For serious all-out holiday decor enthusiasts, planning begins well before Thanksgiving. There's a camp that subscribes to ritual, repeating decorations with favorite ornaments, tree toppers and even wreaths styles that have been part of family traditions. Then there are those who view the yearly exercise with an eye for something different, like kooky lime and orange ornaments in unusual shapes.

Jennifer Perkins relates. She is crazy for mod seasonal decorations and shows her love at Christmas with about 100 trees displayed in her Austin, Texas, home. (Many, you might guess, are of the tabletop variety.) The blogger and DIY stylist (www.jenniferperkins.com), who has appeared on HGTV and the DIY Network, is well-known for her craving for color and offbeat takes on holiday decor.

One recent favorite: nearly neon yellow trees in her '60s-inspired living room. It all started with a trip to the Salvation Army last November.

"I fell in love with this floral-printed couch," says Perkins. "It was so goofy, I had to have it. I took out all the furniture and rearranged the whole room, with Christmas trees around that couch, decorating with emerald green ornaments.

"Christmas should be fun and whimsical," she says.

There is nothing like Nat King Cole crooning "The Christmas Song" to give us the warm and fuzzies. But one lyric, "Everyone knows a turkey and some mistletoe/ Help to make the season bright" has new meaning when it comes to today's holiday decor. While the seasonal classic combo of red and green still prevails, though sometimes nuanced to berry and apple green, vivid hues have become a part of the conversation.

Neiman Marcus and Horchow consider modern brights one of five major decor collections to create a holiday haven, describing the look as "fresh, fanciful and full of joy." Brands like Cody Foster and Co., MacKenzie-Childs and Kim Seybert (known for beaded stockings, tree skirts, place mats and table runners) all deliver. At Anthropologie, many of the pop-y colors are embraced in decorations with a handcrafted look. A fluffy pompom wreath composed of colorful yarns is especially dramatic on a vivid coral door.

In addition to more mainstream sources, Pinterest is full of ideas, and posts on blogs and even retail websites feature modern brights as well as candy-colored pastels, some in combinations reminiscent of the macaron palette from the French confectionary Laduree. Perkins actually is a brand ambassador for Treetopia (www.treetopia.com), where you can find yellow, orange, pink, red and blue trees in addition to patterned offerings (candy- and zebra-striped).

Also high on Perkin's list is Glitterville Studios (www.glitterville.com), another rich source for stylish and colorful handcrafted decor by Stephen Brown of Knoxville, Tennessee. You can even purchase his how-to, "Glitterville's Handmade Christmas; A Glittered Guide for Whimsical Crafting!" on Amazon (Andrews McMeel Publishing; $24.99). A set of Brown's patterned hand-painted gift boxes graced the cover of Oprah magazine three years ago. (Full Disclosure: Andrews McMeel Universal is the parent company of both Andrews McMeel Publishing and Andrews McMeel Syndication.)

Kara Whitten also is a cheerleader for brights. Her Austin, Texas, living room tree last year was pink flocked ("It stole my heart") and decked with red-and-white candy-striped ribbon with aqua ornaments. Beneath the tree were packages -- all color coordinated -- wrapped in papers she designed. Her white mantel screams, "Go Big or Go Home!" with a fun display of oversized ornaments in shades of pink and turquoise.

"Every year we do something different," says Whitten, who graduated with a degree in chemical engineering and quit her first post-college job because she couldn't imagine working in a lab for the next 40 years.

During a trip to a fabric store to get a pattern for the wedding dress her grandmother was sewing, she found a cool handbag pattern. She found her inner artist, launched what eventually grew into her website Kailo Chic (www.kailochic.com). That morphed into a brand, and now she sells crafts that she produces, as well as writes about home decor, craft and how to add color to your life on her blog, www.akailochiclife.com.

"I've always been drawn to color," says Whitten, who designed a set of DIY color-block ornaments after she was inspired by color-blocked planters that she created. A set of bright acrylic trees available at her online shop were inspired by clear triangular trays, which she stood up, painted and set on a stand.

Whitten sees Christmas as the perfect time to play.

"A monochromatic home is fine, but it's just not me. It does not make me happy and smile. But for someone looking to try something new -- this is a good time, because it's temporary."

Global trend forecaster Michelle Lamb, who covers an international Christmas fair each year in Frankfurt, Germany, says the current affinity for outside-the-box seasonal colors make perfect sense.

"Christmas was once a standalone event," says Lamb. "You'd decorate in a Christmas palette -- and it didn't matter if it was like anything else in your home. Now people strive to integrate (colors) into their decor."

Part of the reason for brights and even neon colors, says Lamb, is because of a surge in popularity of 20-century artist Frida Kahlo (last year there was a huge exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London) and also a punk rock revival, which played out in a big way with "So Punk Rive Gauche" at Le Bon Marche department store in Paris in the fall.

"(Some of it) is kitschy, but it's sophisticated," says Lamb.

"If there was ever a time to let your inner kitsch lover out, it is Christmas," says Perkins.

Perkins populates almost every surface in her home with decorations. "It's a chance to restyle everything," she says. "My house is like a living, breathing organism that never looks the same way twice." She clears off bookshelves and etageres, like the brass Milo Baughman piece that her mother scooped up for $100 in a thrift shop, and displays collectibles, including colorful glass, vintage art, elf ornaments from the '50s, small artificial trees, mirrored glam, '50s plastic. She says she tries to avoid the same things by mixing and mingling eras and putting together odd groupings like angels and vintage cameras. "So no tree is big box from head to toe," she adds.

Another winning Perkins combo is a champagne tree that perfectly suits an '70s rose gold mirrored credenza with its funky collection of orange and pink ornaments.

"It's never going to appeal to the majority of people," she says. "But for those who want to create environments that feel and are unique, brights are one way to do it. Colors definitely make me happy."

'Tis the season to be jolly, to be sure. And fa-la-la-la-la fabulous! "So have fun with it," says Perkins.

Sources

-- Anthropologie, 800-309-2500, www.anthropologie.com

-- Garnet Hill, 800-870-3513, www.garnethill.com

-- Glitterville Studios, www.glitterville.com

-- Grandin Road, 866-668-5962, www.grandinroad.com

-- Horchow, 877-944-9888, www.horchow.com

-- Kailo Chic, 512-636-3780, www.kailochic.com

-- Neiman Marcus, 888-888-4757, www.neimanmarcus.com

Sidebar

A Rush to Blush

Blush is making a low-key move into holiday decor. At West Elm (www.westelm.com), there's a pink tinsel tree shown with blush and amber glass balls, as well as elegant dinnerware that combines the palest pink in abstract gilded brushstrokes on dreamy cream dinnerware. At CB2 (www.cb2.com), pine gets a refresh with pretty-in-pink wreaths, garlands and faux fur stockings, and tree skirts in dusty rose.

"There are a lot of reasons for blush to be part of the palette," says global trend forecaster Michelle Lamb. "In fact, one of my favorite trends for 2020-2021 is a winter fantasy with the sea, blush with a little bit of turquoise and light spa colors, against a backdrop of white and ivory."

Besides solids, patterns in these appealing palettes have been emerging. Many are graphic, geometric and even a little suggestive of Southwest-style motifs. Colorful boxes and wrapping papers with striking graphics also extend the more standard Christmas tandems of red and green.

Whether it's a sit-down dinner or buffet, the dining table assumes center stage for holiday entertaining. It's the gathering spot for family and friends. But it also speaks volumes for those trying to create some extra-special magic -- something beautiful, memorable, a strong visual takeaway for family and guests.

Some are tradition-bound with setting the table, perhaps bringing out special plates and family heirlooms each year, just like the menorah during Hanukkah or favorite Christmas tree ornaments. Even so, it's always fun to layer in something new, whether it's a set of salad plates, new flatware, glassware, serving pieces, table linens, candleholders or salt and pepper shakers.

Guests may not immediately notice something smallish, but you'll feel as good as you do when you're wearing a new fashion accessory or piece of jewelry to complement a staple in your wardrobe.

Tabletop trends in recent years have echoed many in home design. Settings have become more relaxed, and there's a wonderful synergy between nature as a muse and artisanal pieces, or those that look handcrafted. There's an appeal in irregular edges and imperfect surfaces.

So many of the current table settings featured on retailer websites are showing a lot of wood, with place mats or runners crisscrossing tables, often serving as place mats for two. One reason, perhaps, is that the wood adds warmth and contrast to the porcelain or stoneware. In a neutral tablescape that features white plates complemented by wood serving pieces and a salad bowl, plus woven place mats, the wood solidifies an emerging brown palette, but keeps it interesting with tonal differences and textures.

Tablecloths, of course, are perfect for providing allover color or pattern, from paisley to stripes, as well as seasonal motifs such as leaves, pumpkins, poinsettias and trees.

But dressing up has changed a bit. The new approach to glitz and glamor may appear as sparkly accents to earthy dinnerware. Just as metallic threads or beads might find their way to humble materials like linen.

These looks are especially dramatic when layered, with a mix of materials.

Remember when square dishes disrupted the status quo on tables? A lot of the buzz was generated at restaurants, which embraced the form as modern, and perfect for showing off beautifully composed food. Now, irregular shapes like exaggerated ovals are coming into play, and scalloped and even irregularly shaped plates are winning fans.

Many retailers now feature tips on how to dress the table for the holidays, some even offering recipes. There are a few underlying themes in common.

-- Embrace the season. There's nothing wrong with bringing out those visual touchpoints that connect you to holidays. Think pumpkins, candy canes, snowflakes, dreidels, Christmas trees and noisemakers. What makes it all fresh is modern interpretations in the artwork. That may mean changing up scale -- making it either giant or mini, stylizing or adding a whimsical note.

-- Consider a color other than red and green or those most tied to other holidays. Well, doesn't blush (remember millennial pink) seem to be the color of the moment? It's a good look on dinnerware, and we've seen it beautifully paired with shiny or matte gold. It's soft and pretty.

-- Add natural touches and colors from nature. For a Thanksgiving table, pumpkins and gourds, ornamental cabbage, the red, orange and gold hues of autumn leaves. For Christmas, winter white, red berries, green fir, pine or holly.

-- Mix in metallics. Gold still is riding the hot wave of popularity. Both shiny, matte and burnished gold lends a warm look, as does copper. One huge plus for those who like gold-embellished dinnerware. A number of brands now offer plates that feature microwave- and dishwasher-safe golds. Silver also can be every bit as elegant -- in low-key pewter, silver leaf or polished stainless. And don't forget about glittery accents and beads, which you might find in embellished table runners.

-- Go modern. Even if you use traditional pieces, mix them up with modern shapes or patterns. Like a geometric or stripe teamed with a floral.

-- Just as wallpaper has become bolder and more graphic, so has some dinnerware. Large-scale imagery makes a statement, like uber-sized flowers.

-- Black (especially matte) is enjoying a huge moment. It can be dramatic in both dinnerware and flatware, the latter sometimes combined with gold for a luxe look.

-- Add whimsical, folksy or childlike touches. A new Versace design for Rosenthal recalls vintage samplers, but in a sophisticated interpretation, with an alphabet in typical bold colors, accented with gold and Greek key design.

-- Update traditional. The best way to do this is by layering. Add a new modern charger in burnished gold to set off your grandmother's dishes or pair a woven or chunky wood charger with less rustic plates.

-- Artisanal accents. This is key: Anything hand-painted or handmade will elevate the table, as it celebrates craft.

-- Mix stemmed clear glassware and others with a hint of color. From clean-lined simple shapes to textures, there's a range of colors, from soft rose and blue to gray and amber.

A beautiful table makes your guests feel special. So raise a glass and toast, as you give thanks, wish a Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas or a joyous Kwanzaa, and ring in the new year.

Sources

-- Coralla Maiuri through TableArt, 323-653-8278, www.tableartonline.com

-- Crate and Barrel, 800-967-6696, www.crateandbarrel.com

-- Lenox, 800-223-4311, www.lenox.com

-- Marie Daage, shop@mariedaage.com, www.mariedaage.com

-- Pier 1, 800-245-4595, www.pier1.com

-- Rosenthal, 800-596-3503, www.rosenthalusa-shop.com

-- Sambonet, 800-596-3503, www.sambonet-shop.com

-- Spode, 888-778-1471, www.spode.com

-- Villeroy and Boch, 800-845-5376, www.villeroy-boch.com

SIDEBAR

Table It on the Side

Two side tables are competing for attention, along with the big one where holiday feasting unfolds.

One is set up for hors d'oeuvres, like cheese and charcuterie. The other is decked out with desserts -- just a little teaser to whet the appetite. And for both, the range of stylish choices for serving pieces has expanded.

Cheese boards have dressed up, some pairing materials like marble or slate with wood, others with metal inlays or simply contrasting light and dark woods.

Elevated cake stands lend interest to a buffet, when food is presented at different heights.

Fall seasonal decor is associated with autumn colors, all pulled from nature. And, of course, Halloween touches of orange and black are as tried and true as red and green for Christmas.

But here's the thing: Those dazzling hues -- mostly reflected in landscape foliage morphing from green to a range of brilliant scarlets, golden yellows, even purple tones -- are currently the hot home palette. The warmer tones were especially palpable at the September Maison and Objet, one of the international mainstays of trend-spotters, with a particular spotlight on ochre, which settles in nicely with brown, orange, berry, plum, denim blue and blue-green.

The time seems especially ripe for yellows -- rich ochres, mustards, tawny butterscotch and orange-laced saffron -- in upholstery (especially in velvet, which still is going strong), lighting, rugs, pillows, tabletops, bed linens and glassware.

"Sometimes the trend stars align and something that has been a quiet classic becomes all the rage," says Caroline Scheeler, creative director for Jayson Home. "This is the story of the color yellow, gold, saffron, mustard ... a color with many names and quite the range. Yellow can draw such evocative emotions -- the color of royalty, the sunshine, sunflowers and the school bus. While some really have an aversion to it, it's a neutral color in my eyes. Yellow goes with every color. It can feel ancient, modern, happy, earthy, but never sad. Perhaps that's exactly why it's having a moment, in the face of these uncertain times. Yellow says 'happy, vibrant, hopeful.' Yes, a color can do all that."

The golden hues pair well with other warm tones. But all of these colors have transitioned, just as the Halloween palette has softened, somewhat driven by the beautiful shades of farmer's market pastel pumpkins in apricot, sage, blue-green and marvelous stripes.

"Orange is a staple in the fall, but a sophisticated orange is on the rise," says trend forecaster Michelle Lamb, who is based in Southern California. "There's cinnamon, terra cotta, clay -- a little sweet, almost reaching for pink. "

Retailers have picked up on the nuances, celebrating these pairings, especially in pattern, as well as the move beyond cliche, even for Halloween. Fall wreaths, for example, are almost as prolific as those for Christmas -- and well-styled. Crate and Barrel goes for an elegant look in its guidelines to setting a Halloween table. Pottery Barn describes "fall dressed up" this way: "Take an elevated approach with soft florals, glass pumpkins and a hint of sparkle."

One of the best sources for more glam Halloween decor, like beautiful jeweled pumpkins and velvet pumpkins in bold magenta, saffron or orange is Grandinroad. On its website and in the catalog, a hooked rug doormat depicting a bird playfully combines autumn hues in an almost camouflage pattern, set on a blue ground for contrast.

Even on a small scale, orange can be electric -- as in a vase on a white cocktail table in a living room with velvet seating, here an orchid sofa and peacock chair. In a room with dark plum walls, with a mottled gold metallic recess and gold cabinet with an alligator-like pattern, rich red-violet velvet chairs are striking. Especially fetching is how the metallic gold provides sparkle to the warmth of the color.

Camel and cinnamon are other colors that fit nicely into this palette. A suede tufted boxy chair from Crate and Barrel is a chic choice, as is a round velvet stool or an ottoman with a kicky fringe, as those recently shown in Paris by the Portuguese brand Dooq.

"We're braver with our decor," says Lamb, "and that's especially true with millennials. But people are becoming more intentional about what they buy -- part of it is a space consideration, with people living in smaller spaces."

That's particularly important with seasonal decor. "People don't have a lot of space to store," Lamb notes. "Millennials love Halloween and want it to be fabulous, but they'll buy one or two pieces, not 15. The same is true with Christmas."

If you're looking to add a dash of yellow or any of the fall hues, here are some ideas.

-- One of the easiest ways to bring a bit of outdoor color indoors is to pluck branches, foliage or flowers in russet, gold or orange tones. Mix these in with blue hydrangeas, which are turning to a soft green. Your arrangement can sparkle in a clear or white case. Or choose a complementary color.

-- Create a tablescape or mantelscape with pumpkins in different sizes, colors and compositions, including real ones, ceramic, glass, mercury glass, even mosaic -- the latter a chic option in neutral hues at Pottery Barn.

-- Pillows are a failsafe means of changing up a look with a shot of color without too much expense. Patterns and textures create even more impact. A spotty ikat in black and white on amber from Jayson Home has a playful vibe. At Crate and Barrel, three pillows are particularly stunningly grouped: One has a very linear horizontal striping in black on white, with additional almost random tufts of warm colors. Another, on a white ground, appears to be hand-painted with broad brushstrokes; in fact, it's embroidered. The third is solid, but with a woven dobby texture. Burnout velvet is another beautiful option, often with leafy or geometric patterns. And textural weaves may be artfully blended with different hues.

-- Mix all-white dinnerware with pops of color and pattern. At West Elm (www.westelm.com), there's a glazed stoneware collection called Kaloh, a simple design finished in textured matte amber with a translucent white interior. The rustic yet refined pieces were set on a table with an open-weave gold metallic table runner. Terrazzo looks and marbling is a striking way to introduce multiple colors; the one in a confetti pattern, the other in a swirling blend. A collection from Astier de Villatte at Jayson Home teams green, fiery orange and gray. Glazed and matte serveware in soft terra cotta looks especially fetching on fall tables.

-- Add a lamp with a shot of fall color in the base or shade.

-- A small rug or runner, especially in a plaid or geometric pattern, can pull in several autumn shades.

-- Change out the bed linens. Go for gold, actually a spicy shade of Dijon, in linen sheets and pillowcases from CB2. Or choose a floral or pattern with foliage in autumn colors.

-- Hang drapery. If you have one window that's unadorned, you may want to frame it in velvet. At West Elm, a rich color called Golden Oak is absolutely on trend.

Sources

-- Apelt, https://apeltstoffe.de

-- CB2, 800-606-6252, www.cb2.com

-- Crate and Barrel, 800-967-6696, www.crateandbarrel.com

-- Dooq, info@dooqdetails.com, www.dooqdetails.com

-- Grandinroad, 866-668-5962, www.grandinroad.com

-- Normann Copenhagen, online shop on www.normanncopenhagen.com, customerservice@normann-copenhagen.com

-- Pottery Barn, 888-779-5176, www.potterybarn.com

-- West Elm, 888-922-4119, www.westelm.com