By Nanette Wiser
‘Tis the season to be jolly, from planning your exterior holiday decorations to prepping your home for cold weather visitors and parties. Warm up your walls in time for the holiday decorating and entertaining with this season’s it colors: Terra Rosa (a mix of clay and pink) or Canyon Ridge (a blushy coral color), inspired by nature like last year’s sage greens, but taking its cue from desert sunsets. Black and white palettes and motifs or all-white rooms still hold their place as top design choices.
If you’re blah about beige, but not ready to replace that brown leather couch, consider adding pillows, throws and other accents in autumn colors such as deep red, mustard yellow, or burnt sienna that pair naturally with a tan sofa. A vintage lamp, a tufted
ottoman, birds and botanical wallpaper, or velvet fringe pillows add sass with class. You can also embrace this season’s pop-culture inspired designs such as adding pale pinks and bedazzled accessories (Barbiecore from the new movie), crystal chandeliers, decorative molding and Regency pieces (Bridgerton) or cottage chic, such as distressed-painted accent furniture or botanical motifs.
Lucky for Paradisers, we live outdoors this time of year. Warm up that patio with a firepit or outdoor fireplace and add Solar or LED lights, especially thematic string lights (flamingos, Christmas) to ward off darkness @5pm. Look for weatherproof furnishings made from powder-coated steel, teak, and polyresin wicker, accented by holiday pillows and seasonal scented candles (sugar cookie, apple cinnamon). Set up your bar cart with a zazzy punch and serve a pot of chili or hearty soup outside, followed by s’mores cooked over your firepit and a rousing game of beer pong, Jenga or Password. At Thanksgiving, plan a dessert buffet outside. Decorate a small living Christmas tree or conifer with simple, weatherproof, non-breakable ornaments and fire up Siri for some caroling. Need holiday décor? Visit Vintage Marche and thrift shops for an elf on the shelf or tree ornaments. Need help with outdoor lighting for your home and trees? Contact The Decorating Elves, with hundreds of ideas for festive flocking www.decoratingelves.com/holiday-lighting.
For more design and home improvement ideas, visit these recommended professionals: Granite Girl, Van Selow Design, New Closet Today, Sapphire Shades, Budget Blinds, The Shutter Guy, and Beacon Windows and Doors.