5 Tips for Creating a Show-Stopping Christmas Tree

Have you always wanted a tree that brings about a chorus of “ooohs” and “ahhhs” when people enter your home? Below are some tips that can get you headed in the right direction.  Decorating your tree shouldn’t be stressful, but a fun and meaningful activity for the whole family. So grab your hot chocolate, turn on the Christmas carols, and get to trimming that tree.
1. Choose a Color Scheme.
To begin your tree decorating adventure, the first step is deciding on your color scheme. You can go with a more traditional and elegant design, like red and gold, or go for a more contemporary look by using color combinations such as deep purple and lime green, blue and silver, or dark blue, turquoise, and gold.   It’s really up to you based on what colors you prefer, but once you choose your color palette, try to select all of your tree decorations based on your scheme (except of course for those special ornaments, like Baby’s 1st Christmas, etc).
2. Make Use of Large Ornaments and Bows.

Oversized Ornaments Add Volume to this Valencich Tree

Big bows, flowers, and ornaments are a great way to fill in space and add nice focal points to your tree. For the bows, choose a few different large ribbons and layer them together in different combinations. For the ornaments, use a mix of solids and bulbs with different designs and textures, using varying sizes. This is also where you can add lots of glitter and glam.
3. Light It Up.
The classic white/clear mini-lights will typically best compliment most color schemes, without detracting from the rest of the tree’s décor. If you choose to go with colored lights, you may consider a solid color, such as gold, green, or blue. A general rule of thumb is that you’ll need 300 lights for every foot of your tree’s height. According to Better Homes & Garden, “instead of wrapping the lights around the tree in a maypole style, mentally divide the tree into three triangular sections, from top to bottom, around the tree's cone.” First, plug in the lights and nestle the last bulb on the string at the top of the tree next to the trunk. Then weave the lights back and forth across the triangle until you reach the bottom. Repeat this process for the remaining triangles.

Tree Topper Designed by Blushing Blooms

4. The Tree Topper.
Angel, star, bow…what goes on top? The trend for tree toppers is moving more in the direction of bows, feathers, or eclectic collections of metallic berries, twigs, and shoots. Bows with cascading ribbon make a grand display, or feathers (anywhere from exotic peacock to white plumes) can give your tree a glamorous look. If you’re like me, and it almost doesn’t seem right not to have an angel or star on the top of your tree, there are decorative angels and stars that can keep your tree in style while still holding their symbolic meaning (try Hobby Lobby or Pier 1 for a great assortment of tree toppers). Of course, if you have a tree topper that holds special meaning or a family heirloom, that takes precedence over the design aspect.

"Giftscape" featured in Real Simple magazine

5. Don’t Forget What’s Under the Tree.
Your Christmas presents are an extension of your tree, so try to find wrapping paper that compliments your color scheme. Pick 1 or 2 patterns and a couple solids. There are all sorts of fun ribbons and bows to embellish your packages, and you may even try layering a thin ribbon on top of a thicker ribbon. Angle and lean the boxes to show off their best sides. And don’t forget the tree skirt. If your tree skirt is old and outdated, many home stores have a wide variety of beautiful tree skirts (again we suggest Pier1 or Hobby Lobby).
The most important things about decorating your tree are to enjoy the experience and make it a reflection of your own personal style. These are simply guidelines to help get you inspired, but add your own creativity and flare.
If Christmas tree decorating is just not your forte, go see our friends at Blushing Blooms by Brennen Farlow, and get a fabulous tree with none of the fuss.

Choosing the Right Color Carpet for Your Home

As a kid, if you know Roy G. Biv, you know color.  But as you get older, color isn’t quite so simple anymore, especially when it comes to decorating your home.  In fact, the human eye can distinguish over 6 million different hues!  Oatmeal, Bagel, French Vanilla…no we’re not talking about breakfast items, but color swatches, all of which may appear remarkably similar.   Color can affect the mood, tone, and function of a room, and is usually the most important element in a decorating scheme.  And because color is so important, we want to give you a few pointers that may help in your color selection process, especially when choosing carpet.

First, it’s important to touch on the three general color areas- warm, cool, and neutral.  Warm colors, like orange and red, create a more lively, exciting feeling and emotional response.  Family rooms, kitchens, and casual entertaining areas are the more popular areas to display these colors.  Cool colors, like pale greens and blues, elicit a more restful, serene aura, and are often used in more formal rooms and bedrooms.  Neutral colors, like beige and taupe, actually work both ways because they compliment the other colors in a room, making them an appropriate carpet choice for any room in the house.

When considering the color of carpeting, it is important to look at the room structure itself.  Small, narrow rooms will appear more spacious with a neutral carpet that subtly blends with the wall.  Lighter carpets will also capture more light, adding airiness to the room.  Likewise, a large or disproportioned room can become cozier with a strong color that contrasts the wall.  A well-planned carpet color can enhance the positive features of your room and even make up for some architectural limitations

Now that you have considered your room structure and determined the mood you want your room to set, here are a few tips when selecting your carpet:

• Always examine carpet samples in different lighting.  What may look like a soft cream in fluorescent lighting may look more like a sandy beige in a hallway with a small amount of natural light.  Bring your carpet sample into the room(s) you are having carpeted and examine it in the center of the room, in a dark corner, and against a window.  Also, be sure to view the color in the daytime and at night to get an accurate sense of how the carpet will look under all lighting conditions.
• Avoid matching colors.  A successful decorating plan more often blends colors and tones rather than directly matching them.  Wheat colored carpet, putty colored walls, and antique white ceilings will produce a more visually pleasing flow than having all surfaces the same color beige.
• Be careful with manufacturers’ names for carpet colors.  One manufacturer’s name for a carpet may be substantially different from another manufacturer’s same color name.  Your best bet is to choose a color based on your eye, not the manufacturer’s name for the carpet. 
• Try to think “long-term” when selecting your carpet.  Consider how your preferences may change over time, and ask whether your carpet selection will work with your developing taste in the future.  An impulsive carpet choice can haunt you down the road, while a carefully selected carpet can delight you for years to come.

The selection of carpet color is an integral part of your home’s design strategy.  If color is still a little overwhelming, fear not!   Your Pizazz design consultant can help navigate you through the color selection process and collaborate with you to create a design plan you’ll love.  Visit Pizazz Floors Website for more design advice and ideas.

Coffered Ceilings Add Pizazz to Custom Georgia Office

The next step in our custom Georgia Bulldog office was installed today.   This unique coffered ceiling is made of multiple trim pieces configured in an octagon shape and enhanced with recessed rope lighting.  In case you were wondering…we used 2″x8″ boards for the frame, and the design is composed of 8″ speed base turned upside down, base cap, 5″ crown with a 1 3/4″  reveal for rope lighting,  and clove mold on the bottom and on the ceiling inside the octagon.  The design is finished off with base cap octagon medallions.  The trim pieces will be painted black and the ceiling will be a bold red to continue the Georgia Bulldog theme.

With trim work, the sky is really the limit with the design we can create for your space.  Pizazz Floors specializes in custom design work, so if you can dream it, we can make it a reality.  Check back for more updates as we complete this project, or call us at 678-687-8693 for more information on coffered ceilings and other trim work.

8 Ways to Get Your Home Ready to Sell

1. Plant flowers. You’ve always heard first impressions are the most important.  Well the same holds true with your home.  Pull those weeds, trim those bushes, and plant some flowers!  Flowers can add a pop of color and make your home more appealing from the onset.

2. Limit the number of personal items you have on display. You want buyers to be able to envision themselves in your home, and too many pictures of Grandma Jean or drawings from little Johnny can make that more difficult to do.

3. Paint. A fresh coat of paint can take a drab room and make it beautiful for less than a hundred bucks.  When selling your home, try to stick with neutral, earth tones that will appeal to a wider range of buyers.

4. Make use of ambient lighting. Get rid of any fluorescent or bright lighting and replace with softer, more inviting light.  Make use of your natural light by pulling back curtains or opening blinds, and light a few candles for a calm and warm ambience.

5. Update with home improvements. This of course is a little more costly, but can really enhance your home and pay off in the long run.  The two improvements that yield the highest return on investment are granite countertops and hardwood floors.  Homebuyers see the value in these updates, and they can make your home stand out from comparable houses that are lacking.  If granite and hardwood aren’t in the budget, consider a tile backsplash or adding trim, like crown molding or a chair rail.  These can make a room look grand without even spending a grand!

6. Organize and Clean, Clean, Clean. This one is a given, but nevertheless very important.  Always make sure your home is clean and tidy before a showing, and remove any clutter.  You want potential homebuyers to see the beauty in your home, and unorganized clutter can cover that up and give buyers a sense of anxiety when viewing your home.

7. Change out any outdated light fixtures. Outdated light fixtures can make a room look and feel old and dingy.  This is an affordable and quick update that is especially important in bathrooms, where it’s hard to miss a light fixture that’s been around since the 70’s.

8. Add some indoor plants. Plants are an easy and affordable way to decorate.  They are a great way to fill space, and they add life and color to any room.