Design Hints

Every year, Maryann Roche spends a week or two decking the halls of her cheerful Colonial home in New England. "I like to put up a lot of trees," she notes. "I usually have four in the house and then one on the porch. I try to stay within the primitive Colonial style; I like things to flow from room to room, so to speak." Here are a few of the ways she keeps things coordinated:

• Be Size Wise: Choose to use trees of similar sizes and heights throughout your home. All of Maryann's trees have a slim shape; in fact, the dining room and mudroom trees are pencil trees. That consistency in the size and silhouette of each tree, even though they're all decorated differently, contributes to the feeling of connection between rooms.
• Collect Continuity: If you have a holiday collection, whether it's snowmen or gingerbread houses, showcase bits of it in multiple rooms. Santas and miniature bottle-brush trees pop up on Maryann's dining room hutch and upstairs hallway pie safe. Seeing those similar items in different rooms enhances both their impact and promotes decorating unity.
• Dress with Flair: Trim each tree using a theme that reflects the color and style of the space in which it's displayed. Maryann's dining room tree is adorned with tiny pewter plates that echo plates displayed on the mantel, and it features red berries to reflect the red woodwork. The living room tree is decked with orange slices she dehydrates herself -- they look like little jewels and coordinate with the mustard-colored wood trim.
• Go Green: Display evergreens in every room. Drape garlands down the staircase and across mantels, hutches and pictures; tuck sprigs on shelves and table settings; and place miniature rings on chandelier lights.