Meet and greet is a simple strategy to welcome new neighbors into your community or old friends into your home. Whether you live in an established neighborhood of single-family homes or an apartment building, empathy is always the best policy when it comes to those living closest to you, says Peter Post, director of the Emily Post Institute, based in Burlington, Vermont, and great-grandson of the etiquette expert.

"Be welcoming, and treat your neighbors as you like to be treated," he says. "Especially during the holidays, there are opportunities for more formal interactions at parties and open houses, but the casual greetings on the street and over the fence are important, too."

Neighborly introductions have become more informal, since our society has become more casual and mobile. Post says it's acceptable to drop by when introducing yourself to a new neighbor, but don't expect to be invited inside their house or for them to tell you the story of their life.

"It's common sense, but relationships blossom over time," Post says. "When you're meeting new neighbors for the first time, keep it simple. A gift of food with a card of introduction is a warm gesture."

A neighborly mantra for first contact is to keep it sociable and short. The best housewarming gifts are those that are also heartwarming, such as a basket of baked goods, freshly picked vegetables or flowers from your yard, or a bottle of bubbly.

Three years ago, Post and his family bought a second home in a Vero Beach, Florida, neighborhood. "Having a home in Florida is a different experience than living on nearly 30 acres in rural Vermont," he says. "We love Vermont, but a lot of interactions with neighbors are more formal, because of the coordination involved. In Florida, we can walk down the street, or open our garage door, and talk to our neighbors."

The way your home looks to your neighbors leaves a lasting impression and sends a message, no matter where you live, says Rebecca Gray, merchandising vice president of the Omaha-based Hayneedle Inc., a decade-old online home store. "Start by keeping your home neat and tidy," she says. "It doesn't matter if you have a nice wreath on the door if the paint is peeling, or new outdoor furniture if you don't mow the grass."

This time of year, it's easy to spread cheer by the way you decorate your home for the holidays. "The trick is to make your home comfortable and approachable all year long," Gray says. "The way your house looks is an expression of how you live, but that doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of money."

Planters with seasonal flowers and a new welcome mat can work wonders to create curb appeal. Catch a breeze -- or shoot the breeze with neighbors -- by creating welcoming outdoor spaces with Hayneedle's Coral Coast Pleasant Bay Porch Swing ($179.98) or Adirondack Chairs ($199.98) surrounding an Aspen Bronze Fire Pit ($159.98).

"Outdoor spaces are an extension of your home and give neighbors the opportunity to gather in an impromptu and casual way," Gray says. "It's one more way to connect with people."

Post says, above all, be considerate by not pulling the rug out from under neighbors while trying to put out the welcome mat:

-- Don't expect neighbors to have free time to visit. Sometimes, a quick wave is sufficient.

-- Don't offer decorating or landscaping advice.

-- Don't gossip about others in the neighborhood.

-- Don't leave your pet's or children's mess on a neighbor's property.

-- Don't extend an invitation for others to gather regularly on your porch or swim in your pool unless you mean it sincerely.

-- Don't overstep your neighborly relationship by walking into someone's home without ringing the doorbell.

Different communities have varied ways in which people feel neighborly toward each other. A holiday open house or informal neighborhood get-together can help foster a connection to community. "It's very intimate to invite people into your home," Gray says. "But don't be an uptight host, or no one -- including you -- will have a good time."

Post says practicing inclusion is always better than the alternative. "Don't exclude that person you might consider to be a curmudgeonly neighbor from a gathering. He may not choose to show up, but then again, he might surprise you and be delightful," Post says. "And because of the way people are mobile today, there's a greater likelihood that you will not only be the one welcoming a new neighbor, but also be the new neighbor hopefully being welcomed."

In short, a golden neighbor is one that adheres to the Golden Rule. "Your neighbors can become like extended family -- with boundaries, of course," Post says. "Having and being a good neighbor is a part of feeling safe and valued where you live."

Hospitable Habitudes

For free etiquette tips and ideas, subscribe to the Emily Post Institute's monthly newsletter at: EmilyPost.com.

For more ideas on how to make your home neighborly, go to: Hayneedle.com.

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

Exposed plumbing or ductwork, a worn wood-hewn floor and rustic metal tiles can all become the perfect imperfections in a home's design.

Creating a cool warmth inside your home is about having a harmonious relationship between seemingly disparate elements, says Brent Ridge, co-owner with Josh Kilmer-Purcell of the Beekman 1802 brand, which was inspired by their 2007 purchase of the historic Beekman Mansion, a federal-style farmhouse in Sharon Springs, New York.

The key to good design, Ridge says, is to rely on a counterbalance construct, which is detailed in the book "Beekman 1802 Style: The Attraction of Opposites," (2015, Rodale Inc., $40). "Bring light to a dark room. Breathe new life into a tired space," he says. "Bring a refinement to the rustic, or things will just look worn and outdated."

Often, when people are combining households, downsizing or moving into a new home, design and style differences between couples can become readily apparent.

"Opposites attract -- whether it's in personal relationships or design sensibilities," Ridge says. "Mid-century and modern pieces unexpectedly complement the clean federal lines of our house that is more than two centuries old."

The drama of a design point -- and counterpoint -- is evident when you first walk into the Beekman Mansion. A 9-foot zinc-clad table is at home in the 17th-century house and brings reflective light to the center of a dark hallway.

But before digging into the design of a house, it may first be time to dig out and clear away the clutter.

"Most people can't afford to hire a decorator, but, as an exercise, start by removing the items from a room and getting back to basics," Ridge says. "Figure out the things you really love and resist the urge to have everything 'matchy-matchy.'"

Ridge says if you're a collector of something, limit yourself to the best examples of a collection and use those pieces in unexpected ways.

"My grandparents collected Victorian pieces for an antique shop they had in North Carolina," Ridge says. "When I inherited a number of gilded frames, we paired those with folk art pieces from the same Victorian era. The contrast between the showy frames and the simple artwork is a sentimental display that wasn't an expensive design exercise."

Color and light

Style doesn't have to be costly, but you need to have a plan to make a space come together. The introduction of color can be the easiest way to bring life into a space, but not every wall in a room requires the same treatment. "Hang a boldly designed wallpaper or paint an accent color on one wall to create an instant focal point in the room," Ridge says. "If a room is really light, a single dark element can ground it. The opposite is also true: if you have a dark room, lighten it up with pale-colored furniture, candles and reflective metals."

A bright tip to set the mood in a space is to change out light fixtures. A Sputnik-style chandelier in a bedroom of the Beekman Mansion is an out-of-this-world design choice that works for the space. Also, shed light on the task at hand by considering lamps as sculptural elements in a room.

Top to Bottom

A layering effect can also begin on ground level with colorful or graphically dynamic rugs. A floor covering can unify a color theme and set the stage for what's happening in a room. Beekman Kindfolk one-of-a-kind patchwork rugs are an investment at $2,699, but can bring instant warmth and interest to a space.

Home design is looking up as people consider the impact of a room's sixth wall: the ceiling. In many homes, ceilings are blank canvases that can be decoratively painted or papered, creating a unified design aesthetic -- such as a recurring color -- that is pleasing to the eye, from top to bottom.

Upcycle on the Down Low

Only-have-what-you-use and use-what-you-have is a way to pare down and pair design aesthetics. "The internet is filled with ideas about how to repurpose everything from industrial pieces to wooden pallets for use in the home," Ridge says. "If you're drawn to something, don't be afraid to try it out in a space."

A bedroom in the Beekman Mansion rests easy with a pair of outdoor tables as nightstands. The Brimstonia Turn Table ($599) utilizes an industrial iron crank as the post to a side table, while old barnwood beams become the wood of choice for Beekman's Clausen line of furniture.

Ridge says for the ultimate enlivened accessory in a room, bring a bit of the outdoors inside. "Try to bring at least one living thing -- such as a live plant or cut flowers -- into every room," he says. "That organic touch is what brings a room to life."

The Beekman Boys Buys

For design inspiration, go to Shop.Beekman1802.com.

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

Exterior shutters can induce shudders when they are installed incorrectly or neglected near the windows on a home.

Historically, examples of early exterior shutters were pairs of hinged wood pieces, or panels, mounted on either side of a window and made to cover the opening, while providing security and privacy when closed. With the advent of air conditioning and high-efficiency windows using built-in screens, the installation of shutters has moved from functional to decorative, says Laurissa Doonan, the marketing director of Timberlane, Inc., a Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania, company that has been manufacturing custom-made shutters for more than 20 years.

"Shutters have become part of the symmetry and details on a home that add to a house's curb appeal -- when they're installed properly," Doonan says. "Even though most people don't open and close their shutters, the detail of installing the correct shutters on a window is important."

Doonan says the lack of shutter functionality shouldn't compromise its form. The most common mistake is installing an improperly sized shutter for the height and width of the window. While the height of the shutter must be the same size as that of the window casing, the width of each shutter must equal half the size of the inside of the window casing, so that as both shutters are closed, they fill the casing to protect the window.

"Humans are perceptive, and if a shutter is hung incorrectly, it is noticeable. While it might not be readily apparent, if you start to pay attention to the shutters, errors in installation begin to pop out," Doonan says. "Common sense would also dictate that shutters need to match the shape of a window, but all too often you will see a beautifully arched window with narrow, rectangular shutters on either side, and it becomes an almost comical, if not tragic, design misstep."

While people are drawn to the symmetrical design of windows with proper shutters, many homeowners have become less knowledgeable and pay less attention to these details. During the mid-20th-century building boom, contractors began to mount purely decorative shutters directly onto a building's siding, instead of correctly attaching functioning shutters to the window's casing.

But Doonan says for the homeowner with a historical house, or one who pays attention to design details, proper shutters can be the decorative touch on which a home's curb appeal can hang in the balance.

Even though shutters are among the final decorative touches to be installed on the outside of a home, the plan for installation needs to be addressed early on during the design process of a front facade facelift or new construction.

Shutters historically have been built with wood, but they can also be made of metal or low-maintenance synthetic materials, such as vinyl or extruded plastics. While the one-size-fits-most mentality of shutters found in home maintenance stores can cost less than $30 for a pair measuring 31 by 12 inches, these aren't custom-made to fit specific windows.

Doonan says Timberlane's made-to-order shutters cost less than the standard 32-by-60-inch window they surround. A custom cedar pair made-to-order for that window will cost around $450, while a nearly maintenance-free pair made from formed PVC (or polyvinyl chloride) plastic lists around $690.

Seeing how the proper shutters on a home can set yours apart from others on the street helps homeowners get beyond the customized shutter sticker shock, says Doonan. "But, having the proper shutters on windows isn't just for show," she says. "Especially in coastal areas that are prone to storms, having shutters you can close over your windows can actually protect your home. We witnessed that during 'Superstorm Sandy' on the Atlantic coast in 2012."

Just as one shutter size doesn't fit all windows, neither does one shutter style fit all houses:

-- Paneled Shutters. The most conventional, but with many variations ranging from raised to recessed designs.

-- Louvered Shutters. Originally created for ventilation when opened and privacy in homes when closed, these shutters have horizontal slats that can be operable or set in a fixed position. These shutters can also come in the "Bermuda" style, which is hinged from the top and can open and close over a window for maximum sun and storm protection.

-- Stylish Shutters. These are built to emulate the architecture of a home. Board & Batten shutters have a rustic feel, while Mission-style shutters can be at home on a Craftsman or contemporary house. Custom cutouts can personalize panels in shutters to reflect design motifs.

Doonan says shutters can also be built using a combination of panels, louvers and beaded trim with cutouts on the top. Whether or not shutters are used to cover windows, the hinges and hardware -- such as decorative tiebacks and shutter locks -- all add to the authenticity and appearance of these design details. Shutter colors can range from bright to natural hues, matching a home's trim colors or complementing them.

"Shutters can be stately and subdued or really showcase a homeowner's personality with color and style," Doonan says. "We like to refer to shutters as the earrings to a home's windows, knowing that whatever shutters a house wears will make a statement."

Shutter Shy?

Go to Timberlane.com and choose "Selecting the Right Shutter" under the "Our Shutters" tab. You can also upload a picture of the front of your home under "Shutter Snapshot" in the "Resource Center" to virtually try out different shutter styles on your home.

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