The holiday season is here, and you're ready to start decorating your home like a pro. But did you know some people in Mid-Missouri hire a real pro to decorate their homes?
Whether you want someone else to trim your tree this year or you're hoping to unwrap some professional advice for your own decorating extravaganza, you might take a note or two from local floral designer Marlo Bolinger, who decorates at least 10 homes in Jefferson City and California, Missouri, every year.
Bolinger takes on the task of perfecting her customers' seasonal decor, working closely with them to individualize each ribbon and bow to their taste.
"Each year is different because I try to go with what new styles are coming in and maybe take what they've got and add to it," Bolinger said. "This year it seems like a lot of traditional colors are coming in, but there's also a lot of blues and silvers coming in. There's also a lot of really natural things coming in, too."
Many homeowners Bolinger works with prefer traditional schemes displaying festive reds and greens, she said, noting some of her Jefferson City customers opt for a more chic Christmas in rich gold hues. A few have requested a woodsy, natural aura in recent years.
Much like a typical at-home decorator, Bolinger often mimics holiday decorating themes clipped from magazines or clicked on Pinterest.
"It's kind of challenging because some people don't have the best stuff, but it's kind of fun to take what they've got and make it look like a winter wonderland or their type of Christmas," she said. "Some people like country Christmas; some people like traditional. I've got a girlfriend that loves bling. I love bling, and I also like the traditional snow and ice, but I also like to do a little twist."
Depending on the homeowner and the budget, Bolinger may add to the decorations they already own to customize the look to the theme they've requested.
"I usually ask what they're looking for and then try to mimic what they ask for," she said.
When it comes time to put tinsel to tree, Bolinger does just that - to her, the tree is the best starting point for decorating the whole home.
"I usually start with a tree in a front room," she said. "To me the tree seems like the hardest part to do, so I usually try to deal with the hardest things and then try to incorporate what I see in the tree into the family room or the dining room."
Over the years Bolinger has trimmed many a traditional or sparkly tree. She's also decorated a few unconventional Christmas trees, including a candy tree, a peacock tree and even a Mardi Gras tree adorned in festive colors and feathered masks.
"I have a customer that really likes that type of stuff. She loves purple and she loves blue and red, so we kind of went with that. ... It sounds weird, but it's really, really pretty," she said.
"I have a customer that likes nothing but gold and white, so I do gold and white and then I add touches of silver. I like silver and white - I think that's one of the richest colors - and then add a pop of red in it, and it looks really pretty."
Last year a customer had Bolinger decorate her tree with a woodsy theme to encourage her hunter husband's enthusiasm for the holiday. She captured the prized look with pheasant feathers, deer antlers, an assortment of pods and twigs, and touches of gold and copper.
Once she's finished filling the tree's lovely branches, Bolinger turns her attention to the rest of the house for other decorative touches. Her favorite focal point is the mantel.
"I do a lot of mantel pieces that they like to kind of match the tree," she said. "You can do a lot on a mantel. You can have things hanging off it, draping; you can go up a wall and around a mirror. You can make things look so glamorous."
Bolinger typically takes a layered approach to decorating a mantel, filling out the expected garland and Christmas lights with other elements that add height - like natural twigs; candles and candleholders; or, her favorite, festive curly picks embellished with metallic spray paint or glitter. "It gives you a lot of that abstract texture. I'm more of a texture person, so I like a lot of different elements," she said.
"I love doing candles on a mantel," she added. "You can take things," like wine glasses or other stemware," and turn them upside down for some height."
Banisters offer another potential point of focus.
"Usually for the banister we'll do something kind of fun - not the normal loop-de-loop. We might hit the three "corners' of the banister," Bolinger said. "We'll do three separate arrangements on each post instead of the traditional old garland going up and up the banister."
She positions those "corner pieces" on the banister's two end posts and the middle post.
"It kind of gives you a statement piece, especially if you've got one that's right when you walk into the house," she said.
If a home lacks a stunning staircase, there's still room for a statement piece elsewhere.
"Usually if I come in and there's a dining room off to the corner, you want to do a statement piece on the table to get people's attention," Bolinger said. If not a floral arrangement on the table, consider hanging ornaments from a dining room chandelier, or layer the table with candles and decorative makeshift "frost."
"If you've got a quick, easy party and you don't have a lot to spend, go get some Epsom salt, put it in a glass cylinder, add a candle so you've got some color in it, and you've got a great piece," she said. "I use a lot of Epsom salt because it's really inexpensive. You can put it on a tray or roll fruit in it" for a frosted, wintry look.
Sometimes the best statement piece is one you already own.
"Family is very important at the holidays, so it's kind of nice to bring out an old piece that people haven't seen," Bolinger said. "It's kind of like storytelling: "I got this from my mom' or "I got this from my grandmother.'"
Marlo Bolinger's tips for holiday home decorators
Before you start decorating, lay out all the Christmas items you have on the floor to take stock of what you have.
Use a clear lacquer or hairspray to clear-coat glittery items. The clear-coat will help hold the glitter in place, keeping it off of everything else.
Consider repurposing holiday decor items you're tired of before getting rid of them. A coat of gold, silver or ivory spray paint to a Christmas tree you've replaced can work wonders and give you a new piece for a different area of the house.
While setting up your tree and fluffing out its branches - whether it's real or artificial - wear a pair of tight-fitting gloves to protect your hands from wear and tear.