By Terry Oparka
C & G Staff Writer

Don’t be afraid to mix things up when you deck the halls for the season — everything doesn’t have to be red and green. And don’t forget the bling.

David McKnight of Emerald City Designs likes to use fresh flowers, even in the tree. His tree sparkled with large balls stuck through a gold mesh fabric. Green hydrangeas completed the look.

“Pull the rose petals out from their traditional shape for a different look to adorn the table, mantle or front door,” he suggested during his keynote presentation at the Holiday Decorating and Entertaining Event at the Michigan Design Center in Troy last month.  More than 800 people stopped by to get inspired for the holidays Oct. 22.

“Everything doesn’t have to match,” he said. “Use different sized lights in all the same color (on the Christmas tree).”

McKnight layered linens on the holiday table, and he demonstrated how to use a rubber band to bustle the edge into “fluffs.” He likes to include personalized menu cards whether the crowd is six or 600. 

He adorned the mantle with pomander balls made with two to three dozen carnations pushed into a Styrofoam ball. He used different lengths of ribbon to display the pomander balls on an angle from the mantle.

With spritzing, the carnations should last five days, he said. “Flowers love to drink water through their petals,” he said.

He created a door decoration with ball ornaments and greenery placed in rows with a glue gun on foam core wrapped in linen. He placed tassels along the bottom, accented the piece with fresh flowers, and then hung a small “welcome” sign to finish the piece.

“Wait a couple minutes after your guests knock on the door till they notice it,” he told the crowd. He also likes to give guests a personalized ornament to take home from Christmas festivities.

In addition to McKnight’s presentation, a number of interior designers created vignettes stamped with their own personal style in showrooms at the MDC.

One trend apparent at the event was folded afghans and fabrics used in place of tree skirting.

Patricia Warner of Patricia Interiors created a festive living room in neutral shades of browns, creams and pale yellow, which featured a gift tower using reusable bows and white-and-neutral biodegradable gift paper, bunched up throw rugs to create warmth, and three different sizes of Christmas trees.

Following the trend to mix things up, she set a rustic holiday table with a contemporary setting.

It you’re not sure what to do with the boxes of holiday stuff you have or are just tired of your usual display, call a designer, Warner said.

“Pull out your decorations and schedule a consultation with a designer to get great ideas,” she said.

Kristen Armstrong of KCID Studio on the Park worked off a neutral wood background to lay a holiday table using turquoise and pink, which she described as the “new green and red.”

“Mix up the look and pick what you want your pop color to be,” she said. She accomplished this with antique and modern jewel-tone dishes and dark earth-tone napkins.

Becky Andrews, Karen Crorey-Dallafior and Judy Welch combined their talents, as well as silver and crystal accessories, antiques, gold hydrangeas and white roses, to create a glitzy holiday space.

The space featured a bolt of sateen fabric placed around the base of the tree, and a mix of reds and golds with burgundy and plum.

“Anything sparkly for Christmas is good,” Andrews said. “Don’t be afraid of that.”

Traditionalists may take heart. Darlene Hubbard of Home Interior Warehouse explained that traditional holiday colors of reds and greens are always in. “And don’t be afraid to use different color chair coverings on each chair,” she said.  

“It’s all about the bling,” McKnight said.

The Michigan Design Center is located at 1700 Stutz in Troy and is open to the public. It features more than 30 designer showrooms. Information on the MDC Holiday and Entertaining Event is available at www.michigandesign.com, click on Events and Holiday Decorating Event.