Expert tips for outdoor decor

With Thanksgiving so late, the shorter holiday season snuck up on us more quickly than usual. Even Hanukkah is later — beginning Dec. 22 and ending just before New Year.

Whatever you celebrate, it adds up to most of us already falling behind on the season’s to-do list. One glance at the mostly empty yards in the neighborhood after the big decorating weekend seems proof (most Americans start once the Thanksgiving turkey hangover subsides).

So for you last-minute and unfinished decorators (or those annoyingly efficient next-year planners), we share these tips from Coeur d’Alene decorating pro Matt Richardson with Senske Lawn and Tree, followed by a few suggestions of etiquette from other sources — to keep those neighborly relations friendly:

1. Find the focal point.

Stand back to look at your home from a neighbor’s or visitor’s point of view. Is your front porch a stand-out feature, your front door the star of the show? Is there a perfect line of shrubs or a well-shaped tree along the path to welcome guests? Identify your home’s most attractive features and dress them for the holidays with garlands, greenery, and lights.

2. Complete the look.

If you have time, look for ways to enhance other areas of the yard and home to compliment the focal point. Simply outlining windows or rooflines can extend the holiday glow across your home, and subtle hints of color can add interest and depth to your plan.

3. Keep it simple.

Reduce stress and improve results by keeping outdoor displays simple and classic. Too many themes and colors will detract from your focal point and confuse the overall impression. A clean, uncluttered display is more attractive, safer, and more cost-effective.

4. Be aware of your neighbor’s floor plan.

Does their bedroom window back up to the side of your house? Bet they’ll appreciate you asking about lights disturbing them. Better a different decorating plan than a “Deck the Halls” revenge scene.

5. And driveway.

Those inflatable and other big decorations are easy and fun but be careful that the placement doesn’t create a hazard. They may limit visibility of the road or a neighbor’s driveway.

6. All night?

Again, it’s more about the neighbors and being considerate. But even if it doesn’t affect them, to save power and reduce waste, consider putting your lights on a timer or unplugging when you go to bed.

7. They’re not for Valentine’s Day.

General etiquette is to take them down between New Year’s Day and Jan. 6. That’s Three Kings Day, the Epiphany, and end of the 12 days of Christmas, but even if your lights celebrate a different faith this holiday season, the Black-Friday-to-Three-Kings-Day window is the recommended guideline.

“I want my house to be seen from space!” — Buddy Hall, a.k.a. Danny DeVito in “Deck the Halls”

•••

Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network whose garage is filled with clumps of lighting rejects — because she’s married to Clark Griswold (and just as happy as Ellen). Do share your holiday war stories at Sholeh@cdapress.com.