2019-12-01_Better_Homes_and_Gardens

HOME BETTER LIVING

BY MONIKA BIEGLER EYERS

PHOTOS: (ROOM) SAM ORTIZ, (PORTRAIT) FRANK FRANCES, (BLANKET) JASON DONNELLY, (EUCALYPTUS, MAGNOLIA, ORNAMENTS, STAR) CARSON DOWNING

rin Swift is

passionate

about holiday

decorating.

So much so that the

New York City-based

interiors stylist has

launched the tree-

decorating service

Holiday Workroom.

We’ve got her how-tos

for trimming your tree.

■ (^) CHOOSE A TREE
Erin favors fi r trees for
their fragrance and
says balsam is the most
potent. Freshly cut
trees last the longest,
so get one at a tree
farm or trim the trunk
of one off a tree lot.
“Give it a good shake
to get rid of any loose
needles. That will help
with cleanup,” she says.
If you invest in a faux
tree, Erin advises
looking past naming
conventions (full, slim)
and checking the
actual diameter. For
tight spaces, she likes
the fl atback style from
balsamhill.com.
■ (^) LAYER ON LIGHTS
“As a general rule, I use
100 lights for every
1¹∕2 feet of tree height,”
Erin says. That results in
a well-lit tree with no
dark spots. She prefers
a combo of mini white
lightbulbs and LEDs—
the variety creates
depth—and suggests
wrapping strands
around each branch
for maximum sparkle.
Work from the trunk
out, doubling back at
4 inches from the
branch tip.
■ (^) HANG ORNAMENTS
A unifi ed palette of
ball ornaments in a
variety of sizes is a
sure bet. Erin’s formula
is 10 ornaments per
foot on a tree up to
9 feet tall and 12 to
16 per foot for taller
trees. She includes
clear glass ornaments
to amplify light and
cylindrical ones
where there are large
spaces between
branches. Favored
ornaments go on last
to make sure they have
pride of place.
“Fill small gaps
in real or fake
trees with foliage
like spruce,
magnolia, or
eucalyptus. Floral
water picks
keep them fresh.”
Floral picks,
$3 for 10;
walmart.com ■

E

Stylist Erin Swift is a pro with holiday tinsel and twinkle.

Follow her fail-safe blueprint for a spectacularly decorated tree.

spruce it UP

“Tree skirts are

often overlooked but

add personality.

I’ve used a sheepskin

rug, a Moroccan

wedding blanket,

even a great

knit throw.” Black and

Ivory Throw, $40;

worldmarket.com

December 2019 | Z1

“Mercury glass

ornaments add

texture and

vintage fl air.”

Gold, $10; Silver

Dimpled, $6;

Silver, $6;

pier1.com

“This tree

topper sparkles

under overhead

light.” Silver

Glitter & Jewel

Star, $15

(14" tall); jamali

garden.com

Erin Swift has

decorated trees

based on a

room’s color

scheme, a piece

of art, or a

favorite fl ower,

like these faux

magnolias

spray-painted

gold.