Both Christmas and Hanukkah are associated with lights -- sparkling on trees, illuminating home exteriors, nestled into evergreen garlands, flickering in symbolic candles. But in recent years, there's been much more thought given to holiday decorative lighting with a boost from technology, including the advent of LEDs, and many more design possibilities. A variety of seasonal favorites from trees to reindeer -- even menorahs -- in tabletop to large scale (five or six feet) are being pre-wired for lights.

LED and fiber-optic lights have expanded design options for Christmas decorations, especially outdoors. The more energy-efficient, durable light-emitting diodes may be more expensive up front, but they are longer lasting than incandescent bulbs. They also are brighter, which has made decorating schemes more brilliant and vivid in color.

Add to that battery-powered operation that extends the range and uses of Christmas trees, which were previously tethered to an outlet. In addition, wreaths, mantel garlands, tabletop tableaus, and amazing gift boxes and ornaments are so beautifully lit, they channel professional installations.

You may well notice a new category that covers seasonal lighting on retail websites, emerging from under the umbrella of all that holiday decor. Prices range from under $20 to several hundred dollars.

One particular trend that has really gained traction is that of mini string lights. Restoration Hardware was one of the first to feature the skinny strands of light in glass cloches. The effect is enchanting -- it's reminiscent of fireflies captured in a bottle. Set on a mantel, chest of drawers or sideboard, a glowing vessel dazzles. Add the light strands to bowls or cylinders filled with pine cones, ornaments or glittery tree branches. Or orbs or architectural pieces made of clear, crackled or mercury glass -- it's an easy way to add instant ambience and a romantic touch, like lighted candles.

The more pliable lighted strands also are being used as a decorating tool to outline objects. At a minimum, they can be manipulated into shapes, like giant circles at West Elm that can be incorporated into holiday decor. Or, taking a cue from larger theater-style lights that spell out holiday messages like "joy," they are used to decorate overscale packages at Frontgate, following the outer dimensions of boxes or ribbon ties, or the striping of a pattern -- an effective option for dressing up the front porch or stairs.

Also, dimensional objects like stars are especially dramatic when the scale is oversized.

The light-up trend also has boosted the natural decorating style, which is here to stay as a holiday category (think woodsy, whites, casual) that can be glammed up with metal, crystal or mirrored objects. Star shapes are striking in weathered wood outlined with lights at Pottery Barn, or in birch, whose primitive forms look like paper cutouts that children might make in school projects. Light strands woven through rattan provide an option for unexpected sparkle. In addition, lit birch branches stashed in a tall vase or bucket can illuminate a dark corner, lending a festive touch.

Another captivating application is incorporated into a live or synthetic wreath chandelier; at Terrain, the light strands are woven through, and fall as streamers for a magical touch.

Battery-operated LED lights also provide options for decorating spots that otherwise might be difficult, eliminating the need for outlets, cumbersome electrical cords and the challenge of disguising them so they don't take away from the display. Weave them into garlands swagged across a window or over a doorway, or across the top of a mantel to add a glow to an heirloom creche or seasonal evergreens and ornaments.

Even conventional hanging baskets for the outdoors are being treated to holiday lights. Brookstone sells one ready to hang, its moss-filled metal frame plumped with synthetic evergreens threaded with LED lights.

Color choices are noticeably richer, often with an option for warm or cool white light or multiple colors, with new alternatives such as pink and purple added to the mix. Some can create a sort of light show, covering several hues or offering the option to stay on one color. And at Frontgate and Brookstone, you can purchase remotes to quickly switch on and off.

Any medium that's reflective is especially effective with lights. That's why mercury glass vessels or small Christmas trees or globes, lit from within, are favorites. Now there are also mercury glass light strands, which have a retro look.

Also in the retro vein are theater-style lights with holiday messages. This year, there's a new twist at Pottery Barn. The bulbs outline bronze letters that anchor hooks for Christmas stockings. One especially poignant message: PEACE.

There are plenty of inspiring decorating ideas in home design magazines and blogs, as well as some of the retailer websites. To spruce up your own holiday decor this year, you might consider purchasing some new light strands. Besides the enormous range of unusual shades thanks to LED, there also are a variety of styles beyond just bulbs -- and even those offer a variety in scale and texture.

Perhaps taking a cue from perforated light fixtures and lanterns, there are metal globes in a range of patterns. Some lights are combined with other materials, like a hybrid garland.

With these new lighting options, you can be as subtle or as flamboyant as you wish. Create a tableau of trees as a backdrop to a sofa in a living room. Hang some lighted stars in the windows or from the ceiling in the foyer.

These lights may brighten homes and spirits with good wishes for the holiday season and a wonderful new year -- one filled with love and peace for all.

Sources

-- Baccarat, 800-215-1300, us.baccarat.com/lighting

-- Brookstone, 866-576-7337, www.brookstone.com

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

-- Frontgate, 888-263-9850, www.frontgate.com

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

-- Restoration Hardware, 800-762-1005, www.restorationhardware.com

-- Terrain, 877-583-7724, www.shopterrain.com

-- West Elm, 888-922-4119, www.westelm.com

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

Sidebar

Warm Any Room With Candlelight

The glancing of candlelight across a table and a grouping of votives or larger lanterns is a warm, romantic touch that appeals year-round. During the holidays, there are plenty of ways to ramp up the display.

Choose colorful votive holders in crystal or mercury glass for heightened effect because of their reflectivity. In addition, there are beautifully designed, shimmery Christmas trees that are molded candles with the flames at the tops.

Like old-fashioned little villages that entrance children, there are similar single houses or collections designed to be lit from within, as well as hurricane lamps of metal or porcelain with perforations for making light dance. A crafted quality is appealing.

And finally, there are the no-muss, no-fuss flameless candles, which are amazingly authentic looking, down to their real wax casings, some with gorgeous embellishments, like the white on cobalt damask design available at Brookstone.

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)

Tradition, with a hearty sense of nostalgia, guides so many of us as we get ready to entertain for the holidays. Whether it's giving thanks or sharing a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or cheers for the New Year, the celebrations often center around the table.

And just as you might tweak recipes or ingredients, adding to classical favorites, think about curating your table as well. Just a little freshening up, with an eye to what's new, can add immeasurably to the look, no matter what your style.

To that end, you're likely to identify with one (or more) of several strong trends in home design that correlate to table styles. It's always fun to blend family or vintage pieces with current designs. You might want to add dishes, serving pieces or glasses. Introduce something handcrafted, whether it's with serve ware or something a child has created. It may be part of a focus on accessories or a piece to enhance the dressing of the table -- like a conventional centerpiece.

That dress up, as with clothing, welcomes metal, much like adornment with jewelry. There are plenty of choices for tabletop -- from salt and pepper shakers to napkin rings, chargers or gravy boats. While gold tones are especially hot in home decor this year, silver lends its own cool luster, and copper and rose gold also offer a warm glow.

Whether you opt for drama, luxury or an understated look rooted in natural elements, think about ways to make your presentation special.

On Caroline Roehm's tables, you'll always find beautiful flowers. The former fashion designer, who has a passion for flowers, just released her latest book, "At Home in the Garden" (Potter Style). In September, she styled a magnificent table that celebrated crystal for Maison Baccarat in Paris, in three different palettes for place settings: red, green and plum -- all stunning on white.

Bunny Williams loves the mix of vintage and new, and drew from a collection of early French china pieces for inspiration for her most recent Gold Star collection for Ballard Designs. For Christmas, she likes things sparkly, with glittered reindeer and candles, for example.

"We did different patterns to give it that collected look," says Williams. "It's simple but a little elegant because it has the gold. But you really can use it all the time. After Christmas, you could use it with an Indian bedspread tablecloth to tone it down."

Style-maker, designer and TV personality Courtney Cachet is a huge believer in ramping everything up for the holidays.

"When it comes to setting a fabulous table for the holidays," says Cachet, "one phrase says it all: More is more. Minimalism just does not work here. Think about it. The prettiest, chic tables are always awash in color, depth, flowers, shiny objects and light."

For fall tables, Cachet likes starting off with an off-white base and building on it with a mix of vintage fine porcelain.

"Hermes Chasse Yellow is luxurious," she says, "but still unpretentious when layered with rich hued linens and crystal. Use gold flatware because it's special and everyone will have an 'oooh' moment when seated."

For the unexpected, Cachet suggests mixing in an animal print, "like Ralph Lauren's gorgeous leopard" border on the Hutchinson porcelain, for a casual chic dessert setting. "For Christmas, mix some mismatched vintage red china for an unfussy yet elegant vibe. Florals in rich reds and violets are perfect for winter holidays. Don't be afraid to mix up your dishes. French and Italian hostesses do this frequently with ease, and it's fabulous."

Cachet says she's seeing a return to "unabashed opulence" in home decor, which naturally extends to the table. "What better time to show it than during the holidays? If you have one very beautiful vase, dish or bowl, try to incorporate it onto your table. Beautiful things are useless if they aren't displayed and admired. And send paper invitations and use place cards (she designed a line for www.expressionery.com). In a digital world, this still is a tradition held closely by the most chic hostesses."

Here are just a few tips for setting the holiday table.

-- Simply white. Who doesn't have white dinnerware? And if not, why not? So versatile, it can be dressed up or down, teamed with bold or pastel colors.

-- Colors of the season. An autumnal palette draws guests to the Thanksgiving table, just like the complementary hues of squash, pumpkin, cranberries and the golden brown skin of turkey. Red and green spell Christmas, in poinsettias, candy canes, green boughs, Santas. But you don't have to be locked into only what's expected. Bring a little aubergine in with saffron and persimmon; amethyst or indigo also are vivid additions to the December table that can be very rich and elegant.

One of the settings that Carolyne Roehm designed for the Baccarat Museum in Paris took a cue from plum and cream Picasso calla lilies, which she teamed with floral-patterned porcelain from Bernardaud, Baccarat crystal glassware and charming amethyst butterflies.

-- Natural/rustic. Reclaimed wood, natural linen, greenery and pine cones complete a look that's casual and inviting. The appeal is that it's unfussy. It embraces nature. But it also can stand a touch of glamor or bling as a strong counterpoint.

-- Artisanal. Hand-craftsmanship is so appreciated in everything for the home. So hand-painted dinnerware depicting pumpkins and vegetables really is appreciated, especially with seasonal imagery.

-- Layering. It's especially fun to mix plates and their surrounding elements, and you can totally change up the style by doing so. A place mat of woven rattan or ruby beads might be teamed with a gold or silver charger, then a creamy white dinner plate, and topped with a shimmery metallic glass or patterned salad plate.

-- Seasonal shapes. Iconic symbols like turkeys, pumpkins, Santas, reindeer, angels and nutcrackers have risen above kitsch because many now are artist-drawn. Some have the look of vintage postcards, others possess a more modern vibe, and still others are so graphic, often with an image embedded in the design.

-- Metallic accents. What's great about gold, silver, copper and other metals is that their sparkle elevates the décor. Whether it's a gleaming, polished finish, hammered surface or texture, metals can be woven into tabletop modestly or lushly. Even pumpkins are getting gilded and "silverized." Imagine an all-white table setting. Now picture those white plates sandwiched in between textured gold and silver glass, topped with a napkin that's circled with a pretty gold beaded ring. A table runner sprinkled with fallen snowflakes, embroidered in silver and gold on ivory sateen cotton is an added treat, all thoughtfully put together at Crate and Barrel.

-- Make it your own. Whenever you can personalize, it will add warmth. Get creative -- perhaps starting with your table covering. Tap into unexpected patterns from lengths of fabric doubling as tablecloths. Something playful like stripes or polka dots, or even a shimmery brocade or beaded fabric. It can be beautiful or quirky, and totally reflect you. Your guests will love the personal touch.

Sources

-- Baccarat, 800-215-1300, www.baccarat.com

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

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

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

-- Kim Seybert, 212-564-7850; product available at Neiman Marcus or visit www.kimseybert.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

-- Villeroy & Boch, 212-213-8149, www.villeroy-boch.com

-- William-Sonoma, 877-812-6235, www.williams-sonoma.com

-- Z Gallerie, 800-908-6748, www.zgallerie.com

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)

There's an exciting new artistry underfoot. And the merging of traditional rug weaving with fresh design insights, technology and expanded color palettes has opened the door to an explosion of styles.

With a growing desire for more modern style in home decor, most of the bubbling up has been in the contemporary category. But even the most traditional Oriental patterns have been tweaked to give them a new sensibility. Overdyeing, for example, a technique that applies unconventional hues such as magenta, turquoise, emerald or amethyst to traditional styles, worn or threadbare (often vintage), has been dominant in recent years. The intriguing hybrid particularly caught on with those who appreciate references to the past with a modern twist.

Updating the past also has filtered into flat-weaves, or kilims, with shifts in scale (usually upsized) and unexpected, sometimes fashion-like hues. Of course, there are those designs, like diamonds or checkers, that transcend trend -- especially in black on white or tan. Spanish fashion designer Sybilla added her own signature to a check (with a skinny red border), and to diamonds (with one seemingly random red one in a sea of black) for the Barcelona brand Nanimarquina.

While most rugs ground a room, an exquisite rug elevates it, according to Shea Soucie and Martin Horner, from the Chicago-based interior design firm Soucie Horner Ltd. The two collaborated with third-generation rug purveyor Oscar Isberian on an artisanal collection called SHIIR. Their nuanced rugs, which are crafted in India and Nepal, underscore complex textures and luminescence, achieved with a blending of materials, including cashmere, mohair, silk and linen. Their designs are varied, from Cotswold mosses to vintage mirrors to mushroom caps, and the tag line for the collection is "innovation meets tradition."

One of the more ambitious retail undertakings is Restoration Hardware's collaboration with Ben Soleimani, described as a "rug icon." Indeed, his pedigree is impressive; he's from a fourth-generation family that founded the prestigious Mansour, dealers in the finest antique Persian rugs. Soleimani created a collection that initially featured 400 styles (now 5,000 options), and while his mantra is less is more, there's a lot to appeal to modernists and traditionalists alike. It's clear that his rich background comes into play as a designer, as he's a master of subtleties, tone on tone, texture, with high-low piles. He says his inspirations come from the shape of a tree, the print of a dress, the way clouds form, the stone on an old building, with the age coming through.

Innovation, of course, has been percolating for some time at the high end. One of the first to play with antique motifs is Stephanie Odegard, who, without formal design training, launched a company in 1987 that has become a standard for modernized Tibetan rugs. She claims credit for introducing silk to wool to lend sheen (today, a less expensive option called "viscose" is often is employed by manufacturers). She has developed rugs inspired by batik textiles and those made of felt.

Doris Leslie Blau is another name highly regarded in interior design, one that has been a go-to source for eclectic antique rugs for 45 years. But the company also has stepped up its bespoke category, and among its new modernist designs are horizontally striped Turkish kilims "that follow no rules." As with recent fabric, tile and wallcovering designs, there has been one important catalyst to innovation: computers.

"Computers have given us the ability to easily create graphs and play with a variety of designs transcending cultures and centuries," says Susan Izsak, who has designed rugs for Doris Leslie Blau for the last eight years. "We can accurately transfer or interpret artworks and play with the depth of the texture. The high-low rugs are some of our most popular."

Artists like Madeline Weinrib, who specializes in antique Indian dhurries, also fashions her own. She talked about her process, and segueing from painting to rug design with San Francisco writer Diane Dorrans Saeks: "I had to rethink my technique and my perspective. I trained myself to see from the floor as opposed to the wall, and realizing that it had to exist in dialogue with the decor in the room, that it would have furniture placed on it. I had to work with that. In painting, it's a world of its own. Not rugs."

The sometimes daunting price points for high design can range to tens of thousands of dollars. But there has been a push among rug manufacturers for innovation not only in styling, but also merchandising, even at more mainstream levels, where there are some surprisingly good-looking offerings at just under $1,000. Some retailers are reaching out to textile designers to lend that expertise to rugs, such as Crate and Barrel's recent teaming with London-based Genevieve Bennett. Bennett's collection includes unusual Scottish argyle and African shoowa inspirations in hand-hooked rugs.

So what's trending in rug design?

-- Geometric patterns. While not new, of course, what does stand out is beefier scale, new colorations, overlays and textures. And op-art effects, as in Golran's Lake collection, inspired by artists Yaacov Agam and Victor Vasarely.

-- Graphic pow. An overlapping category shows designs with high contrasts, like the popular zigzag, chevron, wide stripes or dots.

-- Fading away. While this look got traction with overdyed Orientals, it has morphed into other looks that include florals and geometrics with overlays and fades. The fading can be in the weave itself (a stripped-away effect that reveals the warp or foundation) or in the dye -- as in Safavieh's dip-dye rugs, which are patterned, and look like color has just rubbed off. Burn-out effects also are achieved by high-low piles.

-- Dimensional. Those high-low piles underscore tone-on-tone patterns like damasks.

-- Abstract. Art-inspired, some as bold as a Jackson Pollack, others more subtle, like nuanced watercolor imagery that evokes rippling water, space-agey effects or even pixelated, digitized computer-inspired graphics.

-- Overstitched, embroidered. Patricia Urquiola was one of the first to bring this romantic contemporary look: hand-stitching, simple embroidery techniques -- think big cross-stitches on woven rugs. For the Barcelona-based GAN, these design were huge. The trend continues with Charlotte Lancelot's Silai collection. These, of course, are dimensional, but there also are weaves that have a 3-D look.

-- Menswear looks and fabric-inspired textures. We're seeing dapper large-scale plaids and houndstooth as well as jaunty boucle-like tweeds, often in neutral ground, though sometimes punched up with vivid colors.

-- To dye for. Batik looks and other special coloring techniques like space-dying, which lends an ombre-like effect and dimension to yarn, with skeins of two or more colors repeated along the length. The manufacturer Feizy has even introduced space-dyed polyester, a first in the machine-made category, in its Milton collection.

-- A palette of materials. In addition to wool, cotton, silk, saris and synthetics, there is jute, sisal, bamboo, woven leather and suede, as well as hair on hide, which is popular in tile-like patchwork applications.

-- Interesting weaves. Like soumak, it's a braided look. The expansion of colors, styles and techniques is casting rugs in a new spotlight. Designers long have recognized the importance of a rug in an interior.

"A rug truly anchors the room," says Beth Arrowood, creative director of NIBA Collections. An interior designer, Arrowood founded her company as an alternative to customized and in-stock home decor rugs. "It's the best way to begin planning the decor. You can draw inspiration for your design scheme by pulling colors, textures and design influences from the rug. Ideally, after your fixed finishes (floors, tiles, cabinetry, wall paint, wallpaper, lighting fixtures, etc.) are in, you then coordinate with your rug and draw inspiration for the furniture, accessories, window treatments and fabrics."

Chicago designer Julia Buckingham, who this month is launching a line of home accessories with Global Views, says: "The rug is extremely important. It brings the room together. It brings warmth and instantly transforms the look. I place the rug as the last jewel in the crown of each room."

Sources

-- Doris Leslie Blau, 212-586-5511, www.dorisleslieblau.com

-- Feizy, 800-779-0877, www.feizy.com

-- GAN, consult website for U.S. sources, www.gan-rugs.com

-- Global Views, 888-956-0030, www.globalviews.com

-- Golran, through Roche Bobois, 212-980-2574, www.golran.com

-- Jaipur, 888-676-7330, www.jaipurrugs.com

-- Madeline Weinrib, 212-414-5978, www.madelineweinrib.com

-- Nanimarquina, 646-701-7058, www.nanimarquina.com

-- NIBA Collections, 305-573-1355, www.nibacollections.com

-- Nourison, 800-223-1110, www.nourison.com

-- Restoration Hardware, 800-762-1005, www.restorationhardware.com

-- Roche Bobois, 212-980-2574, www.roche-bobois.com

-- Safavieh, 516-945-1900, www.safavieh.com

-- SHIIR, 312-828-0400, www.shiirrugs.com

-- Stark, 844-407-8275, www.starkcarpet.com

-- Stephanie Odegard, 212-586-5511, www.stephanieodegard.com

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)