Some of us have quite the knack for holiday decorating. It's fluid, almost effortless, instinctive or precisely planned -- and, most of all, it's done early. All the better to kick back by the fire and enjoy, a glass of nutmeg-laced eggnog or wine in hand.

The rest of us need a little jump-start -- especially if we want to change things up a bit. There are plenty of ideas out there -- in magazines, catalogs, retail websites, blogs, home design shows. The downside is with the volume of information and sources, it's difficult to hone in.

But just as it is with all of home design, it's how you put things together that creates a cohesive look and personalizes spaces. The same is true with holiday decor. Follow your instincts. Just a few touches of color and sparkle can elevate the everyday to festive.

Some retailers have made it all a bit easier by grouping ornaments, garlands and even Santas and angels into themes that cover lifestyle or decor trends.

You may wonder how these holiday styles get launched. Michelle Lamb, editor of The Trend Curve, a publication that forecasts home furnishings trends internationally for designers and architects, actually covers Christmasworld, a trade show in Frankfurt, Germany, where trends are shaped much as they are for home furnishings.

What she saw echoed some current design directions, such as layering, which she says makes surfaces look unique. Also texture and dimension, which were expressed in finishes such as gesso, not only in gold but also in white. She looks for glitter to come on even stronger next year, with large-scale gemstones in napkin rings and ornaments.

And get ready for pink in all shades. It already has surfaced in brights, which line up with retro trends. Midtone pinks are making inroads, and pastels are starting to emerge. And surely you've seen a broader range of greens from lime to more olive, mossy and blue greens.

Handcrafted ornaments are being embraced, destined to be treasured, much like the crafts children make. Texture is playing a larger role, for solid design reasons. What stands out in a well-designed all-white interior? Contrasting surfaces, like shiny and matte, some dimension, and layering, which lends depth and creates contrast. Tactile surfaces are welcome, just like cuddly cashmere throws.

Some may never stray from traditional red and green, but it's pretty difficult to not be seduced by some of the cool colors out there. You probably can find ornaments and accents to go with most interiors palettes, from jewel tones to almost neon brights. If you stick with a single hue, repeat it with pillows (seasonal or not), throws and other accessories.

Metallic and other glittery accents are especially glamorous at this time of year. Gold, silver, copper and bronze accents add shine. Mercury glass looks have become staples during the holiday because of their reflective qualities. And anything that glitters or is beaded is especially enchanting with candlelight.

Besides votives, a variety of candlesticks in different shapes and materials can be effectively grouped on mantels, side tables and sideboards.

And live greens and plants lend a special quality, with boughs of balsam, pine or fir, with the added benefit of fresh scent. Paper whites, amaryllis, tulips, orchids and even hydrangeas are alternatives to traditional poinsettias, but even these can be found in colors other than red.

"I like to use a lot of natural green -- magnolia and pine, maybe some holly berries," says New York designer Bunny Williams, who did a holiday collection for Ballard. "(Real) or faux green apples look great tucked into the greenery." And she says even an everyday blue-and-white dinnerware looks beautiful on a table dressed with sparkling gold deer, shimmering hurricanes and tons of mercury glass votives.

Styling your home for the holidays may span the spare to flush, which can suit a huge range of tastes. Take a stairway, for example. A simple bow at the newel post might suffice. Or, one idea from marthastewart.com is to create a garland of current Christmas cards and hang them from the bannister. Then, too, this can be the perfect showcase for some new colorful ornaments, fastened by pretty ribbons. (Try papersource.com for a rainbow of satin and organza ribbons, available for the retailer's fashionable wrapping papers, and beautiful enough for display.)

Wreaths are perhaps the go-to decor for doors and windows, but other attractive options include sprays of greens, enhanced by ornaments and fruit. It's really the perfect DIY: purchasing a plain spray, perhaps dotted with pine cones (most super markets will sell them) and add your own colored orbs, faux or fresh fruit and coordinating ribbon, tied in a loose bow.

Mantelscapes are another obvious place to create ambience, whether or not you have stockings hanging from them. On the Crate and Barrel website, there's a tutorial on how to style a holiday mantel, which dishes three basic tips: Arrange items from high to low (the focal point can be a wreath, a mirror or wall art); group similar items together; mix materials and textures -- try different combinations of burnished metals, glazed ceramics, colored and clear glass and weathered woods. Plus, there are three different illustrated takes that cover classic, modern and casual.

While you may favor a minimal look, that can take on very different interpretations. A rustic setting may feature rough-hewn plank floors or even walls, lots of natural elements like twigs or pine cones.

On the other hand, generally lean interiors with furnishings in straight lines may welcome a bauble or three, as well as a few curves in a modern context. Sparkling ornaments add luster; try pooling a shimmery garland around bowls of ornaments and candles on a console table. Textural notes can help soften crisp edges, like tactile leaves of felt forming a snowy-white wreath or framing a tabletop tree. A bright spot on any color background, it even stands out against white because of its layered fabric and can star in either a contemporary or traditional setting.

If you have a favorite large bowl, whether it's in white porcelain, ruby glass, majolica or Blue Willow, put it to use with a special holiday accent. Spiff it up with snowy-white, gold or silvery pine cones. Or fill it with lemons or clementines. Do the same with smaller bowls, filling them with colorful candies or nuts, paying attention to shape. Aerin Lauder, whose home is featured in the November/December issue of Elle Decor, accessorizes with gold-leaf and gold crystal bowls from her Aerin collection. And she arranges deep red peonies and berry branches in vases, for rich color.

"Most of all," she told the magazine, "it's about tradition and the spirit of the season. I love to create a sense that it is a special time of year."

Just how lavish or low-key you make it is up to you. But there's no doubt that even a small effort to dress will matter, not only to you but your holiday guests.

Orlando Soria, a guest blogger for Crate and Barrel, showed off some of his own holiday decor, punctuated by turquoise on a vintage silver tree, with plenty of packages wrapped in the same scheme.

"Christmas is a great time to re-envision our homes and get excited about decor, says Soria, an interior designer who founded Hommemaker, primarily a site for men who like to make stuff, but really for anyone who enjoys home design.

Think of holiday decorating as a gift for your home, one that gives back, making it inviting for all.

Sources:

-- Ballard Designs, 800-536-7551, www.ballarddesigns.com

-- Crate and Barrel, 800-967-6696, www.crateandbarrel.com

-- Horchow, 877-944-9888, www.horchow.com

-- Neiman Marcus, 888-888-4757, www.neimanmarcus.com

-- Serena & Lily, 866-597-2742, www.serenaandlily.com

-- Wisteria, 800-320-9757, www.wisteria.com

SIDEBAR A

ORNAMENTAL DECOR

The most colorful, patterned and embellished ornaments may beg for solo status, getting free from all the others relegated to the tree. Spotlight a few by hanging them from a chandelier. Or suspend them over a doorway. Glass or translucent spheres seem to glow when the light shines through, say in a window. Or place a collection in a bowl, on a side table or sideboard. Look for wire containers -- vintage or even new ones, such as one shaped like a tree, -- to show off those holiday orbs.

SIDEBAR B

ADD DEPTH TO YOUR HOLIDAY PALETTE

Traditional holiday color schemes and materials have expanded to include many more options than ever before -- like shots of turquoise or regal purple teamed with rich gold. Plus, there's embroidery, beading, texture on textiles, such as Christmas stockings and tree skirts, that offer everything from confetti-like tufts to preppy stripes to retro color combinations and coastal symbols like starfish and coral, which can cozy up urban interiors, too.

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Traditions, memories of past celebrations, loved ones and good times all are tied to the holidays. And it's the home, particularly the table where family and friends gather, that is most evocative. It draws out the warm and fuzzy good feelings of being together, sharing a repast.

Just the thought of turkey and whichever is your favorite Thanksgiving side dish -- sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, green bean casserole, sage and bread stuffing, and of course, pumpkin or pecan pie -- make the mouth water.

The celebratory mood demands something extra special at the table. Customization has been a huge buzzword in home design the past few years. No better time to put your personal stamp on entertaining than by accentuating all those little details that make the home inviting.

No matter what your style or decor, there are plenty of ways to transcend your comfort zone, with a few key ingredients. There's not just one recipe for freshening or spicing up your tabletop decor, and you can make each holiday special by tweaking the table, starting with Thanksgiving, through Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year's.

Texture and layering especially resonate in home furnishings today, and that's certainly true on the table. Solid-colored plates and serveware take on a more artisanal dimension with relief work that adds tone-on-tone pattern that can be flowery or geometric. Embroidered or beaded textiles -- placemats and napkins -- can accentuate color and lend a dressed-up sparkle.

More simple style, less clutter also has been a design mantra. But these are days for abbondanza, or richness and abundance, so the two may be in a bit of conflict. What's perhaps more apparent, at least in multiple magazine spreads, is a mix of high and low -- shiny and matte, metallic and glittery with rough-hewn. Spotted at the October furniture market in High Point, North Carolina, for example, were burlap pillows with rhinestone decorations. This kind of disparate juxtaposition can be highly effective on the table as well.

Of course, it goes without saying that not everything has to match anymore. Bunny Williams, who recently introduced dinnerware for Ballard Designs, says: "I don't own full sets of china. I prefer to create my own uniquely mismatched service. This always results in a more interesting dinner table."

Williams' new patterns do that. One called Melange features a couple of different borders and modern leafy patterns on salad plates. All are in soft greens and apricots, really sort of perfect year-round, but especially fresh on the fall table.

Most people are drawn to the palette of the season -- particularly in the fall when leaves, gourds, pumpkins, even ornamental cabbage evoke rich oranges, reds, golden yellows and aubergines. The nature theme can be expressed on dinnerware, tablecloths, placemats and napkins, and in serving pieces.

More organic motifs and materials seem to have promoted a more relaxed approach as well. When tastemakers like Aerin Lauder show a more playful attitude, like integrating her sons' toy action figures, bowls with seashells or stones on dinner tables with beautiful heirloom pieces from her grandmother Estee, it signals a kind of blessing. She has said that the formal style of entertaining is really fun when you first get married -- "but my tastes have changed, and now I like a more casual mood."

Besides, a mix of vintage dinnerware with contemporary pieces remains a hot trend in tabletop because it creates a more modern ambience. Just adding a single element, such as an accent plate, a showstopping charger or statement serveware, with strategically placed color can make all the difference. And there's always room for a hint of sheen to reflect candlelight.

More glam looks seem especially suited to Hanukkah and Christmas. As we're seeing in home fashions, a bit of shimmer is like magic on fabrics and accessories. It can be low-key or full-out, but still elegant and tasteful. Beads, crystals, sequins or rhinestones decorating placemats, cloths and napkins can provide a gala backdrop for generic white china that will transition to a dressed-up elegance that transcends a particular style.

Metallic finishes also lend a glimmer that may be polished, burnished or matte. A love of gold has been prominent in furnishings, but silver and even copper remain personal favorites for some. One holiday table shown at Pier I Imports keeps a consistent silver theme, from beaded plate chargers to glasses decorated with silvery snowflakes to bowls with ornaments.

London-based designer Kelly Hoppen recently launched a luxury online store (www.kellyhoppen.com) that features her "simple, tactile, luxurious designs." Her signature palette of neutrals includes gray, expressed in zen stoneware, which is beautifully accented with both gold and silver accessories.

As for color, you don't really have to lock in to expected combinations like red and green for Christmas. You might take cues from your own decor. Or choose a hue that you really love and go with it as the base for neutral or patterned plates -- then bring a little bit of it into an adjacent room.

Svitlana Flom, who writes a decor blog called Art de Fete, chose a soft shade of lavender and teamed it with silver for an unconventional holiday tablescape. She called on New York floral designer Olga Gerasimenko, from Blooming Bears, to design three simple pieces that would be an easy DIY with supermarket flowers -- a pair of white globes made up of carnations set into plastic foam; a larger globe blossoming with carnations in white and shades of purple; some white mums, dotted with berry stems of silver brunia and rimmed with white rice flowers. In the living area, which is visible from the table, Flom also picked up the color and popped in some pillows and a throw in complementary hues, and even mixed in books with purple spines to tie in the scheme.

Also, think of serveware as both decorative and functional, like a soup tureen, butter dish, bowl or platter. Artistry has reached a new level, with amazingly realistic hand-painted looks -- some fresco-like, such as turkey and pheasant platters designed in house at Pottery Barn, and whimsical, almost retro looks that are highly graphic, like turkey platters at Crate and Barrel.

No matter what you choose, make it your own. And enjoy the ambience you've created, with your family and friends.

Sources

-- Ballard Designs, 800-536-7551, www.ballarddesigns.com

-- Crate and Barrel, 800-967-6696, www.crateandbarrel.com

-- Kelly Hoppen, +011 44 203 701 9833 in London, www.kellyhoppen.com

-- Kim Seybert, 212-564-7850, www.kimseybert.com; also available at www.neimanmarcus.com

-- Lenox, 800-223-4311, www.lenox.com

-- Napa Style, 866-766-6272, www.napastyle.com

-- Neiman Marcus, 888-888-4757, www.neimanmarcus.com

-- Pier I Imports, 800-245-4595, www.pier1.com

-- Pottery Barn, 888-779-5176, www.potterybarn.com

-- Wisteria, 800-320-9757, www.wisteria.com

SIDEBAR A

POWERS UP PATTERNS

Dressing the table offers plenty of options, from fully covered with a cloth, adorned with a runner (like a throw over a chair), or defining each plate with a placemat.

The choices range from simple homespun materials, like linen and burlap to cotton, velvet and even silks and brocades, to woven materials like rattan. Embellishment with pattern can be a festive accent, whether it's in printing or weaves, as with metallic threads, or embroidered with sequins, rhinestones, crystals and other beads.

Prints are especially fetching this year, more graphic and colorful, partially due to advances in digital printing. So designs can be realistic, retro or stylized.

SIDEBAR B

TABLETOP TAILORED FOR THE SEASON

There are more seasonal choices than ever for tabletop design, even among the expected turkey, pumpkin and Santa tureens.

Some highlight craftsmanship, such as a beautiful lidded butter dish from Pottery Barn, whose top is cast from a real leaf in a burnished gold finish. Others improve on printing, with decal, screened or digitally produced images that reproduce the feel and color of the originals.

(For editorial questions, please contact Universal Uclick at -uueditorial@amuniversal.com)

Do not think for one minute that table lamps are old-fashioned. While overhead cans deliver all-over illumination, pendant lights can be modern and sexy, chandeliers glamorous and elegant, a source closer to where you are sitting or reclining is de rigeur for reading or other tasks that require a close look.

"You definitely want additional sources of light aside from a ceiling fixture," Houston interior designer and popular blogger Paloma Contreras says on a "lighting tricks from the pros" post on the One Kings Lane website. "Bedside lamps are a natural fit. Rely on lamplight more than overhead lighting, and use dimmers whenever possible to set a nice, relaxing mood."

Besides, what do you put on a table? Lamps are not just utilitarian, of course. In fact, the most interesting lamps have personality, driven as much by design as by the kind of lighting they house, which has been morphing away from traditional incandescent bulbs as they are being phased out. This makes them all the more relevant as decorative objects, some even artisanal.

Artists, architects and designers have a history of fashioning lamps. At the end of the 19th century, Emile Galle created magnificent art glass lamps in Art Nouveau style, and they're highly collectible, as are Louis Comfort Tiffany lamps up through the early part of the 20th century. Jean-Michel Frank, a Parisian designer known for his understated but luxurious furniture, especially in the 1930s, designed lighting, as did many architects, such as Eileen Gray. Frank actually teamed up with artist Alberto Giacometti to design a pair of lamps, which this summer fetched $27,500 at a Wright auction.

More playful contemporary styles have been in demand as well. A series of transparent lamps from the Italian company Kartell, some in color with matching shades, display a design spirit similar to the whimsical see-through interpretation of the Louis XV style in Philippe Starck's now iconic ghost chair.

Thankfully, lighting design really has revved up. There's more of a push for creativity in high-end and even more mainstream lamps. As in all furnishings design, fashion also is a catalyst in lamp styles. Seattle-based jewelry designer Shannon Koszyk applied her techniques to lighting design, with a collection for Currey & Co. One of her lamps is a show of sophisticated and edgy goth, a slim rod punctuated almost dead center with a silvery skull. Materials also are crossing over. Skins, from real and faux leather to shagreen (shark), clad lamp bases. Feathers cover lampshades. And the boldness of some fabrics chosen for shades -- large-scale florals, paisleys and geometrics -- won't remind anyone of the darker, more somber embroideries of the Victorian era.

Lamps have always been about size, shape and proportion, just like other interior furnishings. For a long time conversation about shades has been nonexistent. That was due to their generic nature: white, sometimes pleated, predictable styles. Nonconforming shapes, including rectangles, exaggerated drums or even unusual asymmetrical styles, have greatly relieved the monotony and have added to a growing repertoire. One spring introduction from Surya, the Gabby, features a yellow ceramic body with a bold apple-green and white chevron shade.

Animal prints, houndstooth, horizontal stripes, and ikats are some of the surprising patterns that are available in shades today.

Caryn Kinzig, who lives in Philadelphia, and her sister-in-law Sharon Kinzig, who lives in San Francisco, are known for their artistic flourishes -- particularly embroidered or printed or hand-painted fabric lampshades that pick up from base colors, many of which are hand-blown glass in beautiful sheer colors. Their line is sold through the Artful Home catalog (www.artfulhome.com).

The envelope certainly is being pushed, as designers are considering ways to introduce texture, sometimes with surface applications, such as shells (real or ceramic), crystals or three-dimensional pieces, like a lamp by DwellStudio that consists of a trio of gold-leaf urchin shapes stacked on a slender post. Materials also are being coaxed into unconventional forms, stretching lamp bodies into new dimensions. A nautically themed lamp from Shades of Light is crafted from jute over a metal frame, coiling up to its hanging shade.

There are barely there, pencil-thin, skinnier-than-candlestick bases that satisfy minimalists; flat, ribbon profiles; short squat globes in translucent glass; and luminous mercury glass. And there are a range of materials from wood to cork, concrete and metals, sometimes even pierced, as in Moroccan styles that allow light to dance through.

At this time of year, particularly, as daylight fades earlier, there's something about table lamps that adds a warm glow to interiors. Depending on the style, a little bling or sparkle lends a dress-up touch. Some of the glazes used in porcelains also have a sheen or flecks of glittery mica. Metals and leafing (gold, silver or copper) also can add luster and a reflective quality, as do some shades, even in polished nickel.

Many retailing websites offer lighting design tips. On the Ylighting site (www.ylighting.com), for example, there's advice on harnessing the power of your table lamp, by addressing size ("the scale should complement other decorative elements in your space, especially the table it sits on"), layering light ("to accommodate different brightening needs, use table lamps in rooms that have support from other lights, such as ceiling lights") and considering the existing decor, as well as table color ("pale walls and surfaces will reflect the light, while dark colors and wood will absorb it, requiring more light output").

At Shades of Light, which has a brick-and-mortar store in Richmond, Virginia, and a bustling catalog and website business, there's a rich selection of styles. Table lamps are considered an important accessory "not only for ambient or task lighting, but also to enhance the style and colors for the space." Further advice speaks to design styles: "A beautiful crystal, porcelain or brass table lamp will evoke a classic traditional mood, while a metallic, glass or concrete table lamp will set a more sleek modern tone. Coastal themes and materials like driftwood, capiz and pearl shells, coral and bamboo bring a relaxed resort feel. Celebrate the rustic beauty of nature, with table lamps fashioned from materials like horn, wood, rock crystals and branches."

Shades of Light even has an in-depth bulb selector guide, which helps navigate through different shapes, wattages, voltages and types.

In the foyer, a single lamp or a pair might be used on top of a console table. This is a spot where you might have a little fun with color or pattern, particularly with a shade. A shade with texture, embroidery, beading or embellishing with pieces like shells, lends richness and personality.

While a common way to use lamps in the living room or bedroom is as bookends -- one on either side of a sofa or bed -- some designers like to deviate from symmetry by choosing a pair of simpatico but different pieces. They may be united in materials or finish -- say gold leaf or silver metal -- but with different shapes or even different finishes: for example, one in matte and the other in polished. They might even be different heights.

A console at the backside of a sofa or on a chest of drawers may hold one lamp, balanced on the other side with a grouping of framed family photos or sculptural objects.

On a narrow buffet, a more space-saving candlestick lamp with a tall body may serve for accent light. A pair of classical shapes in a vibrant color like coral, for example, can inspire other accents, perhaps a throw neatly folded on an ottoman beneath the table that supports them.

Ultimately and conclusively, lamps can complement a variety of decorating styles. They can be dramatic or quiet, glamorous or homespun, uber scale or petite, skinny or curvy, and even defy conventional forms. They can be simpatico with decor or a strong counterpoint. With so many options, you can layer in an artful, classic or fashion-forward design that will lend fluidity to a wide range of interiors styles.

Sources

-- Artful Home, 877-223-4600, www.artfulhome.com

-- Currey & Co., 877-768-6428, www.curreyco.com

-- Ethan Allen, 888-324-3571, www.ethanallen.com

-- Hudson Valley Lighting, 845-561-0300, www.hudsonvalleylighting.com

-- Kinzig Design Home, 610-322-9383, www.kinzigdesign.com

-- Regina Andrew, 734-250-8042, www.reginaandrew.com

-- Serena & Lily, 866-597-2742, www.serenaandlily.com

-- Surya, 877-275-7847, www.surya.com

-- The Natural Light, 800-331-3898, www.thenaturallight.com

-- YLighting, 866-428-9289, www.ylighting.com

-- Wildwood Lamps, 252-446-3266, www.wildwoodlamps.com

SIDEBAR A

GET YOUR LIGHTING IN SHAPE

New shapes make table lamps anything but mundane. They can add an edge, artistry or a sculptural element in a host of materials and finishes.

SIDEBAR B

BEYOND THE LIGHT

Adding a trending pattern like a chevron, Greek key or Ikat design in a table lamp can bring fresh life to a tired space, according to Shades of Light. No question that color, pattern, embellishment and trims completely shift the aesthetic of the lamp itself, adding another layer of interest.

(For editorial questions, please contact Universal Uclick at -uueditorial@amuniversal.com)