When Jason Jennings, designer for Interiors by Herbal Accents (1404 Evergreen Road), pulls outs his garlands and ribbons, he means business. Jennings, 36, has logged over 300 hours decorating homes for the holidays over the past five years. "My appointment book starts to fill up about the middle of November and I stay in full decorating mode till mid-December," says Jennings.
His tastes lean toward the traditional. "A tastefully decorated tree warms my heart," he says. Jennings shares some tips for holiday decorators:
• Don’t get in a yuletide rut. Change the color of your lights and ribbons every year.
• Pick one motif. Dancing Santa figurines don’t mix with sugared fruit
topiaries. (You want your decorations to be magical, not commercial.)
• Add touches of the holiday here and there throughout the house. Decorations should flow into one another.
• Don’t use fresh garlands, which dry quickly in your home; substitute faux garlands and add magnolia clippings from the garden.
• Restrain yourself when decorating the outside of your home — don’t mimic Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation. Keep it simple; use spotlights and fresh or faux wreaths attached to windows with outdoor ribbon.
• Involve family and friends to make it memorable. Warm up the eggnog and have fun.
