Christmas Decorating Biltmore Estate Style
By Cathy Barnhardt, Sat Dec 10th

Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, is well known for itsspectacular Christmas decorations including miles of evergreenroping, more than 50 decorated trees, hundreds of poinsettiasand, of course, the 35-foot tall live Fraser Fir on display eachyear in the Banquet Hall. And while, the scale of decorations inGeorge W. Vanderbilt's 250-room French Renaissance chateau mayseem daunting to the average guest, many decorating techniquesused by staff work just as well on a smaller scale.

DECORATING

·A unifying theme gives polish and style to your decoratingscheme. For example, in Biltmore House, the Billiard Room isvery masculine so the tree and mantles are decorated with acornsand oak leaves, moss, dried flowers and animal figurines indeep, muted tones.

·Look for inspiration in existing decorative items. If you havea collection of blue and white porcelain, display it on abookcase or buffet and pick up touches of blue in otherdecorations. Collections of dolls, baskets or crystal offerunique decorating options.

·Move everyday objects around, taking them out of their expectedcontext. Take down the picture over the mantle and hang a wreathin its place.

·Put clutter away. Replace that pile of magazines with a pottedwhite azalea or narcissus and some greenery. Clear an end tableof knick-knacks and display a selection of holiday candles or agrouping of ornaments.

·Don't be tied to the traditional reds and greens. Unexpectedcolors

like peach, orange or purple can add pizazz to standarddecorations.

·Supplement purchased decorations with "gilded" items fromnature. Use gold or silver spray paint to turn pinecones, eggshells, nuts, pressed leaves or flowers into decorations.

TREE LIGHTING

·Wire from the top to the bottom of the tree with lights turnedon. Judge the placement of each light so the tree is evenly litand lights are not too close together. Check your work often bysquinting your eyes and checking for dark spots.

·Tuck cords into the tree trunk and run along branches so theydon't show. Work the lights in and out along the branches togive depth to your display. On dense trees, work lights in about12-18 inches. On trees with branches spaced further apart, workthe lights in closer to the trunk.

·Never connect more than six sets of lights (300 bulbs total).Every connection you make weakens the power source and increasesthe risk of a blown fuse.

·The effect of your lit tree can be lost of the room is too darkor too bright. Experiment with various lamps and lights andvariations in bulb brightness to achieve the balance you desire.

About the author:Biltmore Estate Floral Design Manager Cathy Barnhardt overseesthe day-to-day decorations inside the 250-room Biltmore Houseand across the 8,000-acre estate. Barnhardt is a recognizedexpert in turn-of-the-century floral arranging and decorating.Over the course of her career, she has been featured in SouthernLiving, Victoria and the Wall Street Journal. Barnhardt holds aBachelors of Science degree in Ornamental Horticulture.