Decking The Halls —With Some Restraint
by Scott Tjaden
11-30-2004

A while back, I visited a local department store, decked-out with all of the typical holiday regalia: ornament swags, trees trimmed in uniform purple and red balls, large, fake packages stacked at the base and a colossal bow suitable only for presenting a new car to a college graduate. Did I mention this was in JULY? Yes, July. Clutching my chest in horror, I gasped for breath. Thoughts of frantic holiday shopping overcame me as my eyes began to roll back in my head. I was revived by the voice of a cosmetic consultant who stated with a perfunctory smile, "We’re filming a holiday commercial — it’s going to be gone tomorrow." Yes, this really happened and I still laugh about it.

I have decorated some of the most beautiful homes in St. Louis for the holidays. My ultimate goal is to "enhance, not overpower," as I annually repeat to all of my clients. Some people assume an elf must explode in the middle of their foyer in order to dress their home with holiday spirit. Here are a few clients’ homes that illustrate what kinds of decorations you can opt for instead of murdering a much-loved holiday character.

The first house pictured is a grand mansion where I annually decorate a 22-foot, LIVE tree. That’s right, folks. Live! Every needle-bearing, water-drinking branch of this tree is live and it requires four men to lift it into place. As the picture reveals, the result is classic, timeless, awesome. There is a certain method, however, one must apply in order to achieve this timeless look. For instance, brightly-decorated ornaments, blinking, racing, multicolor lights with a choo-choo train at the base would create an inharmonious and jarring effect in this particular environment. Instead, I used exclusively gold, white, and clear ornaments to adorn this tree. Boring? Not really.

There are 12 types of ornaments ranging in quantities of 10 to 30 of each ornament style. And there are different sizes: large (about 14 inches wide), medium, and small (two inches wide). No matter what size your tree may be, variance in ornament sizes and styles are a total must because they attract attention as you walk into a room and around the tree. Placing ornaments inside the tree as well as at the tips of the branches is also highly recommended. This way, the viewer can walk up to the tree and find "a surprise" they may not have seen while sitting down. The garland is gold holly that has been tied together to make a several hundred-foot stream. The base of this tree is covered with light gold organza silk. In place of gaudy, artificial gifts, the perimeter of the tree is enhanced by eight, large, white poinsettias. The finished tree is stunning. The family tree on the lower level [not shown] is quite different, decorated by the members of the family with hand-me-down ornaments with sufficient space for their grandchildren’s gifts.

The dining room pictured in the second illustration commands a hand-painted, Chinese-inspired wall paper from the 1920s or 1930s. The sideboard, a family heirloom (surrounded by Chippendale dining furniture), and a family portrait grace the space. With such a lively and beautiful area, what can one possibly do to improve anything? Answer: practically nothing. I chose a light, blue-spruce garland that appears completely life-like. Using four pieces, I draped them on either side of the painting and on the surface of the sideboard. One should note that when draping anything over a mirror or a painting, faux or real greenery has a predisposed direction it will lay toward. Joining the pieces at the top of the selected piece of furniture allows the greenery to fall naturally on both sides. One should also note that real evergreen, unlike its artificial cousin, can produce sap that can damage a silver finish or an antique piece. YUCK.

When selecting artificial decorating items, make sure they appear life-like. The price will undoubtedly escalate; however, the item will maintain its original appearance for several years if handled correctly, unlike some of the cheaper versions which can shed and bend quite easily. A high-quality, six-foot garland should be priced at approximately $80-$100 retail price.

To match the wallpaper, I gently fed a 1/2" iridescent, blue ribbon through the garland. To polish the look, I placed two, real ivy topiaries adorned with synthetic white berry sprigs on the garland. These topiaries can be watered throughout the season and used after the holidays. Unlike garland, ivy won’t damage antique or silver surfaces. If quality faux items are used consistently, combining real and artificial materials will look superb.

The third picture is from a living room I once decorated. Again, I used simple ornaments, angels, and faux greenery. The piano showcases the owner’s personal collection of carolers. I displayed these whimsically on the piano before I dusted it with synthetic snow.

As you can see, your home doesn’t have to look as though a bomb of greenery and ribbon was set off in order to capture the spirit of the season. Less truly is more, in this case. When it comes time to trim your tree or decorate your dining room, remember: "Enhance, not overpower!"

Season’s greetings to everyone!

Scott Tjaden, Allied Member ASID, is an interior designer in St. Louis. You can e-mail him at scott@tjadendesign.com.

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