Fab and Festive

Interior designer Brent Stewart shares tips, tricks, inspiration, and encouragement for holiday decorating
By Brent Stewart

Christmas lights are the beginning of most of our holiday angst. Hours are spent feverishly untangling giant nests of lights. Better yet, you plug in your pre-lit tree purchased last year to discover that only half of the tree lights up. Technology has provided a solution to all of these woes: LED cluster lights. They have an amazing 1440 lights per strand, which puts 32 lights per foot on your tree versus the standard eight lights per foot.

A standard pre-lit tree compared to the same tree with just two strands of LED cluster lights added.

Now that the tree is up and lit, it’s time to think about how to add that wow factor to your holiday decor. Think outside of the ornament box! Don’t be afraid to place large items in your tree. Take a look around the house; nothing is off limits. If your look is natural and woodsy, add large limbs or branches. Don’t be afraid to go big! You might even consider using some of those taxidermy critters your husband just loves. Incorporating pieces of your snow village into your tree is another unexpected way to use decor you already own in fresh and exciting ways this holiday season.

Oversized poinsettias are one of Brent’s favorite ways to add the wow factor. “They are great space-fillers and make a fabulous statement,” he said.

Brent used a client’s pheasant in this mantle arrangement.

Truly, you can add anything to your tree, as long as you make it secure. Movie posters mounted to foamcore can turn a tree into a total show-stopper.

Placing your ornaments in a unique pattern is also a way to add some excitement to your tree. Hanging ornaments of varying sizes in swirling pattern down the tree turns the ordinary into extraordinary.

Cheers to a stress-free, fun, and exciting season of decorating. We would love to see what avant-garde ideas you come up with. Post your photos and videos on social media and tag us @fourstatesliving.