Here's some ideas to break out of your Christmas rut.
One part of the holiday tradition is pulling out favorite decorations and reminiscing about the memories they bring to mind. For others, trying something up-to-the-minute – or mixing the old with the new – makes decorating fun each year. If this is you, here’s a peak at what you might see hanging around local trees and some ideas for updating your own December scene.
A (coastal) blue Christmas
One trend that’s unique to this area is creating an ocean-themed holiday-scape. New River Pottery works year-round to have lots of decorating ideas for this time of year in its three Eastern North Carolina locations. But it’s the Wilmington shop that always has a nautical/coastal theme, said Rick Mitchell, owner of the stores. This year’s version incorporates a lot of blue (in brighter, teal-like hues) with rustic touches such as burlap ribbon and driftwood-esque twigs.
At Manifest Design, an interior design firm and showroom in downtown Wilmington, owner Connie Lincoln has noticed the trend as well. She’s been selling a lot of fun ornaments depicting dolphins, turtles and jellyfish with pearly tentacles. “And mermaids are huge,” she said.
Farmhouse chic
Mitchell credits the popularity of this new theme to a certain home-decor show. “I think it has a lot to do with the TV show 'Fixer Upper,' ” he said. It’s a rustic, country look. One of the starting points for the look at New River Pottery is a red pick-up truck. Other design details include roosters and cotton on stems, with wooden and galvanized-metal accents.
Woodland wonderland
For Lincoln, this trendy look is one that incorporates an organic sensibility into holiday design. “It’s pine cones, laurel, berries and magnolia leaves,” she said. “It brings a nostalgic woodland theme to mind.” This can include natural decorations from the garden, or just natural-looking elements. She likes candles wrapped in birch bark on holiday tables, for example.
Mitchell says he’s seen something similar in recent years. “It’s a kind of snowy forest look that has been popular for a few years,” he said. Decorations include deer, owls and other animals, as well as snowflakes and branches that have a frosted look.
Shiny elegance
There are also those who prefer a richer, lush look. Mitchell said that trees and holiday decorations in silver, gold and platinum always have a following. “It’s a more elegant, formal look,” he said. “It sounds simple but there’s a lot you can do with it.” He sees lots of shiny ribbons, ornaments depicting angels or clear acrylic orbs, and stylish floral accents.
“Lots of people love the look of monochromatic gold,” Lincoln said. But she adds that it can involve much more than metallic hues. “For this kind of elegant look we also can incorporate pearls and velvet,” she said. “Lots of sparkle and sheen.”
These luxurious textures also work well with unexpected colors — think icy blue velvet and soft pinks — for a unique holiday look. It can even be incorporated into the coastal trend to create a chic, sea-worthy holiday.
http://www.goupstate.com/homes/20171208/change-your-holiday-decorations
