Festive, and Fast: Here’s How to Deck the Halls This Season

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Scrambling to get your holiday shopping, cooking and decorating done before the holidays? Don’t stress. While it’s great to pull out the red carpet for guests and gatherings, a little sprucing up can go a long way. Below, we’ve compiled a few tips and tricks from the design experts at Studio 882 that will have your home looking perfectly festive — and fast.
Take a Great Holiday Shelfie
First, consider your bookshelves and mantles built-in decorating docks. Add decorative boxes and bookends, like these gold gazelles or the decorative brass-and-cream stone pieces, for the perfect collection of classic holiday trinkets. Perching a lavender-filled snowflake sachet on a shelf will make the crazy holiday season that much calmer this year.

Make Your Table the Center of Attention
Dish the holiday cheer with bright and cheery dinnerware. Consider bright yellow, spotted blue and deep red centerpiece bowls to hold heaping helpings of mashed potatoes and gravy. For a centerpiece, think about adding a small tabletop tree with a wicker or woven basket as the base. And don’t skimp on pouring out the good times from through an ornate decanter filled with red wine or a fine scotch; these prism and brass finial pieces are two of our favorites.

Think Outside of the Gift Box
Up your holiday wrapping game by opting for Malachite stone boxes, bamboo-style gilded crates and equestrian-style bins to stash your gifted goodies, or pick up some traditional gift-style boxes as alternatives to traditional paper.

Get Cozy
One of the easiest ways to add warmth to your living room? Pile on the textiles. Add pillows to couches, loveseats and chairs or stockpile floor pillows for extra seating. Consider soft blankets and throws for colder nights and cozier gatherings, and heating up your hardwood floor with a new handmade rug.

Invest in the Right Guest Accessories
Entertaining requires accessories. Pick up a new bucket for holiday gatherings on ice (this platinum-banded option comes complete with eight matching glasses for cocktail company). A few fancy serving trays can go a long way when it comes to getting your finger foods in the hands of friends and family.

Deck the Walls
Compartmentalize your gathering space using a floor screen with an art deco look, like this 4-panel gorgeous Malmaison screen. Keep the deco coming with a snowy-colored art piece to hang on your living or dining room wall. A thick-cut, structured, gilded frame can make things look more festive in a snap. Consider swapping in holiday-themed photos or even gift-wrapping some of your wall frames to show your holiday spirit. Think of wall decor as ornaments for your holiday tree, only bigger, bolder and able to stick around for much longer (even if they are reindeer antlers).

Ornament Your Outdoor Space
To give your outdoor space a facelift, consider investing in some seasonal furniture. Adding a pair of elwynn benches or a few arbor chairs will quickly turn your backyard into a scene straight out of Narnia. Outdoor sconces — specifically with candlelight fixtures — instantly add holiday charm to any entranceway.

Lighten Up
Oh, and don’t forget the candles! You can never get enough of the decorative pillars, domes and tapered torches. For the finishing touches, string lights and lines of garland can go a long way.

For more cheerful holiday decor, visit Studio 882 at 101 Applied Bank Blvd, in Glen Mills, or call 610-314-8820 for a design consultation.