Cylinder Vase

Old Ice Skate Floral Arrangement

Carry your theme in each room of your home.

Arrange your furniture for Christmas.

Set your holiday bar serving area in foyer.

As the weather outside gets frightful, and people are focused on Black Friday sales and what Roast Beast they'll be serving is there hope for those who have their home FOR SALE?

A home can be sold during the holidays if you apply a few rules and stage your home properly.

Here in Chicago, our winter holidays are an open invitation to go WAY over board with the concept of "Decking the Halls" -With too many trims, lights and blow-up seasonal icons bellowing on our front yards.

Deck the halls in key "Showcase" areas of your home - Such as your kitchen island.

My business, Reinventing Space  had the pleasure to be featured a few weeks ago in a clever and informative article on Selling Your Home During the Holidays in the Chicago Tribune - "Make holiday home sale a reality."




Here is some key advice from the article:

•Those left combing the market during November and December are typically more serious about the home hunt, Spreen said. They might include families relocating for job changes, first-timers ready to leap during a slow market, and those who've recently sold a home and need a new place to live.

•"You'll have fewer showings, but they'll be more powerful," said Dennis Dooley, managing broker with Prudential Rubloff Properties. Holiday season buyers are typically "motivated and financially ready," he added.

•Deck the halls with restraint. Holiday decorations make homes festive and buyers merry. But too many ornaments, wreaths and garlands can obscure views, make rooms feel smaller and distract buyers from their true purpose: deciding whether or not your home is right for them.

•And think twice before displaying decorations specific to your religious or cultural heritage, said interior stylist Julea Joseph, owner of Reinventing Space in Palos Park, since it makes it more difficult for others who don't share your background or beliefs to envision themselves living in the space.

•Photographs should picture the home as it appears in the current season, but sellers may want to capture and post additional shots of summer landscaping to give a hint of what lies ahead.

•Tap the spirit. Light the fireplace if you have one. Decorate with a pretty throw. Make your home cozy, and someone else might want to nest there.

•Clear the schedule. Since buyers are likely to be fewer in number during the dark days of winter, be ready to accommodate the interest you do have.

Deck the halls "lite" when your home is on the market during the holidays.

Since 1999, certified interior stylist Julea Joseph has owned Chicago area based interiors and home staging business - Reinventing Space. Your can see her work on HGTV or in the news giving homeowners expert insight on how to refresh, style and celebrate their space -Whether staging their home to go on the market, just settling in, or just in need of a change.  Julea also offers her expertise with mentoring and certification educational offerings to Realtors, Home Stagers and Interior Redesigners in the industry. Visit her site, JULEA.com or Interior Stylist Program. For more information 708.448.7500 or email her at Julea@Julea.com.

Think Outside the Box!                    Showcase Family Heirlooms


Color            Use What You Have               Set Your Holiday Table in Style


                                      Incorporate New Pieces

#1. Use What You Have

Inventory what you have. Don’t rummage in the boxes my friend, unload them, especially if you’re O.C.D.-ish or a theme person. By revaluating your existing things, you’ll be inspired, find new connections and come up with different combinations.

#2 Think Outside the Box!

Don’t put it up like last year, or the year before, or the year before… One of my favorite places to decorate is the China Cabinet – Acres of Waterford or Macy style China displays are so BORING, besides, the Dining Room is meant for conversation and celebration. Have a treasured ornament from Great Grandma? Hang it from an ornament stand with her picture next to it. Vases can be filled with tinsel or mini-ornaments, shelves can be sprinkled with faux snow – Tell a story in this great space!

#3 Color

A great way to refresh and reinvent your décor is with a new thread of color. This year’s hot hues are Chocolate, Blue, Bronze, Orange and Super brights - like Neon Yellow, Hot Pink and Lime Green. A little shot of these fresh hues will liven up your old stuff and make it all shiny and new. Try some new napkins, I like to pair two together. How about a can of bronze floral spray on some old greenery and neon green on pine cones with a dusting of chocolate glitter? Why not pickup a pot of hot pink orchids or Christmas cactus to perk up table tops? Pop them into copper containers or in brightly glazed pots.

#4 Showcase Family Heirlooms

The Holidays are all about family, and what a better way of celebrating the season than with special pieces of the past. Besides the antique ornaments, what about the heirloom silver tea service? The tray can be proudly placed on the living room cocktail table anchoring a lovely holiday vignette. The pot and creamer used as vessel for a spectacular floral arrangement, and the sugar bowl filled with wrapped candies in the powder room to refresh the breath of guests.

#5 Set Your Table with Style

Treat your guests with style and panache by setting a lovely table. Whether buffet or sit down, be a great hostess by adorning your tables with a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. Mix and Match is always a lovely treat, so don’t worry that you don’t have enough of one dish set. Never revert to Chinette, but feel free to twist up your service by serving appetizers or use festive paper as the second/salad plate. If buffeting, flat is not where it’s at – Create lifts and height with flipped pots, boxes, hurricane vases, giant martini or daiquiri glasses. The pots/boxes can be covered with runs of fabrics or table clothes, and vases, glasses used as platter/plate stands or filled with dips or food. Think of a fancy brunch at a 5 Star Hotel. Candles, fresh floral and chargers come cheap and make a chic impact for your table. Make sure that the candles are scent free.

#6 Incorporate New Pieces

This is a double meaning tip. When decorating, don’t leave what you already have out, pack it away and replace with the Holiday Décor. Rotation is good. Plus, when the holidays are over, and you unpack the old stuff, consider placement in a new spot.

Now that you’ve unpacked and inventoried your decor, decorated - Pack a box or two to be donated. It’s time for someone else to love your décor. Just like the cloths in your closet, if you haven’t used them in awhile, it’s time to let them to go. By donating, you make room for a few new things.

Use the tips above to help you shop for a few new décor pieces. From color to decorating area, a few new added pieces to your Holiday collection can perk up the old stash and give you a new fresh view.


Resources:


Ornament Stands: http://www.ornamentdisplays.com/


Festive Paper Plates: http://www.platesandnapkins.com/


Orchids and Christmas Cactus: Home Depot


Floral Spray, Glitter, Giant Martini Glasses, Candles: Michaels


Chargers, Hurricanes: Hobby Lobby

 
With holiday celebrations just around the corner, now is a perfect time to address our Dining Rooms. The dining room is typically the least used room in any home. It also tends to be the room that is most difficult to decorate. Big, bulky furniture suites, extensive hardwood surfaces and space constraints conspire to prevent you from putting your personal stamp on the room. The dining room was intended to be a space used for celebrations, lively conversation and special occasion dining. Decorate this family gathering space with color, creative displays and décor that will make every guest feel welcome!




Ralph Lauren Wallpaper in BURNISHED CORK - TOBACCO

 • With wallpapers back in vogue, this may just be the room to unleash a paper creation! Textures, faux techniques, patterns, metallic’s and more are readily available with today’s advanced technology. With a dining room’s hardwood and suite of furniture, wallpaper is a great juxtaposition to the sameness of the space.

• If paint is your choice, choose a hue to compliments your furniture and celebrates you personal style. The dining room was meant for family gatherings and entertaining, so this is a perfect space to show off your personality. Why not pick a color that has been inching up to a new favorite?

• What's on your floor? -  Rug or no rug? Rugs can add warmth, anchor furniture, add color, texture and ambiance to a space.

• Rethink your Lighting. If your chandelier has seen better days, why not replace or repurpose the one you have? A chandelier should be about 12" narrower than the width of the table over which it hangs and hung approximately 30” above the surface. If you want to reinvent your existing piece – A new coat of paint, new shades or a ceiling medallion, can give a new piece a new life. Swap out your old switch for a dimmer too.


• Hang paintings, family portraits, and other wall art at a lower level so that you and your guests can enjoy them while seated at the dining table. Place a large mirror in the room across from windows to create an illusion of space or reflect your lovely chandelier.

• Shop your home, a local art gallery or store for paintings, prints, plates to adorn your walls. Antique or specialty plates make great wall art, especially hung in a collection. Art in this room should feed the soul with food or dining themes – Still life settings, photography of bistro store fronts, or club car dining are all great ideas for hung art.



Still Life Wtih Blooming Red Tulips Print by Nicole Etienne at Art.com



• Give your china cabinet a makeover by creating a seasonal display or a vignette of precious family objects. From holiday China to treasured ornaments removing the typical stored finds and reinventing the space will give your room a whole new identity. Antique family photos in small sterling silver frames become more meaningful when paired with an heirloom object, such as a pocket watch or a baby’s bootie. Creatively displayed postcards, pictures, souvenirs and other special remembrances make wonderful dinner conversation starters.

• Slip cover, reupholster or replace worn dining chairs. Purchase custom slipcovers with interesting details, such as back lacing, monogramming or fun trims. Reupholster your seats with a colorful fabric that matches the freshly painted walls. Replace the two captain’s chairs with upholstered parson’s chairs. The fabric will soften the hard woods in the room and create a softened look – Best of all, these chairs can be rotated into other spaces when needed.


• Finally, set the mood for your room with accessories. For the table, river a Pashima shawl for a stunning look, tall glass footed hurricanes filled with seasonal finds, your buffet set with a sparkling silver pieces and each of your seats paired with a lumbar pillow.

By putting your personal stamp on your dining room you reinvent a forgotten space, create a mood for a room meant to celebrate family and friends and having a seasonal jumping off point for your holiday and entertaining decorating for this year

Any flat surface is a great area to seasonally dress. Here are a few tips on making the vignette look fabulous:

• Room's purpose and style - Fancy in the fancy areas, casual in the casual areas.
• Room's function - A large arrangement on a family room cocktail table isn't going to work if you're room's function is TV viewing...
• Scale and Proportion - Whatever the area, make sure that the "stuff" is in scale to the surface or area your putting it.  For example, a large mantle needs large accessories.
• Create highs and lows - Use books, cake stands, easels, hurricanes, apothecary's to create highs and lows in your display.
• Group collections in odd numbers.
• Try to break your symmetry - Don't be matchy matchy. 
• Add something unexpected in the mix - Create a conversation.
• Don't get lazy - Hang what needs to be hung, use a measuring tape when needed, take the extra step...
• Bang for the Buck - One spectacular pieces, with knock-offs around it - makes the knockoffs spectacular too.
• Don't go over board - Too much of a good thing, isn't good...

                                                        Ingredients:


Understand your client’s needs, appreciate their lifestyle, value their taste – Core ingredients to having satisfied clients.


Directions:

• Help choose a color palette that enhances the home’s bones, embraces what they already have, and creates the style & mood they’ll love to come home to.
• Create a floor plan that honors the room’s function, carefully considering traffic patterns, activities and focal points.
• Offer creative and cost effective solutions to re-invent, re-purpose or relocate difficult, tired or hidden gems.
• Don’t conceal your favorite hidden shopping haunts; instead, invite them to take hand on a shopping expedition or explain a room-by-room shopping wish list to complete.
• Be full service and express your textile talents with a full understanding of how to dress a space with fabrics and window wardrobes.
• Complete the home with detailed accessorizing and styling expertise to help evoke conversation, celebrate the 5 senses, stir interest and celebrate the room’s personality.

Our style is your style, our talent is to make your home lovely for you! An Interior Stylist is an expert in fully understanding and defining what the homeowner wants. Although totally in-tune to the current color and trends - An Interior Stylist is there to meld your personal taste with her creativity and expertise into a home of your dreams.  http://www.interiorstylist.org/  http://www.interiorstylistprogram.com/

Wall Color BM-2144-30 Rosemary Sprig

The kitchen is the most utilized and meaningful room in a household. It is the hub for family tasks and used for food preparation, household management, and of course entertaining. It is indeed the heart of any home. No matter how many rooms you have dedicated for entertainment, everyone always ends up in the kitchen! With the kids back in school, a cool nip in the air, fall kicks off our major holiday season - in fact, we can celebrate right through the New Year. Now is a great time to get your kitchen “party readied,” and organized for easy maneuvering during the holiday rush, and of course-seasonally updated.

• Need a Color Lift? - Try reinventing an old piece, a wall , or whole room... Be inspired by the season - Ben Moore’s  Rosemary Sprig 2144-30, Toasted Pecan #1209, Burnt Sienna #1196, or Sherwin William’s Library Pewter SW0038, or Studio Blue-Green SW0047. It’s just paint, and is the easiest and cheapest change you can make.

• Counter Tops - Swap out a tired canister set with a new revision; there are loads to choose from (If you’re not a gourmet cook, store pens, notepads, and takeout menus inside.) They add needed color and design. Large platters on plate stands are good-looking in unused dark corners or grouped on walls. Extra-large clear glass canisters are conversation makers when layered with dried beans, nuts or black, yellow and white dried popcorn. A kitchen must is a sassy new set of dish towels, seasonal kitchen candles, and a hand soap/lotion set in scents of spiced apple, pumpkin or caramel.

• Tell a Story with your Floral - A whimsical floral whether store or home made adds a bit of seasonal flair to any table. Create a mini-container garden by abundantly grouping those adorable “mini” annuals and petite ivy. or a bountiful arrangement with faux fall veggies, dried pods, leaves and vines.

Rustic watering cans from Pottery Barn can be seasonal highlights

• Looking Up - Upper cabinet tops or upper shelves seem always to pose a decorating challenge. For a quick and easy change, large seasonally inspired platters, pots, framed art fill tired spots.
• Smart Cook Organization - An easy way to organize, is to create stations within your kitchen. Love to bake? Set aside two cabinets and counter space solely used for baking (near the oven of course,) fill with baking essentials such as pans, small appliances, spices and other baking staples. Task clustering such as this will help you to stay on task during the busy holiday rush.

• Get your Party Started - Love to entertain, but don’t have a Butler’s Pantry? Convert your little used desk area into an entertainment station.

A floral gives a kitchen a seasonal boost (NDI Floral.)

Reinventing Space is offering a "Summer Entertaining Special."  Is your home party ready? If your spaces are looking a bit hum drum, allow Reinventing Space to sweep on through and make them summer entertaining fabulous in a day. I'll rearrange, accessorize and reposition your spaces to make your home just stunning for your up coming summer soiree. - $350.00

What clients are saying.... "I loved working with you .. you do have a skill like no one I have ever met ... Thank you so much for making my house become a home ... once again, just love it! - Heather, St. Charles

What is it about Model homes that make them so appealing? Is it the freshness of all new; is it the sassy paint colors, the perfectly placed furniture, art and accessories or the beautiful groomed backyard that makes you want to plop right down on that comfy club chair, or light the grill on the patio? Well…. Yes to all the above. A builder hold hosts to an array of skilled professionals to make that Model beautiful. From blue print to drawer pulls that Model home is meticulously planned.

Beyond the nicely placed furniture, Model homes are the current reflection of the home environment needs of the target market of the Builder. They are a turn-key product, designed & packaged for the desires of perfect buyer.

Models homes are lovely because they have the latest and the greatest, are fresh and new and are meticulously detailed. Psychology, more than decorating is applied to makes them look so fabulous. From architecture to floral arrangements, Model homes are planned with “YOU” in mind.

So how can you the Realtor make your next listing as appealing as a Model Home? – Here are 10 ways.

1.) Clean. Those nice angled vacuum lines, gleaming windows, and perfectly manicured lawns in Model homes speak to a potential buyer – You don’t have to do a thing. A Realtor can translate that into - A little elbow grease goes a long way. A super clean home says “turn-key” to the potential buyer. Have every inch of the home, blind slats to porch light glass, super clean and perfectly coiffed. According to a national 2009 survey done by Home Gain (www.homegain.com,) a $100-$200 cleaning investment gives an 872% return!

2.) Fresh & Smells Good. People buy homes on emotion, and your 5 senses are a direct path to your brain. If a home smells and looks “funky,” “doggy,” “smoky,” or if the stove is coated with cooking gone bad – The home is off their list. Just like you would detail your car to sell, invest in clean and spotless carpets, patched, repaired and freshly painted walls and new appliances if the old have seen better days. Be wary to skip this step and take the low road with room refreshers, candles and stove burner covers – Potential buyers are not fooled.

3.) Color. Any advertising executive will tell you color is key to properly packaging a product; and a listed home is just that, a product. Throw away the off-white manta of old school home staging rules – Welcome to the era of HGTV. Using color is a powerful and inexpensive way of making that home stand out from the rest, and with so many decorating TV shows boasting the benefits of color, you better get hip to hues. From 1st Web impressions to curb-appeal, color is a strong emotional tug for the potential buyer. Update yourself on the latest color trends in wall color, appliance, fixtures, etc… and apply it to your target buyer. For home staging, use earthy, calm tones for the bigger areas such as wall color and add pops of saturated colors in the details; such front doors, accessories or annuals.

4.) Make Space. The joy of a Model home is the acres and acres of unused storage space & beautifully organized closets. Reduce, organize, upscale and edit all the home’s spaces when it comes to closets and storage areas. If the home’s price point dictates, upscale the closets with custom organizing options.

5.) Clear a Path. Consider that many people with be walking through the home. Make sure traffic patterns, entrances and exits are well established. Too much furniture, undefined entrances and awkward walkways confuse and discourage buyers from moving about the property. Follow a Model Home’s lead and create a concise walking pattern for potential buyers starting a curbside to back fence.

6.) Lovely Layouts. From the landscape to furniture placement, take a clue from Models homes that continuity and flow make for a good mix. Create curb appeal with nicely maintained landscaping, added annuals and perennials, an inviting stoop and well groomed walk and driveways. Inside, make sure each room depicts what its function is, enhances the highlights of the room (i.e. fireplaces or upgrades,) and allows the buyer to envision themselves in the space.

7.) Set the Mood. Create ambiance and character in the home with well thought out placement of sensory and lifestyle components. Soft music, lighting on dimmers, candles lit, and fresh floral are all great ideas for Broker or Open houses. If you have concern about candles, battery operated candles that even have timers built in are now readily available. Stage the dining room table tastefully, or set the stage in a back yard with a detailed patio retreat. Offering helpful lifestyle hints has always been in the Model Home arsenal and always a huge hit.

8.) K.I.S.S. On the opposite note, don’t over accessorize, go over-board with the lifestyle tips or create “store bought theme” rooms (i.e. Chef-with-a-Hat Kitchen or Anniversary Bathtub area complete with Champagne bottle.)

9.) Appeal to a Target Buyer. Consider "WHO” the ideal buyer is that will be interested in the property, and market the property accordingly. From advertising photos to furniture, consider who will find this appealing and desirable.

10.) Market, Market, Market. Model Homes have great marketing incentives inside and out. From clear address markers, great signs, to small exit giveaways, to survey - market that listing to the fullest.

Martie & Greg were in a tough spot with their Dining Room and Living Room.  With the rest of the house complete, they just couldn't make these two spaces work. 
With a new view on style, it was hard to meld their more contemporary new view (see light fixture,) with the old school (old house,) pieces in the living room. 
They too struggled with choosing a paint color and what to do with those windows.

We 1st picked out a new paint palette using the rest of the completed home as our guide, we choose rich toffees and herbal greens.  We then addressed that living room, and decided to keep the tables but replace the couch and side chair.  The large red recliner moved to the master, as well as the side chair.  She had just purchased a dining room table and 2 black parsons chairs.  We did a search within the home and found a lovely mirror and an additional, more scale suited chair in the master.


The side chair, although wonderful in scale, didn't have wonderful fabric on it.  As we discussed window treatment ideas, Martie excitedly said she had some fabric yardage she bought and just didn't know what to do with.  Ironically, when she pulled it out, stunningly the colors were the same I had chosen for her paint palette. 






With a plan in progression, I suggested she have the chair reinvented, with the floral motif fabric.  To keep the more clean lines of her new style, she should have silver nail heads added to the chair. The other fabric was a stripe, which I then drew a plan for the window treatments, gave her a shopping list for furniture, accessories and additional fabric yardage for window treatments - And here are the results.

Just back from filming the "After" of Liz & Hector's Newlywed Home.  WOW, is all I can say!  Super shoppers - Using my advice - here are the before and after results. If you've read the previous post - Although she had "good bones," the room needed a bit of additional ingredients to make it shine - From lighting to art to window panels - Look at what around $700.00 worth of accessories can do for a space (Zoe the dog not included...)
Panels (4) Are from Target
Accessories, Lamps, Side tables from HomeGoods, Hobby Lobby and Target.

I was convinced there was phenomenon occurring, and it was validated this week when I got in one of my to-the-trade magazines and there it was as one of the 2011 Color Forecast trends! I have been say now for a few years that there is a growing trend in homeowners taking the typical container garden or two to a whole new (or shall I say old) level. And even last week on two separate occasions the 1st at a Staging Evaluation at an 1 Million dollar home in a lush suburb - the homeowner proudly showed me her freshly planted vegetable garden along the side of the home, as well as picking out a few new paint colors for an old friend then chatting on her growing seedlings for her Naperville community garden plots she rents each year - Everyone is getting their hands into the earth!

  As the 1st in 4 new color trends forecasted - Depicted as "Well Rooted," in the article goes on to say - "The effect of multiple economic and world crises have driven us back to time at home, centering more on the family and brightening our own environment against the world."

It's Chic to "Farm" Your Home's Land...

For those who know me personally, I've had a flock of chickens now for almost 10 years - Yes, I said chickens - (My friend Ruth in tony San Francisco has done the same for the same length thank you very much -) All nicely laying eggs in my what I call their  "Coop de Jour."  I've also had a potage garden for the same period of time, which every harvest brings me fabulous heirloom tomatoes, fresh herbs and the best un-wind after a hard day's work. Call me a daughter of a depression parent, or now call me - "Recession-Chic..." Read on:

"As people look more to their immediate surroundings, embracing nature becomes more important than ever.  Authentic, honest neutrals as well as greens in layers from yellow to grass and deep forest greens will dominate. Paint Company Benjamin Moore names the same theme “The Farm,” stating recession-chic evokes a call back to basic lifestyles and values. The movements toward locally grown, preservative-free are key drivers in this palette. Shades of the farm include natural neutrals, organic tones and rich vegetables hues.

Farm textures and patterns play out the trend – Gingham checks, burlap, plaid, farm house floral, cows, yarn and rope."





Pony Ottoman from Room Service
http://www.rshcatalog.com/product/Pony_Patch_Ottoman/23

Sometimes all it takes is a few new purchases and a bit of tweaking to take a space from same ol', same ol' to smashing!
Reinventing Space Services:
Shopping With Client 1 hour
Room Makeover 2 Hours

Before
Entertainment Center, Not Centered
Missing side tables for chairs
Tiny Cocktail Table
Lamp & Art Poor
Mantle Mirror too Small
Pillow Pattern Collision









After
The room becomes more inviting and updated:
With a bit of new art
A nice large clock to balance the fireplace scale
Pops of color: w/black more feminine curvey tables, mantle mirror
Green pillows
White florals
Seating is defined w/ functional lamps, & a tweak in furniture arrangement.



GET THE LOOK:
Black Cocktail Table:  Ballard Design
Black Side Table: Target
Lamps: Home Depot
Accessories: HomeGoods

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Just got word that another of my series of interior design work for HGTV's "My First Place will be airing  - HMFP-1209, is scheduled to premiere Tuesday, January 12th at 8:00 pm ET (7:00 pm central).


 
Filmed in Wrigleyville, this fabulous flat's 2nd bedroom had some decorating challenges!  Take an akward 9'x15' space with one big Honkin' window from Manly Minimal to Lady Executive Chic!  Too... Work within a budget shopping from furniture to flowers and style it in 1/2 a day.  Oh yeah, in the parking poor city of Chicago on Saturday!!!  Man I used all those sassy Home Staging skills. It was a BLAST - Tune in to see the results.
 

Hosting is defined as the art of graciously welcoming guests into your home. As the winter holiday season arrives, don’t just deck your halls with fabulously festive seasonal décor – remember, too, gestures of hospitality that demonstrate your thoughtfulness are top priority. From easy flowing furniture arrangements to the smallest personal details, it’s amazingly easy to make each of your holiday guests feel welcome and comfortable. The best thing about the holidays is spending time with family and friends to enjoy celebrations and share traditions - and having as much fun as your guests is the surest sign you’re a great hostess!



Five Senses for the Holidays

Sight: Gather miniature twinkle lights and place them under a glass cake cover on a footed cake stand to create a glowing display. Choose mix and match jewel-tone chargers, and stemware paired with your white china for a kaleidoscopic hued table arrangement. Add strands of colored beads tied up as napkin rings.

Touch: Place a small trunk or decorative box by the front door filled with warm, cuddly slippers for your visitors. Add layers on chairs and sofas with chunky, thick, luxurious throws. Provide plenty of white and red boas and an array of Santa hats for guests to adorn themselves.

Taste: Create conversation and make your holiday party memorable by featuring Napa inspired appetizers along with a wine and cheese tasting. For the kids - a table setup for "make-your-own" mini pizzas. Have plenty of fun toppings, pita bread and water crackers, and bottled pizza spread on hand.

Sound: For that magical jingle-jangle, hang wreaths or ribbons adorned with tons of bells on all your doors. Nothing says "Welcome" more than the crackle of a fire, favorite holiday tunes on the stereo, great conversation, and the laughter of children.

Smell: In addition to the aromas created in the kitchen, incorporate candles and oils featuring seasonal scents such as cinnamon, cranberry, gingerbread, frankincense and peppermint throughout the house. Consider tossing dried herbs or cedar chips on the fire in the fireplace for added scent-sations.



Finishing Touches

Swap out typical chandelier shades and chain covers for brilliant hued or shiny ones, or get crafty with added trims or other adornments. Drape evergreen, floral, fruit or ornamental garlands through the arms of chandeliers and wall sconces.

Encourage the creative side of your kiddos and have them craft one-of-kind ornaments for party guests. Use their creations for double duty -- first as place cards for dinner seating, then as unique take-home gifts with special memories.

Utilize your Good Bones serving pieces. Oversized martini or daiquiri glasses not only work well at the bar area to hold olives or lemon twists, but also on the buffet filled with dips, dressings, or spreads.