Brainerd Lakes Real Estate News

Classic Country Christmas

Your family tends to make all of your holiday decorations from scratch, and everyone pitches in while stringing the popcorn(day old is best) and cranberries to go around your oversized Christmas tree. This year, take your homemade decorating a step further and transform your home into a festive country cottage. Hang pinecone garland, bought or homemade, along your staircase to bring the outdoors inside. For an added country touch, add plaid red and white ribbons to your garland. Hanging greenery on your mantel is always a classic touch, and this year you can take it a step further by sprinkling fake snow on the greenery to give your home a cozy feeling.Wal-Mart sells a fluffy sprinkling snow that we use in our decorating business.

Modern Holiday

The thought of hanging red and green patterned stockings from your fireplace makes you nauseous. You prefer to celebrate the holidays in a minimalist way. You would love to bring the merriment of the holidays indoors without overdoing it, so what can you do? Instead of hanging wreaths on your wall, try placing small  living pine or cedar wreaths on your dining room table  with votive candles in the center.   They will not only smell good but be low enough to easily talk over. Topiaries  in containers with clean lines or some paper white narcissus  on the mantel will add the right touch.   White with gold should be to your liking or maybe just a cool shiny blue with loads of silver accents. Tall sleek silver candlesticks with a white taper will look elegant and give some height to your vignette.

Nautical & Nice 

Does the sea call your name even for the holidays?  You may want to sink a votive in some sand and set shells in a circle. Sea gulls in a tree - why not? Dried moss, driftwood and tumbled glass add more fun  to your decorating style.

Retro Revival

If the smell of eggnog, "The Christmas Story" movie, and footed flannel pajamas take you back to the tinsel and brightly colored glass ornaments of your youth, you might be longing for a retro holiday. Bring back those feelings by breaking out your old boxes of ornaments and even making some of your own with old photos and retro patterned fabric. Keep your table centerpieces simple by running your table with red, orange and yellow candles set among fresh smelling evergreen. Retro kitchen serving utensils with painted wooden handles can be hung from the tree as  reminders of the past. Tuck an old  kitchen scale or coffee grinder into your pine on the mantel.

Over The Top

What ever the latest style is - that is what you have.  Not only you have it , but you have lots of it.  Whether it be glitz and glam or feathers and fou fou - it is everywhere.  Skip the traditional anything - there are lime greens, hot pinks and more colors than a rainbow.  It is fun and crazy and  way over the top. Just like your celebrations will be.