Holiday decoration tips from Karl Lohnes
Flipping through the pages of your favourite magazines or strolling through shops all decked out for the holidays, it's hard not to have a bit of tree envy. Perfectly coiffed and couture Christmas trees are everywhere, standing tall and proud, special symbols of this beautiful holiday.
So how do you create that delightfully luxe look at home? Design expert and Style at Home magazine's contributing style editor Karl Lohnes explains how to create a designer Christmas tree. Discover the secrets behind perfectly styled trees, from colour palette trends to tips for beautifully displaying your favourite ornaments. (You can visit Karl Lohnes' decorating blog at ctv.ca/karllohnes.)
Lights
Lohnes suggests adding the lights to your tree first, before anything else. "I suggest white lights that are on a dimmer," says Lohnes. "I use 100 lights for each foot of the tree's height. On a quiet winter's night, 600-800 mini-lights are all you need to fill a room with light."
Ornaments
"Choose three colours for ornaments," suggests Lohnes. "This year, I will be using grey, red and cream colours for my Christmas tree." Think: sock monkey, he adds.
Other trendy colour combinations: For a rich and sophisticated look, Lohnes suggests turquoise, cocoa brown and burgundy; for something more contemporary and fresh, he suggests avocado green, yellow and lavender.
Lohnes advises having ornaments of three different sizes at the ready when decorating your tree. "Small for the top third of the tree, medium for the center and large for the bottom," he says. "I like to have at least 15 to 20 ornaments per each foot of the tree's height. I usually have between 150 and 175 ornaments on my tree."
Styling tricks
Use wispy pieces of cotton batting to lighten the overall look of the tree, giving the illusion of snow capped branches.
Place crumpled newspaper under your tree skirt to bulk it up and eliminate that flat look.
Elevate your tree by putting it on a low, sturdy coffee table. Skirt the table, then put the tree on top for a tall, majestic look.
Use a quality room scent to keep that fresh, just-cut tree smell throughout the holidays. Forgo 'sugar and spice' scents and opt for true spruce or pine aromas.
Click to continue to see 11 holiday ornaments we love...
