"I don't see a great deal of traditional decorating anymore," says interior design consultant Patty Shell of Dexter. "Today's Christmas décor, particularly among young clients, tends to follow the ornate, color-coordinated trend."
The bright array of contemporary holiday decorating is a colorful contrast to the simple efforts of early homesteaders, whose Colonial homes were festooned with nothing more than bouquets of holly or bay leaves.
"Homes that are furnished in the rustic style, seem to most often have the simple, traditional decorations," Shell observes. "Those homes might feature fresh greenery in a galvanized bucket, and the accent ribbons and bows are almost always Tartan plaid or plain red, rather than turquoise, hot pink, or some other trendy color.
"Did you know," Shell asks, "that Sears and Roebuck began selling the first artificial trees in the late 1800s?
"I don't see a lot of live trees in the homes I decorate or tour," observes Shell, "but I know many people still prefer a fresh tree.
"Aluminum trees are definitely making a comeback," Shell says, "however, I have not seen them with the rotating color wheel light like we had back in the early 60s."
Shell laughingly recalls how, as a youngster, she and her siblings begged their mother to forgo the traditional live tree and purchase one of the beautiful new aluminum trees.
"To our surprise, she did, and boy! Did we think that thing was gorgeous!" she says.
While Christmas tree ornaments have been used ever since Victoria and Albert first popularized them, they are not necessarily a standard decoration on contemporary trees.
"Many people still decorate their Christmas tree in the traditional way with ornaments and lights; however, with today's emphasis on streamlining and decluttering, I don't see much sentimentality in many home decorating themes--particularly the tree," she says.
Shell observes, "When you have a great deal of money invested in ornaments and traditional decorations, you cannot afford to completely redo those things each year, but when your primary decorations are ribbons, bows and a tree topper, it is easy to change your décor from year-to-year. Plus," she adds, "you have the benefit of not having boxes and boxes of decorations to store away."
Shell says that in contemporary decorating, the star or angel atop the tree seems to be a thing of the past.
"Today's tree-topper will go along with the decorating theme for that year," she explains. "It might be a Grinch, elves, Frosty's hat, or simply a large, beautiful bow."
Shell says the most popular lighting on trees continues to be miniature white lights.
"While people use multi-colored lights, of course, and even the large retro bulbs are popular again, the lights I see most often are the simple white lights," she says.
Since St. Francis of Assisi staged the first Nativity scene in 1223 on a hillside in Italy, the Nativity has become a standard decoration in many homes during the Christmas season.
"I still see the Nativity used in home decorating," Shell observes, "however, it seems that they are not much used in the outdoor setting -- other than at churches."
She adds that both her granddaughters have a Nativity scene, and it is the first symbol of Christmas that is displayed in their home.
An easy decorating trend that has become popular in the recent years is using holiday throw pillows as accent pieces.
"You can add pillows to a sofa, chair, bench or bed to generate instant holiday accent and interest," she says.
Shell reimagined the interior of her own home, which was built in 1963, and has transformed the 1900-square-foot space into one of functional style and simple sophistication.
"I don't put up a tree anymore," Shell explains, "but I do decorate for Christmas. In fact," she laughs, "I decorate for every season."
Shell says her personal holiday style reflects how she feels about Christmas in general.
"I am pretty traditional when it comes to Christmas," she confesses. "I attach a great deal of sentiment to tradition, and I obtain a great deal of pleasure from my traditions -- even down to the food I serve."
Shell enjoys holiday home tours to help her stay current on popular trends, and because she enjoys seeing the artistry of other decorators.
"I have been on several tours already this holiday season," she says, "and the trends are all pretty universal, regardless of whether it is Springfield or Bloomfield."
Shell adds one good thing about current holiday decorating trends is that it allows people to express themselves in whatever way they choose.
"Back in the day," Shell remembers, "every home was decorated pretty much the same. There would be a tree loaded down with silver or gold garland, ornaments, lights and icicles. A wreath would be on the door, and maybe a candle or two on the mantle or table top."
Shell observes, "Today, your home can be as traditional or as fashion-forward as you choose. It can be effortlessly simple or it can be ornately over-the-top. There is no standard and people are free to unleash their creativity and express themselves through their own unique style."