• Home Holiday Guide • Home Front archive • Furnishings & Design Section • Home & Garden Section • Garden & Patio Section • Talk: Home message boards • Live Online Transcripts • Subscribe to washingtonpost.com e-mail newsletters • mywashingtonpost. com -- customized news, traffic, weather and more

With the holidays approaching, find out how to decorate your home -- from the traditional to the latest contemporary touches. From mistletoe and wreaths to special place settings, the Post Home staff offers frugal tips -- no matter what your budget or tradition -- to create your special and cozy home for the holidays.

Every week, the Post Home staff talks about various ways to improve your home. Find out easy tips to fix up your home, what the new home trends are, upcoming antique shows and how to re-upholster your furniture.

Ask the Washington Post Home staff -- about these and anything and everything related to home and garden.

Home & Garden: This week on Home Front, the Home section staff takes your questions on fixing up your home and decorating. On The Garden Plot Nov. 29, Post Garden Editor Adrian Higgins will talk about making the most of your garden during the winter months.

The transcript follows.

Washington Post Home staff: Hi Everyone. The Home Team has been out scouting holiday trends and enjoying the fabulous weather. Send in your questions and let's roll!

North Pole: Hi guys --

Alright, I LOVE the look of a single candle in each window at holiday time -- however, I don't get to enjoy the look in my own house, because obviously, when I arrive home from work, I have to run around and plug them all in. I've seen these "light sensor" candles at Restoration Hardware, and I've also seen ones with built in timers (e.g., they are on for six hours every night). I don't know which one would work better and was wondering what you would recommend so that my house can cheerily greet me all December long. My concern with the light sensor is that if I turn on a light inside the house, the sensor will indicate that it's light out and turn off the candle. Any experience?

Washington Post Home staff: Dear North Pole. We don't like to run around unplugging candles either but Tina Ntonados, a sales associate at Alexandria's Restoration Hardware insists that their light sensor Britton Rose" candles are a great solution unless you have extremely BRIGHT lights that turn on by automatic timer. Restoration Hardware's look nice, too. They have a pewter base.

Washington, D.C.: Loved seeing the Vice President's house. I bet it will look beautiful at Christmas. What color ornaments will they be using?

Washington Post Home staff: Dear Washington

Good question. Mrs. Cheney told me that she loves green - specifically- celadon but she didn't mention the color of their Christmas decorations. However, their decorator, Frank Randolph, whose favorite color is known to be white, said that the decorations at the veep's place would be extremely low-key. There will be no Christopher Radko, he said, and the tree is probably going to be decorated with multiples of one "very simple ornament." eewoulg,ph,olphmdsnqhat s,

Washington: What kind of flower arrangements do the Cheneys like? The only flowers I saw were white orchids which looked as sparse as the house. Shouldn't they have something a little more lavish looking?

Washington Post Home staff: Dear D.C. May we point out that the Cheneys are from Wyoming and retain a pared down frontier sensibility. Fussy, they ain't. When we visited the house last week, the "arrangements" looked fab and guess what they were? A simple white rectangular planter on the living room mantel sprouted bright green grass. (It gets manicured regularly) and they also had a vase of Lucky Bamboo in their sunroom. Personally, we don't think they need Vermeeresque arrangements!

Alexandria, Va.: What are your thoughts on candle colors at Christmas? Is red okay?

Washington Post Home staff: Dear Alexandria. Annie is a big fan of white or cream candles: tapers, votives and the big chunky variety. They provide wonderful light without clashing with all the other holiday colors, Hanukkah, Christmas or Kwanzaa. Patsy, on the other hand, would add silver or gold tapers for the table...but only at Christmas!) Same goes for red or dark green. It's all a matter of personal preference.

Washington, D.C. : Is there any place around here to find those glass Christmas ornaments from the 1940s? I'd like to find some shaped like fruit and hoped one of you would have a great source.

Washington Post Home staff: Annie, the flea queen notes that these beautiful baubles are becoming harder and harder to find and often are fairly beaten up. Start looking for repros. Smith & Hawken and Pottery Barn have some beauties. Tuesday Morning discount overstock stores have some fruit and veggie ornaments at this moment. We also think we've seen them in the Lillian Vernon catalogue as well as at the Nature Co. and department stores like the Hecht Co.

Washinington, D.C.: Where can you find those extra tall candles that they use at the White House? How tall are they, anyway?

Washington Post Home staff: Dear D.C. Our first thought was to go to a Church supply store but lo and behold, we found those incredibly tall, 30 inch tapers in Alexandria at the two Candle Garden stores. A pair of them will set you back $14.95 and they come in a ton of colors including ivory, white, black, gold, burgundy and terra cotta. Alas, the more you buy, the more you will spend because there's no discount for quantity! Their stores are on King Street in Old Town and on Mount Vernon Ave. in Del Ray.

Virginia: What can I do to make my small apartment look holiday-ready? We are buying our (first) Christmas tree--4 feet tall! how cute. But what else can I do to get myself in the holiday mood?

Washington Post Home staff: Dear Va., Annie is big on bowls of single color matte finish balls (they come in great colors and good prices at Kmart.) Patsy starts with a ball of mistletoe placed strategically at the entrance to the living room.
The aforementioned candles...simple tufts of greens (or Holly - alas nandina doesn't hold up) tucked behind picture frames and of course, a wreath on the door, garlands of evergreen and Christmas stockings. Hang them by a window if you don't have a fireplace! Nothing fills a room like Christmas music and don't forget, it's not too late to buy and force some holiday bulbs. We love paperwhite narcissus and especially, Amaryllis. Check out Home Depot or even Safeway and replace the tacky plastic planter with a real terra cotta pot or a glass bowl.

McLean, Va.: I have a nice set of Christmas dishes, and love to use them, but every year it's the same thing--haul them out from the basement, where they're in a box, and then clean them, and then where to store them during the season? It's almost too much of a hassle at times. Other than getting more storage space in the kitchen (not gonna happen), any ideas on how to handle this storage issue?

Washington Post Home staff: What about an armoire? Or, as one holiday decorating enthusiast we just visited did....build a window seat with storage space beneath. You can dedicate it to all those things you don't need the rest of the year. She has cabinet doors down below which make it easy to access but we've also seen lift-up tops on window seats. You could also use a trunk or vintage looking chest as a coffee table and stow them there. To amortise the labor involved, bring them out the day after Thanksgiving and don't feel as though you must put them back until New Years. Ho ho ho.

Arlington, Va.: The veep's tree doesn't sound very personal! How do you decorate your trees? I go for the eclectic look--I love to buy ornaments as souvenirs wherever I travel.

Washington Post Home staff: Hi there Arlington. We have seen some exquisite impersonal trees...personally, ours are filled with old friends and funky things made by children, given by relatives, all of which have great personal meaning. Picking up ornaments on your travels is a great idea because you will always remember your trip!

Annie's husband loves lots and lots of lights so he does the illumination and she is in charge of ornaments. They buy one special one per year. Last year it was a ridiculous looking military chap they dubbed the Prussian general.

Jura's family tree sports baby shoes - her's, her husband's and their son's.
Patsy's kids, who are grown, still laugh when they haul out some ornaments they made as kids...Santas made out of bare wooden clothespins. They're forever immortalized as the Naked Santas.

Washington, D.C.: Is gold "in" for Christmas decorating this year? I have a lot of gold Christmas balls and wanted some good ideas for displaying them someplaces besides the tree.

Washington Post Home staff: Silver and gold are always in, says Jura. You can put Christmas balls in a beautiful bowl or basket on a table or the mantel or in your front hall. Also gold and silver bead garlands (make your own with beads from a craft store like Michael's.
Line them up on your mantel or put them in the fireplace (but don't attempt a roaring fire!)

New York City, N.Y.: I live in an apartment, and would like to put Christmas lights on my porch. There is no good way to run an extension cord out there; are there battery powered outdoor Christmas lights? If they exist, where can I find them?

Washington Post Home staff: Dear N.Y. Try Wallmart or Kmart for battery packs. In Washington, we know they carry them all over the place including Johnson's Flower Centers.

Arlington, Va.: Have any of you ever been to any Washington designers' houses over Christmas? Has anyone ever seen Barry Dixon's house at Christmas time? I'll bet it's beautiful.

Washington Post Home staff: Barry Dixon has a castle like country house that he decorates with trees in EVERY room including all 10 bedrooms. St. Albans has a wonderful Christmas house tour every year in December. It often includes the homes of Washington celebrities and style setters which are beautifully decorated for the season, often by well-known florists.

Georgia: I shop all of the after-Christmas sales, but I would like to know if you know of an inexpensive, but interesting Christmas decoration that I could use to supplement my small Christmas decoration supply. I mostly need help with my tree. I don't have children to make me a constant supply of macaroni ornaments, so my tree looks pretty bare.

I probably have $20 to spend on my tree this year.

I was also wondering how you felt about tree skirts. Are they out of fashion? What else could you use to protect your carpet?

Thanks

Washington Post Home staff: Dear Georgia. We love tree skirts, especially felt. After all, when those needles drop, it's easier to dump them from a single piece than having to vacuum.
We've heard about some really inexpensive ornaments. One woman we know makes her's using antique Christmas cards framed with old tinsel. And Washington designer Mary Douglas Drysdale is painting old light bulbs with pretty Christmas designs and piling them up in bowls.

Chantilly, Va. : I have a lot of colorful Christmas ornaments I've collected over the years. In the wake of September 11, I'm not so sure that an all-out decorating effort is even appropriate for Christmas this year. Do you have any suggestions for decorating that might not look too showy?

Washington Post Home staff: Absolutely not. Don't let the Taliban steal Christmas. We say it's YOUR home, your sanctuary and what's wrong with a little glitz? We can assure you the White House is going ahead with its decorations even though tours have been suspended! Go for it!

Chicago, Ill.: Can you give me some ideas for decorations for a Hanukkah party? I personally don't mind Christmas-y decorations, like wreaths, but my fiance really doesn't like the idea of anything Christmas-y in our home. He's kind of a stickler. I'm just not sure what real Hanukkah decorations would be and I still want a festive atmosphere for our December 15 party! Thanks.

Washington Post Home staff: Shalom Chicago.

Annie sez that since Hanukkah is the festival of lights, this is the perfect time to decorate with candles. In addition to your menorah, bring out lots of royal blue and either silver and/or gold candles. Put lots of white flowers around the house - lilies, freesia and amaryllis. Spray flower pots bright blue, gold or silver and have a couple of latkes for us.

Cheap decorations: I said this last year but repeat it again: origami! Cranes in white and metallic paper would be cheap and beautiful. We used them to decorate table cards at our wedding and they are wonderfully elegant.

Washington Post Home staff: Dear Cheap Decorations. What a fabulous idea! You can buy books on Origami. Check out the crafts section of a bookstore or museum gift shops like the Renwick or the Smithsonians. In these troubled times, Peace Doves would be a welcome addition, too.

Washington, D.C.: How important is a centerpiece at the Thanksgiving table? I don't have a very large table and need the space for food! I prefer to keep the food on the table, so we can gorge ourselves on seconds. Am I socially incorrect if I omit the centerpiece?

Washington Post Home staff: We think it's very important. It's the focal point of your table..even if it's just some fall leaves or some nuts, twigs or a pumpkin shaped tureen. Or try hurricane lamps filled with kumquats and cranberries at either end of the table.

Arlington, Va,: Do you do anything to decorate your kitchens?

Washington Post Home staff: Annie hangs up a string of chili pepper lights in red and green. Buy a small rosemary topiary shaped like a Christmas tree at the supermarket. Or fill a bowl with real red and green peppers.

Washington, D.C.: Will there be a listing in the home section of holiday open house/home tours like the St. Albans tour mentioned earlier?

Washington Post Home staff: The Home section will be running home tour listings in the near future. Stay tuned.

Stateless in Washington, D.C.: I've never really gotten into "theme" trees or Christmas decorations that are all of a set. When my parents were first married 40 years ago, somebody gave them a pair of very nice paper mache Hindu gods. Not knowing what else to do with them they hung them on the Christmas tree. To this day, it's not Christmas until Vishnu is in his proper place of prominence on the front of the tree. Similarly, whenever somebody (one of their children, usually) gave my folks a small animal figurine, it went into the creche set. That means that besides the usual Mary, Joseph and the shepherds worshipping at the manger, there's also an assortment of various breeds of sheep, a mirror and enamel Brahma bull, a horse made out of stray nuts and bolts, and a wax turtle, among others. They have a b&b and have found that guests are just fascinated by it.

Washington Post Home staff: Dear Stateless. What a lovely story! Thanks for sharing.

Westminster, Md.: Dear Home Staff,

Thanks for taking my question. I'm looking for buffet/entertaining tips. I am having 16 people over for a holiday party next monh and have limited space in my home. I don't want people to feel cramped, so I thought doing a buffet style dinner would make it easier for folks to move around. Any tips on set up and how to keep things going? Is there anything you recommend I steer clear of?

Thanks for your help!

Washington Post Home staff: Dear Westminster. Just call up the Washingtonpost.com holiday guide site and you'll see Jura's story on setting up buffets. It was written a while back but the information still holds.

Washington Post Home staff: How we wish we had more time to answer all your questions but we have run out of time! Happy Thanksgiving to all and we'll be seeing you soon! The Home Team

   |      |