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JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA –
The holiday season has arrived and so have the celebrations. Holiday décor adds to the spirit of the season and helps to create distinctive and harmonious surroundings.
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During this festive time of year, Judith Sisler Johnston, president, Sisler Johnston Interior Design and ASID Allied Member, recommends following basic design principles, to evaluate scale, contrast and decorative style, to achieve holiday décor worth celebrating.
“This is the time of year when we focus on faith, family and friends,” Sisler Johnston said. “Colorful holiday decorations help us set the mood for the festivities.”
Start the assessment process by standing 30 feet outside the front door and viewing the natural architecture elements already in place. When selecting a wreath for the front door (or doors), keep in mind a larger door requires a larger wreath. On double doors, consider using a sizable split wreath for drama and impact.
“Large topiaries accented with ornaments and lights can make the approach to the home warm and inviting,” Sisler Johnston said. “A cluster of poinsettias in a large red basket or a graduated group of three shrub-sized holiday trees with outdoor lights will complete the front door décor.”
The same principles apply to selecting a live or artificial Christmas tree for the home. Keep in mind the room’s ceiling height where the tree will be displayed. A 12-foot ceiling requires a taller tree than a setting with an eight or nine-foot ceiling. Look at the space where the tree will stand from across the room to estimate the ideal size. The top of the tree should be about two feet below the ceiling to accommodate the room’s scale as well as allow space for a showcase ornament at the top. If the room has exceptionally tall ceilings, select a tree size based on the transom or window heights.
Recycling ornaments from year to year can help make a decorating budget go further. However, as families move up to a larger home, they find they require a bigger tree for their new space and also discover that many ornaments from past years are too small. Sisler Johnston recommends clustering smaller solid colored ornaments together with wire to create a larger object and colorful display for the tree.
Fill in empty spaces on the tree with ribbons or silk holiday flowers such as poinsettias or magnolias. Gold lame fabric pulled into the tree from the center adds a reflective value and beauty to the tree. To draw the eye in and create an element of surprise, add ornaments at the center of the tree, too.
Think outside the box when deciding what to select for your holiday décor. Sisler Johnston suggests using decorations to embellish each room’s focal point. For a dramatic dining room tablescape, incorporate the chandelier. Enhancing the arms of the dining room pendant light with live pine boughs, ribbon and ornaments adds a delightful ambiance and pine fragrance when the chandelier lights are turned on.
Themed areas are always fun during the holidays. Creating a theme in a separate room provides a casual and inviting atmosphere away from the formal décor in other living areas. Sisler Johnston created a “Key West” theme in a client’s bonus room by using sequin embellished fish ornaments, pink flamingos, an assortment of shells and iridescent glass balls that replicate bubbles in the water.
Another great decorating item she recommends using to brighten any area is lots of flowering seasonal plants. Sisler Johnston suggests using footed urns and planters for a more formal look and shallow baskets or painted clay pots for something more casual.
“I love to use amaryllis plants, which bloom profusely at this time of year, and have lots of red flowers,” Sisler Johnston said. “A group of these can be interspersed with small garden-size poinsettias to provide a colorful, fresh arrangement for any mantle, coffee table or even the landing of the staircase.”
Sisler Johnston Interior Design of Jacksonville creates award-winning interior designs for the real estate industry, hospitality industry, commercial, and residential clients. The company celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2004.
The Sisler Johnston team of licensed, highly trained and gifted designers successfully creates living spaces from concept through realization throughout the United States. Judith Sisler Johnston combines experience, knowledge and professionalism to help clients develop their vision while analyzing their design requirements. The company has been recognized with more than 70 industry awards, including Aurora, Laurel and Excel awards.
For more information about Sisler Johnston Interior Design, call (904) 288-0908
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