6 tips to up your holiday decorating game

If you're going to decorate your house for the holidays, don't just throw up some red and green lights and call it a day. Attention to a few important details can transform your home into an elegant holiday oasis.

The key, as with any home decorating endeavor, is to budget and plan ahead, said Daniel Mattes, a certified lighting consultant with Bright Light Design Center.

"We would always suggest starting with a comprehensive plan," he said. "If they have a plan they can implement it in stages and then end up with a cohesive look at the end as opposed to piecemealing it as they go along."

So before you stroll down the Christmas aisle, take a look at these six ways to add a special touch to your holiday decor.

Think outside the holiday box

Now is a good time to invest in the long-term purchases you've been meaning to make for your home. Treat yourself to something that you will use during the holidays but that will last well beyond it. For many people this is a new dining room light, said Mattes.

Keep it simple

As tempting as it might be to put out every holiday decoration you've ever bought, this can cause the space to look cluttered and haphazardly put together. Instead, spend time thinking about which old decorations you will use and which you want to buy.

Choose a theme

The easiest way to narrow down which decorations you will use and create a cohesive look is to pick a theme. This can be anything from a color scheme, like white and red, to a broader idea like nature.

Start a tradition

Part of creating the perfect holiday look is intangible; it just has to feel right. One way to make your decor meaningful is family traditions. Whether it's designing a mantel piece around your grandmother's antique nutcracker or rotating which of your kids get to place the tree topper, find a way to incorporate happy memories into your annual decorating process.

Create the right ambience

Once you have the decorations in place, it's time to think about atmosphere. Mattes suggests using dimmers to craft an elegant feel perfect for hosting parties.

"Even an inexpensive dimmer, starting at less than $20, can entirely transform a room from task-oriented to black-tie elegant," he said.

Make the exterior inviting

In addition to looking elegant, a well-done holiday exterior will be inviting for guests, Mattes said. Make sure your yard is well-lit in a way that makes it obvious where guests should walk and which door they should enter through.

"It's very common for us to put a little spotlight on the front door itself," he said. "It's very inviting, makes it very clear."

Mattes also said adding window candles can create a simple but sophisticated exterior perfect for welcoming guests.

Other than your family, your home has the best return on an investment. Bright Light Design Center offers Philadelphia the best and brightest when it comes to home lighting and more. Whether you need a Swarovski crystal chandelier or a LED backlit mirror, Bright Light Design Center is dedicated to helping you with any project, large or small as complicated a whole house dimming package or as simple as repairing your mother's antique table lamp.

This post is sponsored by Bright Light Design Center.