Festive Faux Pas: 7 Holiday Decorating Mistakes to Avoid

ARCADIA, WI--(Marketwired - Dec 2, 2013) - The holiday season has officially arrived! That means it's time to add a bit of festive flair and cheer to your home décor. Whether you're planning a holiday gathering or playing host to out-of-town guests, you'll want to your house to look its best. So, in an effort to help you keep it simple during this festive season, here are some great design tips for adding style and flair, and seven holiday decorating mistakes to avoid:

1. Decorating without decluttering. Before you start your holiday decorating, be sure to set aside an extra day for clearing out the clutter and doing some long-overdue "spring cleaning" in your living room, kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms or any other spaces that need it. Not only does it beautify your home and create extra room for seasonal décor, it also gives you the opportunity to get rid of what you don't need by donating it to your favorite charity. What better way to start the holidays?

2. Going overboard. "Less is more" is a good mantra to practice when it comes to holiday decorations. Rather than decking the halls from top to bottom with too many seasonal items, consider sticking with a few simple holiday accent pieces and accessories. It will not only look great, it'll save you time and money. Here are a few quick and easy ideas:

• Beautiful ornaments arranged on cake stands or in glass bowls make for quite the artful touches on dining room tables, accent tables, servers or just about any surface. Add a few green leaves for a little extra flair.

• Drape some lush greenery or a string of pinecones (available at many local garden centers) around the house. Doorways, window ledges, mirrors and fireplace mantels are the perfect spots for adding this warm, cozy and woodsy touch.

• Simple, elegant wreaths placed on inside and outside doors or above mantels are always a festive favorite. (You can even give an inexpensive wreath a beautiful, wintery look just by spraying a coat of "snow" on it!)

• Glass compote jars filled with mixed nuts, berries and silvery pine are gorgeous yet simple touches around the house.

3. Too much red and green. While it may be a classic color combination, that doesn't mean you have to limit yourself to just two colors. Gold, silver, pink, navy blue, or even purple can add a unique twist to your traditional holiday colors. For a stunningly simple look, you can't go wrong with a monochromatic color palette. Envision an all-white tree with candy canes, peppermints, and red bows. Or go with a neutral palette... think browns, grays, taupes and forest greens bathed in shiny gold and silver.

4. Forgetting the guest bathroom. If you have visitors this holiday season, the guest bathroom will be receiving a lot of foot traffic. It's the perfect place to add decorative accents like soft holiday guest towels, soaps, candles or even a small bouquet of berries.

5. Not knowing when to say when. While adorning your home in holiday lights is a great way to show your spirit, be courteous to neighbors by knowing when to turn the lights off at night... and when it's time to take the lights down for the season. It'll also help you save money on your electric bill!

6. Not keeping safety in mind. Safety should always play into your holiday decoration choices. So keep these important tips in mind:

• If you have kids or will have children visiting you this holiday season, keep ornaments with small parts or metal hooks, or that look like food or candy, off of the lower branches where small children can reach them. Trim branches and keep lights out of reach.

• Inspect any holiday lights for loose bulbs or protruding wires and make sure there aren't any loose ends that could be tripped over. Use cord covers if you have young children or pets. Do not overload extension cords or outlets and do not run an electrical cord under a rug.

• If you choose to have a real tree, keep it watered at all times and do not put it within three feet of a fireplace, space heater, radiator or heat vent. Also, never leave a lit tree or any other decorative lighting display unattended.

• Do not burn tree branches, treated wood or wrapping paper in a home fireplace.

7. Trying to achieve perfection. Holidays are meant to be fun, so don't stress out about making everything perfect. Remember, you're likely your toughest critic... so be sure to relax, enjoy your family and friends and celebrate the season.

For other helpful design and decorating tips, or to browse the hottest new furniture collections, visit AshleyFurnitureHomeStore.com.

About Ashley Furniture HomeStore
Ashley Furniture HomeStore, the #1 furniture retailer in the United States, delivers furniture and mattresses to customers at over 480 independently owned and operated locations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Japan. Ashley Furniture HomeStore is an exclusive provider of furniture from Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc., the largest furniture manufacturer in the United States. "Like" Ashley Furniture HomeStore on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, or see their design-focused boards on Pinterest.