"Red Hot" Decorating
Tips for the Holidays

Add festive Christmas color to your decor.

Red is not for the timid. But it can liven up quiet rooms or add even more drama to others. It's easy to bring a festive mood into your home by incorporating bold shots of red. Whether it's a permanent part of your décor such as tomato red, or holiday accents in berry and crimson, Jane Dupuy, Decorating Editor of Southern Accents magazine, declares that "red is right for winter." Here are some red-hot ways to decorate for the holidays from Southern Accents:

- Add red to a holiday tabletop. Set your table with a red velvet table skirt. For a centerpiece, mix fruits, vegetables, starfish, and sea coral with striped red roses. On top of each setting, place a red Christmas ornament tied with a red ribbon.

- Make a big impact by adding small doses of red on various pieces throughout a room. Add red lampshades to one or two of the lamps in your main living space, or set red trays around a room.

- Red accents such as cranberry-colored candles and bright berry or dark claret dishes look best when used in abundance on your tabletop.

- To evoke the warmth of red without the shock of strong tones, consider a more earthy terra-cotta, or go deeper with shades such as burgundy or claret.

- Simple holiday decorations, such as a boxwood wreath with a cluster of red roses, can be added on mirrors, art, and windows to make any room merry and bright.

- Change out pillows and throws as December approaches. Pull out the red slipcovers and tableware to get a jump on the holiday season.

- For a simple red flower arrangement, limit your bouquet to one type of flower.

- Find a pretty antique ribbon in a wide width, in either reds or muted shades of reds, like terra-cotta or rust, and tie the ribbon around an antique sconce or chandelier for a simple, yet dramatic, pop of red.

Southern Accents (www.southernaccents.com) celebrates and showcases fine Southern style in interiors, gardens, art, antiques, and entertaining.

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