The Christmas season is here, it’s time to unpack your decorations and wrap presents. Traditions and memories come in a flood as you lovingly trim your trees and prepare for friends and family to visit. It is the season for stress, last minute shopping and worrying if that gift you ordered online will arrive before the 25th!
There is also time for beauty, music and moments to cherish with the people you love. Try to remember the bits and pieces of this season which bring you the most bliss and make sure to visit those moments often. For me Christmas is definitely about the décor and the music, these two things bring me peace and slow down my hurried pace. It’s difficult to engage in parking lot frustration if you have Silent Night playing in your vehicle!
With holiday décor I am delighted that the bling is back! There were several years of homey, country inspired decorations which were cute but I found them very blah. The gold and silver are sparkling and glowing this year as well as the jeweled reds, blues and greens. Wrapping paper is gloriously polished and echoes some of this season’s fabulous wallpaper patterns. I snagged rolls of wrap yesterday which were gilded gold with a black damask overlay – love it!
The beauty of the metallic and shimmer of this season is that is can be added to any colour scheme; no matter what your traditional colours may be you can add a hit of this season’s glitter. Gold and silver are timeless and universal when it comes to embellishing your current décor. Silver is sophisticated and upscale and adds a cool metro look to any theme while gold adds rich old world radiance to your home this holiday season.
Either one is a perfect neutral which will add depth and shimmer to your Christmas décor. Shimmer has been added to everything this year including trees, poinsettias and every imaginable decoration! I still maintain my traditional olive wood nativity set though; to me some things should not be glittered up!
December is holiday music time and often it sneaks into November as well. Growing up I participated in endless Christmas concerts and choirs and the sound of Christmas music is a soothing assurance that the holidays are here. I would bet that the colour and flow of your musical choices are in direct relation to your décor choices.
The traditionalists among you who love to listen to Bing Crosby and Elvis probably employ family heirlooms, decorations made by your children and enjoy stringing popcorn and cranberries to adorn your tree. If you are more into new urban festive tunes such as Michael Buble or Justin Bieber you probably have décor that follows the latest trends such as peacock feathers, upside down Christmas trees or all that flashy stuff I spoke of earlier!
So brace yourself everyone, Christmas has begun! It will be a time of hectic shopping, late night visiting and beautiful décor and music so soothe your soul. It is time to engage in your delights as you prepare the holidays for those you cherish. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the holidays and be very good to yourself and others.
Kim Lewis is an interior designer in Red Deer with Carpet Colour Centre. Contact her at 403-343-7711 ext. 227 or email her at klewis@carpetcolourcentre.com.
