Tastefully Decorating Your New Home For Christmas

Americans spend approximately $52 billion annually on their holiday shopping, and $6 billion of this is on holiday decorations.  So before you spend a fortune on holiday decor, just remember there is a fine line between elegant, tasteful decor and Clarke Griswold over the top.

Exterior:  You can express yourself the most with the exterior of your home.  It is the majority of what people will see and there is plenty of space to be creative.  It is OK to go over the top on one area of the exterior (like decorating a tree outside), but if you go over the top in one place, keep it simple everywhere else.

Christmas Tree:  Your Christmas tree is all about your personal taste.  A Christmas tree is very individualized, some people like colored lights and homemade ornaments, while others prefer classic white lights and store bought ornaments.  A good tip to remember is to start by decorating with bigger ornaments first, and then add in the smaller ones.

 Family Room:  The coffee table and mantle are the best places to decorate in your family room.  Mantles can be simple, just add some garland, festive candles, and a wreath, or even add your collection of snow globes.  Your coffee table is a great place to do a pretty arrangement, or go for an easy and simple look and fill a glass container with colorful holiday ornaments.  Since most Christmas trees are placed in the family room, it’s important to keep that the focal point (all other decor can be kept minimal).

Dining Room Table:  Holidays are usually the only time that most families use their dining tables.  So since you aren’t going to use this room any other time of the year, you might as well go ahead and pull out the good china.  Create a setting for your fine china with a festive but small centerpiece.  You want to make sure your centerpiece isn’t blocking anyone’s view.

Every home needs to reflect the personality of the person living there, so don’t be afraid to show off your favorite Christmas decor!