Change is good. And a new year seems to coax list-making aspirations, whether it's to lose weight, exercise, be more productive, get organized, streamline or rethink your home decor.

Well, rethink at least some of it, that is. A top-to-bottom redo probably is cost-prohibitive for most. Extreme makeovers will take more of a time and energy commitment, too, but tackling smaller spaces is so much more doable. Tweaking also is possible with strategic additions and subtractions. Simple things like eliminating clutter or switching out accessories can go a long way.

If possible, consider a different layout, creating an alternative grouping of chairs, floating a sofa or clustering small stools that can double as tables. Paint or wallpaper a wall for a subtle or dramatic difference. Think about small things for big impact -- like hardware on cabinetry or trims on sofas, chairs, pillows or drapery.

From Pinterest to Houzz, most everyone now is weighing in on what will be the hot trends for 2017. What's in? What's out?

Don't get obsessed, because while home design is closer to fashion than ever before, it's still more long-term. So big-ticket investment items must have staying power, which means, at the end of the day, they should fall into the "classic" camp. Save the edgy, shock-and-awe items for the occasional accessories that shake up or amuse.

Those of us who cover international design markets pick up on currents and undercurrents, and forecasters note directions and trends a few years out.

You still can read those lists. But temper your response with what really speaks to you, rather than what's trending. What makes you feel good? Is it a riot of color or a layering of neutral hues with textures and warm metallic accents? Are you missing a single piece of furniture that will make a difference? What do you like -- or dislike -- most about your decor?

As we head into a new cycle of home furnishings, kitchen and bath, and housewares shows, here are some subjects that are on the design radar:

-- Of course, green. Greenery is the Pantone Color Institute's color of the year. We talked about green last spring, when such fresh shades always make sense, with the after-winter longing for regeneration.

"Satisfying our growing desire to rejuvenate, revitalize and unite, Greenery symbolizes the reconnection we seek with nature, one another and a larger purpose," says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.

"Through its reassuring yet assertive vibrancy, Greenery offers us self-assurance and boldness to live life on our own terms, during a time when we are redefining what makes us successful and happy," Eiseman adds.

-- Expect to see green in pattern, as well. Designers at York Wallcoverings and Chella Textiles feel that Greenery is a powerful mood-maker that complements corals, enlivens yellows and balances blues. Whether splashed in whimsical watercolors, set in straight-up stripes or fused into florals and paisleys, their designers say that Greenery sets a welcoming tone, indoors and out.

-- Shades of amethyst. From rich regal purples to violet purples to lavender grays, the hue can be either robust or laid back, but always interesting.

-- And white. Layering shades of white in mixed textures never goes out of style. Ditto for black and white's longevity. Whether it's a modern toile, punchy op art print, geometric pattern (as in a fabulous painted glass table from Sauder), stripes (a small-scale, curvy stone striped pedestal table from Ambella Home Collection). And don't forget blue and white -- another perennial favorite.

-- Performance rules. For years, there has been a growing appreciation for performance fabrics. Companies like Sunbrella and Crypton have been partnering with well-known fabric brands such as Thybony and Kravet. The result? Amazing textures, including chenille and boucle weaves and extraordinary velvets, colors and patterns that most definitely push indoors, as their fade-proof, easy-to-clean and durable attributes especially appeal to families with children and pets -- and just about anyone else who loves a good look with no-fuss and low maintenance.

-- Details make the difference. Hardware can be FUNctional, as an embellishment that totally enhances the design. In modern style, overscale pulls on buffets or dressers are dramatic. Unexpected jewelry-like features, such as in the acorn pulls on Larry Lazlo's acorn chest for Guy Chaddock, look like dangling earrings.

-- Details, part deux. An extra well-edited touch in upholstery makes a noticeable difference. It can be simple, homespun, elegant and lush, but the newer styles are not over the top (as in piles of bullion fringe). Contrasting buttons in tufted back cushions, tape trims that read like striping, contrast welts that define the edges, or even sparkly crystal buttons on a burlap cushion. It may translate as larger scale nailheads, or nailheads in contrasting colors to punctuate. In draperies, it's about ties, unusual borders and bands and decorative modern tassels, all in a modern mode.

-- Handcrafted. Other ornamentation, such as embroidery, is again coming on strong, as is an appreciation for crafted furniture, like Ryan Dart's dimensional functional art tables and chairs.

-- Geometry. Geometric looks definitely make their mark in patterns on wallcoverings, fabrics or tiles. Others, especially circles, can make quite the statement in casegoods, particularly table bases and consoles.

-- 3-D. The extra dimension is surfacing on the fronts of cabinets, on wallcovering, and even in a new look we first saw last year -- an Arte 3-D paper covering the front of cabinetry, from a Roche Bobois collection.

Carved or laser-cut wood and layered metals and woods are another approach. And at the last Cersaie tile show in Bologna, Italy, there were plenty of eye-popping tiles that made flat counterparts simply boring.

-- Masculine notes. From pinstripes to herringbone and plaid, there's a decided input from men's fashion.

Speaking of plaids, they are most definitely having a moment again. At French Heritage, there were full-out traditional Tartans. But more neutral grays seem so right and gender-apropos for all. And there are unexpected color pairings and applications, as at Guy Chaddock, where an open furniture console is "lined" in a fetching colorful plaid.

-- Mixed media. A modern patchwork mixes up metal, wood and upholstery, as in a chair by Bernhardt.

-- Bar stools. They play a huge role in kitchens that spill into breakfast or family rooms, so manufacturers are offering more of a range of interesting designs.

-- Pendant lighting. This option continues to enthrall, especially with newer applications, such as over nightstands next to a bed.

-- Good as gold. Metals such as brass, both shiny and burnished are feeling at home, are continuing to edge into the kitchen and the bath with faucets. Pairing warm and cool metals has never been cozier. There are some who say that copper is over -- just don't tell that to Tom Dixon, whose copper lighting and accessories are iconic.

One or more of these ideas may resonate. Otherwise, there's always next year.

Sources

-- Ambella Home Collection, 877-242-3939, www.ambellahome.com

-- Bernhardt, 828-313-0795, www.bernhardt.com

-- CR Laine, 828-328-1831, www.crlaine.com

-- French Heritage, 800-245-0899, www.frenchheritage.com

-- Guy Chaddock, 855-535-6992, www.chaddockhome.com

-- Hancock & Moore, 828-495-8235, www.hancockandmoore.com

-- Italgraniti, www.italgranitigroup.com

-- Joanna Gaines/Loloi, 972-503-5656, www.loloirugs.com

-- Joe Ruggiero/The MT Company, 336-889-3424, www.themtcompany.com

-- Layla Grayce, 770-599-7896, www.laylagrayce.com

-- Nima Oberoi, Lunares Home, 415-621-0764, ext. 100, www.lunareshome.com

-- Norwalk Furniture, 419-744-3200, www.norwalkfurniture.com

-- Paragon, 800-547-7746, www.paragonpg.com

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

-- Robert James Collection, 619-397-1484, www.robertjamescollection.com

-- Sauder Furniture, 800-523-3987, www.sauder.com

-- Sunbrella, 336-221-2211, www.sunbrella.com

-- TA Theodore Alexander, 336-885-5005, www.theodorealexander.com

-- Universal Furniture, 336-822-8888, www.universalfurniture.com

-- York Wallcoverings, 717-846-4456, www.yorkwall.com

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

Decorating for the holidays or a special occasion embraces embellishment. This is the time for frills that bring those thrills which take us back to childhood, when the shiny or glittery always held a certain magic.

Beads or other surface decorations that glimmer in strands of holiday lights or candlelight can go a long way to making a space special.

From ornaments to Christmas stockings to tree skirts, pillows, throws, table linens, coasters, dinnerware, serving dishes and even drinking glasses, beading has strongly inserted itself into the holiday decorating lexicon in recent years. You'll find it even where you'd least expect it -- perhaps taking a humble homespun fabric out of the ordinary by adding some beads on it. Or working with felt, which might remind some of ornaments your grandmother used to stitch with sequins. Designer Bunny Williams nods to her love of gardening with a sort of nostalgic collection of beaded wool felt ornaments in the shapes of fruits inspired by her own orchard, which she created for Ballard Designs.

While beading lends elegance, it also can evoke whimsy. A set of fancy dog bone ornaments, also at Ballard, is fun and festive because of glittery polka dots.

Beading and dimensional applications of any bling-y ingredients with sparkle are much like jewelry that elevates attire. And fashion also inspires some holiday designs, and their adornment -- a traditional craftsmanship with wide appeal. There's a range in style, shape, type of bead -- which can be clear as crystal, gold, silver or copper metallic, or in colors, matching or contrasting with the surface ornamented. Beads may be applied all over to totally clad a surface, scattered randomly or arranged in a pattern with familiar motifs, such as poinsettias, snowflakes, trees or holly. Any way, beads rule.

Incorporating the sparkly can be dialed up or down, as with any ornamentation. It's effective in strategic placements, perhaps with a dazzling new purchase that strikes your fancy and complements the decorations you cheerfully bring out every holiday season.

Shopping will be inspiration enough, with the sights, sounds and aromatic pine smells of decked-out stores. But even if you shop online, the beauty of glittery products grabs attention, as do inviting headlines, like this one from Z Gallerie: "In celebration of the season, decorate your home with dazzle." Adjectives like "transform" and descriptions like "winter wonderland" evoke the kind of aspirational and romantic scenes we would love to create.

Where to start?

-- Tabletop trees. Especially dramatic when they're graduated in size and displayed in a grouping of, say, three. Some of the prettiest we've seen are soft white, blanketed in "pearls" of different sizes at Horchow. And Suzanne Kasler's tree forms that consist of assembled jewels and strands of beads are fabulous at Ballard Designs.

-- Stockings and tree skirts. When they're well-crafted, these become heirlooms. And many of this year's offerings are out of the ordinary, like the graphic poinsettia beaded stocking on an unexpected ocean blue ground from Horchow, or the modern charcoal-and-white plaid stocking from CB2 that's ever so subtly covered in clear sequins for haute effect.

-- Ornaments, of course. Tuck in just a few evenly spaced sparkling orbs on the tree and they will pop. But ornaments also are fabulous in bowls -- displayed on a console in the foyer, on a side table in the living room, on the buffet or even as part of a centerpiece. Or they can be hung at staggered heights from pretty ribbons in windows.

-- Wreaths and garlands. You'll find some beauties already assembled and appointed with sparkly ornaments or pine cones, but you also can embellish fresh greens or make fabulous the faux you take out of storage. Match the color with some glittery ribbon for a finishing touch.

-- Place mats, napkins and napkin rings. The table is always a spot for showing off. At Z Gallerie, bejeweled chargers are amazing set on beaded runners, and spectacular when put together in a silver and white tableau. Kim Seybert's pretty pearl and gold napkin rings would be lovely on a snowy white table accented with gold.

-- Glassware. Cocktail glasses, such as martinis and flutes, are especially good candidates for fancy metallic touches, and some designers have extended the dress-up to pitchers as well. Kim Seybert's paillette pitcher at Barneys is straight out of haute couture, with references to paillette-encrusted evening ware with its inspired placement of such lookalike "beads" at the base.

-- Pillows and throws. Seasonal pillows are irresistible when they're dressed with crystals, as in a fetching red velvet adorned with a graphic scrolled image of a Christmas tree, from Horchow. But any beaded or metallic touches will dress a sofa or chair, with pillows or even bead-bordered throws that lend a luxe accent.

-- Tree toppers. Angels or stars are like little beacons when they shine on top of a tree.

-- Wrapping packages. Ribbons and papers also have been getting a royal treatment, with all-over glitter and dimensional decorations. Richly embellished ribbons are especially best on solid-color papers, which also can have a bit of sheen. Stacked presents will never look better beneath the tree.

-- Globes. And who isn't enchanted by snow globes? Even these are treated glamorously with toppings of beads outside and in, as a trumpeting gold angel is sprinkled with shimmery dust in a snow globe from Neiman Marcus.

Even though decorating trends wane and wax with regard to ornamentation, no matter how minimal or streamlined forms and fabrics may be, this is the time of year when the brightest and most festive shine -- and set an elegant and ebullient mood going into the new year.

Sources

-- Anthropologie, 800-309-2500, www.anthropologie.com

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

-- Barneys New York, 888-222-7639, www.barneys.com

-- CB2, 800-606-6252, www.cb2.com

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

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

-- Kim Seybert, 877-564-7850, www.kimseybert.com

-- Pier 1 Imports, 800-245-4595, www.pier1.com

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

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

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

As the holiday entertaining calendar unfolds and stepped up demands are made on the table, thoughts turn to menus, prep and presentation.

Make styling the seasonal table fun, not stressful, especially with a little tweaking of what has worked in the past. Whether you go all homespun, boho, bold and bright, glittery, or mix it up with an eclectic look that's casually elegant and chic, there's a lot of latitude for table dressing in the context of your own home's decor.

And there are plenty of style choices. Even if you opt for the tried-and-true, traditional table settings that might include heirloom china -- pieces held dear by grandmothers, moms or favorite aunts -- there's always room for a fresh ingredient, just as there is for a new recipe.

Retailers (both brick and mortar and online) have streamlined the shopping process by expanding all categories of entertaining, with thematic options for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas, as well as glamorous offerings that can serve New Year's Day and other more formal events year round. As you navigate, you're likely to see recurring themes. Choosing some key pieces -- salad plates, serving bowls and serveware, place mats, napkin rings -- can add just the spark you need to freshen up the table.

Take cues from popular blogs and from retailer websites, such as Crate and Barrel, which advises creating "a curated, collected look instead of going matchy-matchy." Also, "celebrate contrasts like shiny and matte, metallic with rough hewn." These also are trends in home decor, and they span a wide range of decorating styles.

Table decorations really spring to life with an artful presentation of fruit and produce of the season. Real Simple magazine says that it just takes a trip to the farmer's market or grocery store to create the bountiful look shown in its current issue: red apples, pomegranates, green and red grapes, fancy pumpkins or squash, acorns, purple cauliflower -- "in a loosely undulating line." The beauty of such a riot of colors is its permission to "pair with any mismatched patterned dishes you have on hand for an easygoing vibe."

Celebrate the season. It's always exciting to see what's new in seasonal motifs, just as it is to check out the latest ornaments and lights for the holidays. Some of the obvious symbols of autumn, winter and the holidays -- leaves, pumpkins, turkeys, Pilgrims, Hanukkah menorahs, stars of David, reindeer, trees, angels, nutcrackers and snowflakes -- have become signature looks for some china companies. Each year, new painterly or graphic imagery lends an artisanal element, which always is appealing because of the handcrafted look.

Some images are more like sketches, often whimsical and sometimes childlike. The trend of scripted messages hasn't faded, either, with simple directives. Earthenware appetizer plates decorated with pumpkins, feathers, acorns and leaves from Pier I each display a different message: "Grateful Hearts," "Gather Together," "Count Your Blessings," "Always Be Grateful."

Add a pop of color. It's so easy to layer in your fave hue or those of the season -- autumnal orange, aubergine, gold and berry tones, red and green, or blue and silver, -- especially on neutral tables, which really can add life. Stretching the boundaries of the traditional can be exciting, too (like hot pink and a more citrus-y green, or coral and olive, or different shades of blue, such as teal and turquoise. Colors can explode in a centerpiece of fresh flowers or fruit -- or on a tablecloth, or the napkins (also the perfect spot for layering in patterns). Introduce modern patterns or unexpected colors, as in a beautiful fresh paisley print table runner in apricot and rusty red on a natural linen ground from Pottery Barn that will make the table memorable. Plaids in different scales are again gaining traction, and you'll find them in both red and autumnal blends on linens, serveware and plates, with borders or allover patterns. Consider the colors of the foods you serve and imagine how those hues, along with the tabletop pieces, will be integrated.

Adorn with a touch of beads and bling. Just like baubles you'd wear, beaded accessories are the perfect dress-up touch. They can be subtle -- like "gold dust," a simple thread woven into the fabric of place mats, tablecloths, runners or napkins. Or a little beading on place mats -- borders or allover -- that catches the candlelight. The glow from mercury glass candles, crystal or a mirrored place mat can add a dazzling element. Another idea to consider: strands of LED lights. Tiny bulbs or stars snaking down the center of the table bring their own magic and sparkle.

Turn to a classic: White. A universal favorite for dinnerware and serving pieces, white is pristine and so versatile. Just as in decor, white on white, especially defined by shape and texture, can be very elegant, particularly when teamed with metallic accents. Embossing and scalloped edges add a bit of a flourish, but simple, streamlined round or square shapes have a modern appeal. Many themed salad plates and serveware have a white ground, so they lend themselves well to mixing.

Complement with gold, copper, silver. Weaving metallics into the tabletop lends warmth and shine. It's a natural adjunct to home furnishings trends, where the metals especially stand out as accent pieces. Mottling, relief and hammering lend texture. Flatware, serving dishes, charger plates and candlesticks also are prime candidates. Don't forget glassware. There's a wide range of metallic embellishment, from swirls to polka dots, stripes to geometrics on glass. The lush add-on can be dressed up or down, with formal or casual dinnerware.

Decorate with natural elements. Riffing off the outdoor landscape or some of the imagery on plates, go for real pumpkins, gourds, evergreens, berry branches or well-crafted facsimiles in wood, resin or glass. Wood and wood grains are especially popular elements of home decor, and they're showing up in chunky charger plates (at Ballard Designs, where the mango wood pieces stand 1 3/4 inches tall and have bark edges), and faux bois patterns in fabric.

Make it your own. Create a personal connection -- salt and pepper shakers or a gravy boat that once graced your grandmother's table; pieces handcrafted by your children; a small collection of pottery gathered from travels; personalized place cards; family photos from previous holidays in decorative frames that are part of the centerpiece or on a dining room sideboard.

The inviting table, as well as the aromas of good food, will seduce all family and friends to gather around. And the visual feast will long be remembered.

Sources

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

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

-- Gump's, 800-284-8677, www.gumps.com

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

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

-- Williams-Sonoma, 877-812-6235, www.williamssonoma.com

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

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Keeping It Clean

Napkin rings have come into their own -- jewelry for all sorts of napkins, from humble linen to fancy silks. And like jewelry, they range from earthy to woodsy to gilded to beaded looks. And they're no longer ring-shaped. From feathers to miniature pumpkins, candy canes to chunky stones and crystals, they have become much more dimensional, adding shape and texture as well as sparkle to the table.

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