Most folks decorate for the holidays in the good, old-fashioned way. But if you want your decor to reflect the latest looks, here's what's hot this season:
New hues: "I'm so tired of red and green," said Melinda Nelson, editor of Mpls.St.Paul Home, who recently led a seminar at Gabberts on nontraditional holiday palettes. "The holidays are a perfect time to play with color."
Turquoise, Pantone's "color of the year," is a force this holiday season, according to Tina Wilcox, CEO and creative director of Black Retail of Minneapolis. "Expect to see more of that color as a substitute for green."
Nelson showed turquoise with ivory, gold and chartreuse: "It's sophisticated and modern, very old Hollywood," she said.
Brown is a fresh holiday hue, said card and invitation designer Bonnie Marcus, of the Bonnie Marcus Collection. "For years, brown evoked 'dirty,'" she said. But today, people see brown as "rich and robust. It evokes a homey feeling of cupcakes and chocolate."
Even black is getting into the holiday rotation. No longer dreary, it's now "more like a little black dress," said Michelle Lamb, a home furnishings forecaster with the Trend Curve of Eden Prairie. She likes it paired with other deep colors, such as midnight blue and dark peacock. "It's really sophisticated and dramatic."
Wilcox also is bullish on black. "Black and white has been one of the hottest color combinations for fashion and home," she said. It's now popular for ornaments, gift wrap and even Christmas trees. "We bought one last year for the agency."
Even those sticking with red and green are putting a fresh spin on that combination. Instead of bright Santa red with pine green, this year's look is orange-red paired with lime or apple. Berry shades, from pink to purple, paired with frosty sage, are another hot combo, according to Lamb.
