Pendants and chandeliers provide natural platforms for holiday decorations, but they often go unnoticed. They do present some challenge because the best of them are delicate. But, you can always make their architecture work for you.
Perhaps, you should start with some attention to your color scheme for the holidays. There’s the traditional green and red, but contemporary decorators will introduce themes built on blues, pinks, purples, and florals. Others emphasize pastels or classic textures.
But, it might make sense to start with the lighting fixtures because they are a source of lighting and because they have design elements you can utilize.
Add Sparkle
Chandeliers with romantic and nostalgic heritage often have graceful arms and crystal features. Holiday decoration should take advantage of those characteristics. You might, for example, multiply the effect of the crystals by adding more. You could create a basket among the extending arms to hold additional crystal globes.
Other designs dangle crystal teardrops or mirrors from the arms on white or silver ribbons. The classic chandelier encourages you to hang anything including candy canes, holiday ornaments, or Christmas cookies. However, you want to let the fixture’s character come through.
Use plants
Classic and contemporary chandeliers and pendants welcome the use of winter greens and reds. You can weave ranches of fir, pine, English ivy, or another evergreen through the fixture’s design. Or, you might look for unusual greens like coleus, magnolia, mistletoe, or palm if available in your region of the country.
You might opt for cranberries, holly berries, or Christmas cactus. And, thanks to artificial plants, you can choose these “natural plants” in “unnatural” colors, mixing and matching colors with other themes.
Let the fixture lead
The lighting fixtures materials and structure can lead your design decisions. A bronze or antique brass fixture with traditional motifs encourages you to decorate with traditional approaches favoring the green, red, and pine cone to which you can add bright bold colors, surprise textures, and rustic touches.
Fixtures that emphasize their geometry present a structure into which you can weave design. The geometry also provides straight lines and joints from which you can hang items that mix or match the metal.
Finally, some designers create Christmas designs that surround the fixture. They might create a wreath or basket larger than the fixture and hang it from the fixture’s base on ribbons or braids so they float around the fixture, catch its light, and grace your holiday festival.