Decorating Basics to Turn Your Home into a Holiday Haven

Decorating Basics to Turn Your Home into a Holiday Haven

Lowe's Creative Ideas and Interior Designer Elaine Griffin Offer Tips to Decorate Holiday Spaces

MOORESVILLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- As we finish the last of the turkey leftovers, it's time to ring in the holiday cheer. Endless Christmas decor possibilities may seem like an overwhelming task, especially when decorating new spaces. Get started by following these simple do-it-yourself tips from the Lowe's Creative Ideas team and interior designer Elaine Griffin to turn your home into holiday headquarters while letting your personal style shine this season.

Start with holiday basics that you can reuse year-after-year. Make your Christmas tree the focal point - and envy - of holiday visitors. While live trees are always an option, artificial trees are now available in a variety of styles, including Fraser Fir and Alaskan Pine, for that straight-from-the-mountains look. Avoid getting tangled in strings of holiday lights by selecting a pre-lit Christmas tree (GE 7' Slim Grand Fir LED Pre-lit Christmas Tree, $198). When decorating, make sure the height of your tree is proportionate to the size of your room, and avoid creating traffic jams for your holiday visitors by placing the tree in a corner or on a wall without a door.

"Successful holiday decorating allows your personal style to shine through the sparkling lights," said Elaine Griffin, interior designer and new author of Design Rules. "Holiday decorating should match your personality first and your decor second. If 'over-the-top' is the perfect adjective to describe you and your home's style is modern, consider going over-the-top modern with your holiday decorating."

Advanced technology has made LED lights a must this holiday season. They are now available in a variety of colors and styles and will last far longer than regular holiday lights. They also stay cool to the touch, which is especially important for homes with children or pets. Outdoor specialty lights, including icicle and net lighting, are even available in LED options to help you reduce energy use and save money.

Save on the cost of replacing broken ornaments by buying shatterproof ornaments in boxed sets. Buying in bulk helps build your ornament repertoire, and many boxed sets provide ornaments in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors to help you diversify (Item #199587, $17.97). Add some extra shine to your tree with an 8-pack of red and gold, glitter star ornaments (Item #280044, $4.97).

"This Christmas is all about capturing the joy of the season and revisiting traditions and memories from the past. The warmth of classic reds and golds will dominate holiday decor in styles ranging from the simplest handmade decorations to more sophisticated ornaments of satin, crystal, and gilt. The mood for this Christmas season is traditional, but with a twist," said Melissa Birdsong, vice president of trend, design and brand at Lowe's.

Impress your guests by putting a personal twist on a traditional holiday decor piece. Paint a traditional wreath winter white and add a few ornaments and a bow-tied ribbon for extra sparkle. Create a unique and affordable holiday centerpiece by placing traditional ornaments in a glass votive garnished with tinsel or garland.

Visit lowescreativeideas.com/holiday for excellent tips on how to dress up your mantle, bedeck your walls and more. Hosting Christmas dinner for the first time? Set your worries aside and visit lowes.com/entertaining for tips to entertain with ease.

About Lowe's

With fiscal year 2008 sales of $48.2 billion, Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a FORTUNE(R) 50 company that serves approximately 14 million customers a week at more than 1,700 home improvement stores in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe's is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world. For more information, visit Lowes.com.

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    Source: Lowe's Companies, Inc.