Inspiration from the Orchard Hill holiday house
If holiday decorating is almost second nature, it might be time to think outside the box - as in that box in the attic with all the ornaments, wreaths and candles you take out about this time every year. For inspiration, check out the rooms at the Home for the Holidays at Orchard Hill show house, now on at Old Westbury Gardens.
"Look at what you have and figure out how to bring them into your tree or Christmas display," says Tony Manning, show house producer. "Maybe you have a collection of owls. Maybe there's a way to tie them on the tree and unify them all with little red bows."
There are no owls at this show house, but there are plenty of other offbeat ways designers have chosen to add a festive look to the rooms at the 1856 farmhouse. Here are some of the trends that have emerged from the event:
A LITTLE OFF
The trend Even when designers do use traditional holiday colors, sometimes the shades are unusual. "The greens are much more chartreuse-inspired," says Manning. Manhattan-based Scully & Scully used lime and pink in this bedroom, titled "Preppy Christmas," for instance.
DIY TIP Feel free to experiment with the whole color wheel. Just try to have a vision first.
CANDY CANE LAND
The trend Mixing red and white has always been a holiday favorite. "But it's strong this year," says Manning. Witness the wallpaper in the butler's pantry by Manhattan designer Arden Stephenson.
DIY TIP If you own a lot of red dishes, team them with white dishes and accent them with peppermint candies to create a nostalgic but contemporary holiday setting.
AU NATUREL
The trend Mother nature has never been so joyful, especially in the screened porch - a space named "Swedish Christmas" by Manhattan designer Patrik Lönn. "You have ornaments made of straw, also berries," Manning says. "It's a whole different kind of approach to holiday decorating."
DIY TIP Go to your backyard to scavenge for materials you can use in your homemade holiday scene.
UNEXPECTED COLOR
The trend At the same time, several designers used colors other than red and green. Make sure to see the mostly orange "Hawaiian Holiday" bedroom by Danielle Roberts Interiors in Manhattan or the mostly turquoise "Sugar Plum Dreams" master bedroom by Swift-Morris Interiors in Hoboken, N.J.
DIY TIP Have a faux white Christmas tree in the basement? Use it this year and decorate it with ornaments of any color but green and red.
WHAT Home for the Holidays at Orchard Hill
WHEN|WHERE 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays (except Thanksgiving), through Dec. 12, at Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Rd.
INFO $25; $20 in advance; no kids younger than 12, except "babies in arms"; 516-333-0048, oldwestburygardens.org
ALSO SEE
Long Island designers will be on the roster for the 2010 Holiday House, being held from Dec. 1 to 15 at 2 E. 63rd St. in Manhattan. The show house, featuring tabletop settings, settings and rooms, is a benefit for Greater New York City Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. For more information, go to holidayhousenyc.com, 917-855-5944.
