Home For The Holidays - Charlotte NC Holiday - Seasonal Decorating Services

  Home For The Holidays 

in Charlotte, North Carolina 

Home for the holidays. Home - what does that mean to you during the holidays?  Tonia Mosteller, Charlotte, N.C. Holiday and Seasonal Decorator plans all year for her seasonal and holiday decorating clients. Adding warmth and festive touches to homes and businesses during the seasons and holidays in Charlotte NC and surrounding areas, including SC. 

Christmas in the Mosteller's home, it's filled with love and laughter, and lots of holidays decorations. Tonia starts decorating her home for the holidays in early November, seriously she decorates right after Halloween. Tonia said, it's never too early to start decorating - to feel that beautiful Christmas spirit and the joy that comes from the holidays and change of seasons. Tonia loves holiday decorating and loves Christmas. Okay, she loves decorating, period. Especially, seasonal decorating and Autumn is one of her absolute favorites too. Christmas is more than a word to Tonia, her ability to use her talents and gifts to help others brings her so much joy, because she brings so much joy to others during the holidays.

Riley the famous Happy Dog. Did you hear about his story? Riley's story made local, national, and international news - The Happy Dog - the golden retriever that escaped his fenced in yard and ran to doggie daycare. Tonia's best friend, her shadow, and she was Riley's human, his mom. A love that will always be and never broken, not even when Riley crossed over the Rainbow bridge in May. They spent 10 1/2 years creating Christmas memories together, and I know she and her family will cherish them always. Although, the holidays will be different for them this year, Riley will be a pawprint on their hearts. 

So when you are thinking about this coming holiday, and thinking about how to decorate your home for the holidays....think about what your home means to you during the holidays and Christmas. And if you need help decorating your home, give Tonia a jingle. Tonia will schedule a free in-home holiday decorating consult and customize a holiday package to fit your needs and budget. She has over 20 years of experience decorating homes and businesses for all the seasons and holidays. Tonia's vision of the holidays and decorating started when she was 6 years old, drawing homes and family rooms during the holidays - with Christmas trees, garlands, decorations, lights, wreaths, and family gathered around the tree, celebrating Christmas and the holidays together, as they are all home for the holidays. Tonia's passionate about the holidays and decorating homes and businesses throughout North and South Carolina. 

Tips To Preserve Fall Pumpkins and Gourds For Your Autumn Decor

How To Preserve Fall Pumpkins And Gourds  

Hello all, I spent my Monday soaking these cuties - pumpkins and gourds in a bubble bath. You know living in the South, our Fall temps can differ from sweaters and boots one day to shorts and flip flops on another day. Do you want to preserve your pumpkins and gourds even longer?  

No one likes to see their Fall decorations become mush before Halloween. 

For years I’ve always sprayed my pumpkins and gourds with a matte sealer before placing them into my Fall décor and it definitely works. However, I heard about this formula from a local farmer recently and I’ve researched it too. So, I thought let’s try this step in addition to spraying them. I want my pumpkins and gourds to last, and especially my clients pumpkins and gourds to last the entire Fall season without them turning to mush. Hey, they may even last till Christmas!  I’ll keep you posted! 

So these pumpkins and gourds are getting a nice bubble bath today.  Y’all, I’ve been told it works! And if it doesn’t, at least they are clean to display in your Fall décor. Doesn't hurt to try it. 

How to Preserve Pumpkins & Gourds:

*Prepare a mixture of bleach, cold water and Dawn or a dish soap of your choice. 

(One gallon water, 2 T. bleach and a squirt of dish soap.)

*Soak real gourds and pumpkins stem down to keep them from bobbing out of the water, soak for 15 to 30 minutes. Use a tub, laundry tub, outdoor sink or even your kitchen sink.

Rinse and dry well. 

*Before adding to your decor, it’s optional to give your pumpkins a quick coat of spray matte sealer. It helps preserve them even longer and it works! 

***Do not eat pumpkins and gourds after soaking them in a bleach bath and spraying them. Also, wear gloves to protect your hands anytime you are working with bleach and sprays. 

Happy Fall Y’all!   

Decorating Homes For The Holidays Charlotte NC-SC

Home Decorating in Charlotte NC for the holidays.
During autumn, temperatures fall, days shorten and holidays are approaching, bringing the need to get our homes decorated for the holidays and get organized. Maybe this is why we associate the coming of the season with more family time and wool clothing, rugs, and upholstery keep us warm, as do sweater-knit throws. It's such a busy time of year for us all, we gather our menus, our guest list, Christmas list, mailing out Christmas cards, decorating our homes, shopping and make travel arrangements to celebrate the holidays with our family and friends.

We all know that fireplaces in a room is considered to be a focal point and is a wonderful place to decorate the mantels for the holiday season. A few decorative additions like the magnolia branches on the mantle and the subtle use of branch motifs help change this space from a well appointed room, to a favorably seasonal one. I mentioned in another post mother nature is great source to get decorating materials and is budget friendly because it is free (most of the time). Look at the picture above by adding pine branches, running cedar, green apples and pine-cones you transform this mantel to a beautiful and natural mantel for theholiday season without spending tons of money to decorate. Fire screens protect our homes from any stray embers that spark, and should complement the fireplace, both in style and in scale. A good quality leather chair is a bonus, but any chair that is snug and welcoming can be used, changing the current color to a seasonal hue is easy to do with slip-covers. Add a fluffy pillow and a soft throw into the mix, set it in front of a warm fireplace, and snooze your Sunday away. A cozy fire and soft textiles are essential to autumn nap taking especially after having your holiday feast.

Most people have fond childhood memories of making cookies and having hot chocolate with their parents or siblings during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, so it's no wonder we try in many different ways to recreate these feelings every year. Candles should have spicy or bakery style scents, and simple shapes, what a wonderful way to add a nice fragrance in your home for during the holiday season. Accessories can be as sleek or as artistic as your memories recall them to be, bring out your favorite past holiday family pictures and have them displayed through out your home. I like to add them under a glass table top (this could be a side table, dining table, entrance table or coffee table) displaying events from Thanksgiving through New Years, I make them all black and white matte and cluster them on the table top and gently place the glass top on them. This is a personal, family filled season, so don't let traditional design rules dictate all of your decisions, listen to your heart and create beautiful rooms that fit the lifestyle of your family. Most importantly create beautiful memories with your family and friends.

Home Decorating in Charlotte NC for the holidays. 

We schedule holiday decorating installations between 

November 1st and December 20. 

Blessings and Smiles,

Tonia Mosteller

704.651.8878

Owner/Founder of:

Innovative Interiors

& Innovative Interiors Holiday Decorating



tonia.ihdecorating@gmail.com

Charlotte NC Company providing Affordable Interior Room Redesign - Interior Design - Real Estate Home Staging - Holiday Decorating - Event Decorating to Charlotte NC -SC and surrounding counties.

Photos courtesy of BHG.com

Holiday Decorating Can Be Easy And Budget Friendly!

Holiday Decorating can be easy and budget friendly!

Wreaths, mantel decor, garlands, and centerpieces set the stage 

for your holiday haven from Halloween through Christmas. 

Let's talk about decorating the fireplace mantel. The fireplace is central to many Christmas celebrations. For any number of homes, it’s the point of entry for Santa and so the mantle deserves very special treatment at this time of year.

To do so, begin by clearing it of its year-round objects. They will return in January but for now, the mantle should be bared so that you can fill it with Christmas cheer.

Swags and Lights

The most obvious choice for the mantle is to run a swag of greenery along the edge so that it loops down slightly. You can buy imitation mantle greenery that works very well. Some is festooned with holly berries or pine cones. Others are entwined with lights.

If you opt for the garlands with the lights, make sure there is a socket nearby so that you don’t have to string extension cords all over the living room. 

*Make sure nothing flammable drapes too low from the mantle.

Bring Nature Inside

It’s also fun to gather boughs from evergreens growing in your own yard or ask a neighbor if you can have a few clippings.  Layer the boughs on the mantle, so that the ends are camouflaged. Be generous so that the greenery makes a statement.

Alternatively, put the greens in five or six small glass vases and line them up on the mantle. Flank them with white, red, or green candles. Decorate the greenery with small, bright Christmas ornaments.

Festive Colorful Balls and Candles...great combination!

Glass or crystal bowls filled with colorful glass Christmas balls are lovely. Intersperse them with tapers in glass and watch the “light show” when the candlelight bounces off the balls and glass bowls.

An array of colorful candles is another delightful way to decorate the mantle. These can be pillar candles in glass containers or set on pretty saucers, matched with tapers in candlesticks. Check out your local stores such as; Target, Family Dollar, Wal-Mart, Homegoods, and TJMaxx for some great buys on candles!

*Also flame-less candles are wonderful to use, you can find them unscented or scented. They are wonderful to work with because you can leave them unattended, and use them in decorations that you normally can't place real candles in. 

Christmas Tree Decorating For The Holidays

 Adding a real Christmas tree to your decor this holiday season? 

Decide Where to Place the Tree - Avoid placing your tree near a heat source (sunny windows, radiators, heating vents, and fireplaces). Try to keep the tree out of high traffic areas where it might be bumped or overturned, or where someone might trip on light cords. 

Measure Twice - Before you go shopping or hunting for that "perfect tree," you'll need to decide where it will fit in your home. See placement tips above, but once a spot is chosen be sure to measure BOTH the ceiling height and the width of that space.  Also, measure your tree stand to determine the maximum diameter of the tree trunk you can use in it. Finally, measure the height of your tree stand as well as the height of your treetop decoration. Use all these measurements to determine the perfect height and width of the tree you'll select for your home. Don't forget to write them down and take them with you!

Take a Tape Measure - Take the tape measure with you when you shop. You'll need it to measure the trees you consider so you don't take home a 7" diameter tree trunk for your 5" diameter stand or a 9 foot tall tree if your ceilings are only 8 feet.

Before Leaving Home - Take heavy gloves to protect your hands, and a tape measure to help select the right size tree. Find an old blanket to protect your car from pine needles and sap. Taketwine or rope to tie it securely to the car (unless you know the tree lot will provide this). Locate a saw so a fresh cut can be made before placing the tree in water. Fill a bucket with lukewarm water so your tree can start drinking water as soon as it gets home and has a fresh cut. Find your tree stand (or determine if you'll need a new one) and set it up. Confirm the maximum tree trunk diameter that will fit into the stand.

Tree Stands - Choose a tree stand that is sturdy and the right size. Pay attention to the size of tree trunk that each stand will accommodate. The taller your tree, the bigger diameter of the trunk. If you have a tall, wide room, be sure to get a large stand for the large tree you'll select. If you'll put your tree on a table, a smaller stand will work fine. Look for tree stand models that hold lot of water. You'll spend less time refilling the water pan throughout the season. Get a stand that is easily adjustable so the tree can be leveled. 

Choosing a Tree - Trees with shorter needles (such as Fraser or Noble Fir) are often easier to decorate than others, as they offer some space between branches for decorations as well as some stronger stems to hold heavier ornaments. Learn more about the many types of Christmas trees and find out the characteristics and uses of each type. 

Space Between Branches - Keep in mind that a tree looks better when the ornaments hang straight. Many trees today are groomed to be lush and full, so aware that ornaments may hang at an angle on these sheered trees. For ornaments to hang straight you'll want a tree with some space between the branches. To test a tree, take an unbreakable ornament with you and hang it on several branches to see if there is room for it to hang straight.

Select a Fresh Tree - How can you tell if a tree is fresh? The needles should look shiny, green, and fresh -- not dry or brown. They should not fall off when you pull on a branch. 

Transporting your Tree - If possible lay the tree inside your car or trunk for the drive home. This will be difficult unless you have a large van or truck. If you drive with the tree on the roof of your car, you must tie it securely to the car. You may want to wrap it in a tarp or old blanket.

Happy Holidays from our home to yours!

Holiday Decorating with COLOR!

Christmas Decorating and Holiday Decorating in Charlotte NC.

Decorating your home in Charlotte NC for Christmas and the holidays. If you love a traditional, old-world Christmas, you probably won't think much about a color scheme for your Christmas decorations. You'll gather together everything with sentimental value in any color, and find just the right place for it and your home and tree will be lovely. But if you're just starting out or want your decorations to compliment your home's decor, you'll find that all your Christmas decorating decisions will be easier if you start out with a specific color scheme.

There are a number of ways you can determine or choose a color scheme you want to follow with your Christmas decorations. Here are a few you can think about.

• Your Home's Color Scheme
  Focus on the colors you have in your home year 'round and select complimentary colors that bring out the seasonal feeling. Here are more ways you can find colors for a Christmas color scheme.  
• Colors from Your Childhood Christmases
  If you have particularly happy memories from Christmas past, try to choose a color theme to enhance that memory. If you loved all the candy canes, choose a red and white color scheme. Did your tree have shiny silver tinsel laid over the boughs? Maybe you'd like a silver glittery color scheme. How about the bubble lights from the 50's and 60's? Choose a color scheme that brings all those colors to mind. 
• A Piece of Fabric
  If you have seen a beautiful fabric that would be spectacular on the center of your dining room table, draw your Christmas colors from the fabric design. Bring the hues into all the rooms for a unified look. 
• A Sentimental Collectible Christmas Decoration
  Were you given a special Christmas decoration from your childhood home? If so, make that the focal point and use the colors from it for your color scheme. I was given a porcelain lighted Christmas tree that we had for years on the table in our entry hall. It's easy to decorate around, of course, but it always has a place of importance. 
• Hues from Your Home
  If your home has warm colors, it would be best to choose golds and reds for decorations rather than icy white and silver. Keep with the feeling of your home for a harmonious decor. 
  
  
  
  Ribbons
  
  
  Almost any Christmas decorating is enhanced by adding ribbons and bows, lots of them. If you find a ribbon that you particularly like, use the colors for the decorating scheme throughout your home. Once you choose a color scheme, it's a good idea to carry the color through all connecting rooms, for a look ofconsistency and harmony. 

Purchase different widths of the same design ribbon so you can use narrower around candlesticks and wider on wreaths and garlands.  There are some general rules to follow when bringing a Christmas (or any seasonal temporary) color scheme into your home. Use ribbons and bows to add color and a holiday mood to garlands, wreaths, mantles, swags, and candlesticks. Learn a simple way to make floral bows to use anywhere in your home. French ribbons with a wired edge cost more than regular soft ribbons, but are a great investment as they can be used year after year. With the wired edges, you can make a perfect bow, arranging the loops and tails any way you like for the best effect.

Be sure to purchase more ribbon than you think you'll need. You may not be able to find more later.

• Harmonize with Your Interior
  If your home is decorated with a contemporary interior of black and white and chrome, don't try to create a rustic space with twigs and birds nests. Focus on the space as it is with silver, white, glitter, and crystals, maintaining the minimalist look.
  On the other hand, if your home is decorated in warm, colorful tones, don't try to make it look sleek and sophisticated with silver and white Christmas decorations. Choose colors from the decorating plan and draw them out for the Christmas decor.
  To summarize, if the space is warm and cozy, choose Christmas decorations in shapes and colors that retain that feeling. If the space is cool and sleek, choose decorations that are also sleek and sophisticated. 

Color evokes strong emotions in people and the colors chosen for a Christmas color scheme might be more important than the items chosen for decorations. Choose the colors you like the most for your Christmas decorating. Choose what will draw your eye and make you feel joyous and festive.

• Transition from Room to Room
  For continuity through your home, coordinate you Christmas decorations from room to room. Don't use silver and white icicles in one room and rustic twigs and calico ornaments in the adjoining room.
  Try to repeat main decorating colors in each room. The decorations don't have to be the same, but bring colors from one room to the next. Try to find some decorations that have several colors in them. Then use one of the main colors in one room, another in an adjoining room, and the third color in the third room. Tie the spaces together with a common garland or decorative ribbons. 
• Use Color to Add Texture
  Even with a monochromatic scheme, it's important to have some texture for interest. A tree decorated with only balls can look boring. Use garlands different finishes on the balls, ribbons, nosegays to add different textures and balance. 
• Warm Colors and Cool Colors
  It's known that certain colors evoke particular feelings. Reds, yellows, and golds are warm colors. Blue, white, and silver are cool colors. If you choose a decorating scheme of snow, you'd probably gravitate towards cool colors. If you're focusing on the cozy feeling of a winter fireplace, you'd choose warm colors. If you live in a climate that's freezing cold, you might want to warm up your interior with warm colors. If you live in a tropical area, you might want to bring the coolness of icicles into your home at this time of year.
  
  Though red, green, gold, and silver are the favorite choices for Christmas colors, almost any hue can create a beautifully decorated home for the holidays.When choosing color combinations, remember that most colors of equal depth and intensity will harmonize with each other. Pastels, for example, mix easily with other pastels such as pink, peach, butter yellow, baby blue, lilac, and mint green.Or the deep jewel tones of navy blue, hunter green, and deep red will also combine well.Most colors, whether pastel or jewel tones, mix well with crystals, white, and ivory. And metallic tones like gold, silver, iron, brass, and pewter look great with almost any color.
  
  Here are some more colors and wonderful color combination for Christmas decorations.
  
• Red and Green
• Red and White
• Green and White
• All White
• Any Color and Gold
• Any Color and White
• Any Color and Silver
• White, Blue, and Silver
• Ivory and Brushed Gold
• Sage Green, Ivory, and Pewter
• Bright Purple, Blue, and Green
• Icy Blue, Lilac, and Silver
• Autumn Tones of Beige, Brown, Golden Yellow, and Rust
• Forest Green, Burgundy, and Gold
• Primary Toy Colors Such as Red, Yellow, and Blue

  Call me today for your Holiday Decorating needs.

Merry Christmas!

Tonia Mosteller

Holiday Decorating Expert, Charlotte NC

704.651.8878

Charlotte NC homes add some holiday cheer with decorating!

Tis the season for holiday decorating in Charlotte NC

Tis the season to add some holiday decorating flare to your

home in Charlotte NC. 

Don't forget to add some fun by your front door. 

Here are a couple of neat ideas to think about.

Do you have an old sled you can bring out from your garage or storage shed?  So when not cruising the snow-covered hills, you can use this wonderful accent piece and embellish it with pine sprigs pinecones, and fruit does double duty as a welcoming decoration next to the front door. Don't forget to add a festive holiday bow at top. Most of all make it your own and create a style that fits your home.

Have you cleaned out your summer pots or urns? Don't store them away, you them to create holiday cheer by your door. This mound of shimmering spheres looks like snowballs just waiting to be thrown. Arranged in an urn beside the , the spheres are plugged into a power strip hidden inside, then stacked and accented with boxwood. You can use all sorts of natural greenery such as boxwood, Christmas tree sprigs and cedar. I like to mix them up when creating festive holiday decor.  Fishing line is a decorator's best friend during the holidays. A single strand of fishing line wrapped around the spheres keeps the stack secure.

Add some holiday charm to your window box....

Are you a bird watcher? If you are like me, I have tons of fearthered friends throughout the winter and they love to visit my window box during the holiday season. Instead of using my normal bird feeders during this time, I like to dress up my window box for my feathered friends. They like to feast on fruity branches and seed heads, including rosehips, red and blue viburnum, golden millet, coneflower, canary grass, and cattail. Top off the display with a small tree-form holly, a weather-worthy birdhouse, and a dish of black sunflowers seeds.Best of all I get an upclose view of mother nature's beauty.

I enjoy decorating my exterior for the holidays as much I as do for the interior of my home. If you have a window box, what better way to add some holiday charm and create a festive decor. Dwarf conifers and other cold-hardy evergreens are available in many forms, colors, and textures. For a holiday-inspired window box, plant small specimens of cedar, cypress, and euonymus in a sturdy, deep box trimmed with white birch branches and garnish with pinecones and arborvitae cuttings. Fill window box with cedar and boxwood boughs, green hypericum berries, and sprigs of baby's breath stuck into a dry block of florist's foam. Protected from direct sun and weather extremes, cut greens can survive throughout the season.

Basket of festive holiday cheer....

OK, you have decorated the interior of your home and maybe you have some leftover holiday ornaments that you can bring outdoors. Make sure they are different sizes. Do you have a wire basket, or be creative and think of something unique. You just need something to hold your Christmas balls. A wire basket filled with greenery and large glass oranments such as Christmas balls, this makes a simple and festive holiday welcome. Place a basket on a table on your porch or by the front door. Use what you have on hand to make your own variation, but choose carefully. Painted ornaments may lose their finish if left out in the rain


Merry Christmas from our home in Charlotte NC, to your home.

Affordable Home & Office Holiday Decorating Charlotte NC - SC

Affordable Home  & Office Holiday Decorating Charlotte NC - SC

Adding a "TWIST" to your HOLIDAY DECORATIONS!

Our Holiday Decorating  ideas work wonders for filling your

home with Holiday Cheer!

We love the Holidays and our Holiday Decorating Professionals reflect our love for the holidays by adding warmth, style, creativity, and festive decorating in your homes or Corporate Holiday Events.

We schedule holiday decorating installations between November 1st and December 20 

Do you have wonderful holiday decorations but not sure how to use them?  Do you have some holiday decorations that have a timeless and personal memory or keepsakes? If you don't have holiday decorations then we will shop for you. Or we will supply a Holiday Decorating Shopping List for you to pick up new holiday decorations based on your personal style. Of course keeping everything affordable and to fit with any budget.

We have several Affordable Holiday Packages and Plans to decorate any home in the Charlotte NC - South Carolina and the surrounding area's.

It's that time of year again. Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, New Year's Eve - all over the world people will gather with their friends and family to celebrate the season with their favorite holiday decorations.

The holidays are a wonderful time of year and we all enjoy having our homes decorated for the holiday season. However we don’t always have the time or the energy that’s needed to create an inviting & festiveatmosphere. Planning a holiday event or party? Are you unsure of where to start or wonder how you will get it done?

Our holiday decorating services can create a simple or elaborate display whether it‘s for your home or acorporate business event function. It can be a stress reliever to enlist the services of a Holiday Interior Decorator. We can create and decorate all kinds of Christmas Trees to; traditional trees, rustic trees,contemporary or modern trees and whimsical trees. Why? Because our Holiday Decorating Professionals utilizes our decorating skills and our creative minds by adding a new twist to your holiday decorations!

Don't have time to do your holiday shopping or gift wrapping? We can do that for you too!

Whatever your holiday gift  wrapping style is, we can do it all!

Our team of professionals will create a customized holiday decorating plan that will enhance the unique features of your home or business. We can use your existing holiday decorations or purchase newdecorations-all according to your budget.

Have Holiday Decorations we can use to decorate your home?

* Home & Corporate Business Holiday Decorating Services * Custom Holiday Decorating Plan * Holiday Home Staging * Decorated Wreaths * Decorated Garlands / Swags * Decorated Staircases * Decorated Christmas Trees * Fireplace Mantels * Front Entrances * Holiday Displays * Holiday Centerpieces * Holiday Shopping * Holiday Gift Wrapping * Holiday Event Decorating * New Years Eve Decorating

Our Holiday Decorating Services are personalized based on your decorating needs for your home orcorporate office event. The possibilities are endless and how much we decorate is up to you.

Do you want to be doing this for the holidays?

 For a lot of people, the months of November and December are filled with STRESS to decorate for holiday parties, their homes and prepare the holiday meals.

You can focus on the meals and

we can focus on holiday decorating! 

Give us a Jingle!

Holiday Decorating Services - NC & SC

Tonia Mosteller

Holiday Interior Home Decorator - Charlotte NC

704.651.8878

Happy Holidays from our homes to yours!
Affordable Holiday decorating, turning your home or office event into a work of art around the holidays in Charlotte NC - and SC Taking the stress away from you by providing beautiful decorated rooms and trees!

We offer all types of Holiday Decorating for Homes, Offices, 

Holiday Seminars and Corporate Holiday Events!