holiday decorations – Style At Home Blog

Design & Decor Blog

{ Posts Tagged ‘holiday decorations’ }

deck the halls with steven and chris

by Brett Walther
Dec 8, 2009
Comments

stevenchris deck the halls with steven and chris

As you read on Style Sleuth back in October, Steven and Chris are back — but before they get back into the routine of their daily show (which begins on Monday, January 4, 2010), they’re hosting a faboosh festive special.

Deck The Halls With Steven & Chris is set to air on CBC on Thursday, December 10 at 8PM, and pulls together some of the country’s biggest names — George Stroumboulopoulos, Jully Black and the divine DT herself… Debbie Travis!!! YAY! — to share in the celebrations.

With Steven and Chris playing host for this special, I only thought it fair that they share some of their top entertaining tips with us. Here goes!

Steven & Chris’s Holiday Entertaining Tips

1. Â Choose your holiday theme colours and adopt them for the season. Go from head to toe – everything from the tree to the giftwrapping in the same palette will give you that professional look. Don’t forget to look for things you already have to incorporate into your holiday decor – a silver teapot, some books, even your existing plates – the possibilities are endless!

2. Simple centrepieces can be made using everyday grocery store items. From beautiful pears in green or red, green grapes, even clementines – you can mix them with inexpensive greenery from the floral section of your supermarket (lemon leaves, eucalyptus) for an elegant and natural feel for your table.

3. Save your scraps of ribbon from giftwrapping, even if they’re only four inches long. These can be used to make a ribbon chain – an elegant and fun version of this childhood tradition can be wonderful for trimming the tree.

4. This year, why not try and avoid the bloated feeling you get after Christmas dinner? Try serving a salad in between the starter and main course. It cleanses the palate and gives you a break so you don’t feel as if you’re continuously eating and eating.

5. It can be frustrating to slave over a hot stove all day, just to see a fabulous meal devoured in 10 minutes. Why not slow it down by playing a party game? Place a Trivial Pursuit card under each person’s plate and take turns reading questions to the table.

Fun ideas! Thanks guys!

Follow Style Sleuth on Twitter!

Subscribe to Style Sleuth!

holiday palettes with maria killam

by Brett Walther
Dec 1, 2009
Comments

We’re forever preaching that the first step in decorating for the holidays is to pick a palette – a colour scheme that you’ll be comfortable sticking with (for this season, anyway!), and that will guide your hand as you shop for bits and baubles for the tree and throughout the home.

But this year – more than any before – the colour options in ornaments and decorations seem completely overwhelming. Where to begin?

mariakillam holiday palettes with maria killam Maria Killam portrait by Anna Beaudry Photography

Vancouver-based colour designer Maria Killam advises clients on harmonious hues for a living, and shares her design expertise on her hugely popular blog, Colour Me Happy. Who better to ask for suggestions for a hot, three-colour holiday palette?

“Colour creates a feeling,” Maria says of the three colours she selected for my festive scheme.Â ”Royal blue is energizing and electric; turquoise is cool, upscale and sophisticated and gold is luminous and joyful.”

peacocks holiday palettes with maria killam