Simple glamour gives the dining room a sophisticated style at 510 Pointe Place, one of five houses on display during the Homes for the Holidays tour this weekend.

(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

INSPIRATION OFFERED DURING HOMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS TOURS

KAMLOOPS – The crew from Portfolio Interiors, yes every single one of them, spent several hours bringing over every last bit of seasonal décor to a Sun Rivers show home on Pointe Place from the store last week and plan to be at the house every day through the end of the week as they prepare one of the five homes that will be showcased in the Homes for the Holidays tour this weekend.

This is year 12 for the Kamloops Homes for the Holidays fundraiser, which benefits the local United Way. The tour runs Saturday, Nov. 23 and Sunday, Nov. 24 and while the daytime showings will reveal a lot of the little details that have been put into the décor the ambience of the evening tour will be hard to beat, according to Portfolio Interiors Manager Kathy Underwood.

This is the first year for Underwood and her crew to actually do the decorating, in previous years they acted as suppliers only, and while there is a lot of time commitment and planning that goes into it she is happy with how things are coming together and to be helping local charities.

At 510 Pointe Place they have focused on different themes in each room but kept everything somewhat understated. From simple elegance and natural décor to fun with the Grinch and a candy-themed dining area the idea was to show how different themes can all function in one home, and how simple and understated can be even more beautiful than the loud, boisterous Christmas décor many of us know.

The other four decorators are not as lucky as Underwood, they will only have a couple days at most to work around a family living in the space. (People can volunteer their home for the tour and then it is decorated by professional designers.) The Point Place house is the only show home on the tour this year and she is thankful to have the extra time and space to play with. She also doesn't have to worry about the exterior décor, landscapers will be coming in to take care of the planters near the entrance.

While getting out to see the Homes for the Holidays tour for inspiration is at the top of the list for getting ready to decorate for the holidays, Underwood offers some other easy tips for getting your home ready.

- Hire a professional.

Yep, that's it, that's all. But barring that option, follow the rest of the tips to help create an inspiring seasonal space.

- Less is more. You almost always need less decoration than you think to give a finished look.
- Except when it comes to light, always add more light. More is always better when it comes to light. (Try not to get the decoration and light tips mixed up, that goes against everything Underwood is trying to help with here.)
- Think outside the box (and big box), use untraditional items to decorate or use items in an unexpected way. Underwood has stayed away from the big box stores all together this season to avoid being influenced by their décor and displays.
- Get outside. Take a look in your backyard and see what could be used to decorate for the holidays-think pine cones, birch branches and bark or maybe even some fresh pine boughs.
- Layer, layer, and layer some more. It will help to create a full scene that will have much more impact than a single gingerbread house stuck in a corner. Use garlands, lights and ribbon to help fill the space when layering.

To contact a reporter for this story, email jstahn@infotelnews.ca, call (250)819-3723 or tweet @JennStahn.

News from © iNFOnews, 2013