at Wayfair, the online home furnishings outlet. ''We're starting to see lots of paper and cardboard tabletop trees, and people...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT