By Carol Caggiano AIFD, PFCI
Although many colors come and go in the spirit of Christmas trends, there is nothing festive than red which is always in style. Explore scarlet, ruby, crimson, shiny, matte, and sparkly. The many personalities of red are ready to be discovered in the perfect combination for your holiday decorating.
For me, bringing red into my home for the holidays is always with gorgeous red flowers. Amaryllis, roses, tulips, ilex, carnations and anthurium are just a few of the most popular choices readily available. Matching the flowers with interesting vases is fun and challenging as is finding just the right spot in your home to display these gorgeous blooms.
The dining room table is probably one of the first places that come to mind for flowers. Nothing makes Christmas entertaining more special that a centerpiece of amaryllis blooms cut short and accented with a little white pine. Often I introduce a few lush red roses as well. A low glass cylinder that is tied with a luxurious Christmas ribbon makes a fabulous container.
For Christmas Eve, I may find napkins to match or use a few additional lengths of ribbon to create a runner on the table. For variety, try tucking a few glass ornament balls, also in red, into the arrangement to give it that extra holiday touch and add a little sparkle.
But the decorating doesn’t stop in the dining room. I have some other favorite spots for my touch of Holiday Red. The bathroom is the perfect place for a few stems of ilex berries in a cut-crystal vase. The crystal tends to look a little icy and the combination with the berries is perfect. Bright red tulips amidst a few stems of evergreen tucked into a silver vase are a lovely way to welcome an overnight guest. But the one place that is an absolute must for fresh flowers is the kitchen.
That is where I spend most of my time and I enjoy having something there everyday, but for Christmas I may choose a generous bunch of red carnations, hypericum berries and holly. A favorite pitcher makes the perfect vessel and sometimes a few stems of Queen Anne’s lace introduce a “snowy” effect.
Fresh flowers always bring that “something special” for any holiday celebration. If you want to be the “favored guest’, bring a few red blooms to your hostess this holiday season.
