Celebrate Christmas with muted colors, nostalgic favorites

Glamour and nostalgia are big headliners for Christmas this year.

At Cardinal Flowers in downtown Gulfport, William Brewer has been preparing the shop for the Christmas season. The florist has long been known for carrying a variety of ornaments and displaying them creatively on trees in the shop.

This year's standout could be a glamorous tree with champagne-colored ornaments paired with gold and creamy colored flowers. The combination evokes luxury but exudes warmth.

"Champagne is like a mixture of silver and gold," Brewer said. "It picks up both. Some like teals and turquoise with it -- not a lot, but some."

In many cases, fashion-forward homeowners are adding just a bit of color to the metallics.

"If they add color, it's just a slight color," Brewer said. "I have a client who has just a touch of that Caribbean blue with hers, a very subtle look."

The more adventurous might try an unexpected combination, such as red with the tropical blue and metallic.

"It's that dark, rich brick red," Brewer noted.

The most traditional combination continues to have a big following, he said.

"We're steady with red and green. The bright green is

hanging on," he said.

Event planner John Folding of Gulfport said Christmas 2015 doesn't have a strong trend.

"Other than the multitude of options in color and style, I'm not sure I'm seeing a trend. Christmas isn't just about red and green anymore. There are color schemes and themes that will suit just about any décor style. I believe that when it comes to decorating for Christmas (and just about any other holiday, except maybe Halloween and Mardi Gras) you should let your decorations enhance your décor, not overwhelm, especially since Christmas décor goes up so early these days. You don't want your home to look like a Christmas store," he said.

Folding also sees a champagne influence.

"I do see a couple of new color palettes and themes popping up. Champagne and the palest of pale lavender make a lovely combination, especially if your home has a coastal feel. The blush of these colors enhances both a lightly rustic interior as well as interiors that are mostly white or ivory. I think designers of Christmas décor are moving away from gooped-up over-the-top decorations that can be somewhat distracting. Many people are looking for a place to rest after a stressful day and paler colors and less bling really help enhance that feeling," he said.

Folding favors customizing Christmas decor to the area or region where you live.

"I can't really identify a favorite for me, but I do love keeping decorations suitable to the climate we live in," he said. "I love garlands of magnolia leaves or gardenia leaves and leave the snowmen for the North! Oh, and I think those puffy white owls are just silly. But you know what, in the end, it isn't really about what I love. Because this time of the year is all about family traditions, it's really more about what makes you happy."

One thing that seems to be making people happy this year is Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang, likely because of "The Peanuts Movie," which arrived in movie theaters this month. Brewer already has seen customers scooping up Christmas items related to the long-popular comic strip characters. It's that connection to childhood -- the nostalgia of Peanuts and the annual tradition of watching "A Charlie Brown Christmas" -- that also could be factors.

"We had the cookie jar and they really like those, and the mugs. It's a whimsical touch to Christmas," Brewer said.

This story was originally published November 21, 2015 at 7:55 PM with the headline "Celebrate Christmas with muted colors, nostalgic favorites ."