No-fail, no-hassle Christmas decorating ideas

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To start with, stick to high-traffic areas, like front hall, living room and dining room, and you’ll be fine

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Vanessa Ferro, Toronto designer and founder of Vanessa Ferro Design is known for her maximalist, often Victorian-flavoured interiors, and her style is especially enchanting this time of year. (Visit http://www.vanessaferrodesign.com  )

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We recently asked Vanessa for tips on how to add old-fashioned charm to our holiday decorating and still have time – and budget – left to savour the season.

With all the other to-dos you have to complete at this time of year, don’t feel you have to decorate your whole house top to bottom, Vanessa says. Stick to high-traffic areas, like front hall, living room and dining room, and you’ll be fine.

A great trick to make your buying and decorating effortless is to pick two colours and use them as your main palette throughout. If you like, think beyond red and green; try teal and silver, or gold and green.

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You might also consider glitter and shine instead of all-natural this year; instead of a natural (or natural look artificial) tree, artificial Christmas trees with silver, white or even gold branches are available.

Ralph Lauren, she adds, has come back into Christmas decor in a big way this year; his style is tailor-made for classic holiday decor. “Think plaid, velvet, rich jewel tones like navy, burgundy, dark greens, and gold.”

Start your holiday decorating with your front door and urns. A ready-made or homemade wreath finished with pinecones, sprigs of red berries, dried (or convincingly fake) fruits such as oranges, pomegranates, or apples, and wired ribbon bent into a bow or woven through the wreath, makes a lovely welcome. Attach or place some bells over the wreath, for a cheerful sound every time you open the door.

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You can buy readymade urn arrangements or create your own, using the classic “thriller/filler/spiller” rule. Start with lush natural pine, cedar and fir boughs (stick the ends into a block of Oasis to anchor them, if needed) for the filler and spiller layers.

Add a pair of birch or poplar logs or red osier dogwood twigs for the upright element. Finish with sprays of red berries, gold or silver balls, and a red (or your theme colour) ribbon bow.

In your front hall, start with the mirror, if you have one: drape a garland or more cedar boughs around the top and sides, then finish with a large bow, bells hung on a ribbon, or a miniature wreath. A side or console table is another natural display point: atop a base of greenery or a wreath placed on its side, nestle a wooden nutcracker, some reindeer, or a collection of pillar candles of varying heights.

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A plaid tablecloth and old-fashioned items you may already have around the house, such as old lanterns, vintage tins, or metal pails filled with cedar sprigs, pinecones and maybe a few candy canes, makes an eye-catching statement.

In the living room, make the fireplace mantel a focal point. More pillar candles (scented with cinnamon, gingerbread or other nostalgic holiday fragrances, to instantly put everyone in the mood), small wooden toys, pinecones and maybe a couple of small potted evergreens, make a charming vignette that’s more creative than the usual garland draped across the mantel.

Don’t forget the hearth: add some birch logs tied with jute or ribbon and finished with a few berry sprays, or vases of dried branches hung with tiny silver or gold ornaments.

People often think traditional-style decorating requires a lot of work, but you don’t have to go over the top to achieve the look and feel you love, she says.

“We all have a tendency to get overwhelmed at Christmas – me too!,” she laughs. “But your home doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s easy to overthink it, when in reality, some of the best Christmas decorating is the kind that you don’t overthink…just sit back, relax, and enjoy the view.”

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