From its peaks blanketed in snow to its quintessential downtown areas, Summit County embodies a certain type of ambiance during the holiday season that helped stake its claim as a premier wintertime destination. 

Town cores are brought to life with strings of lights, and homeowners accentuate this ambiance through their holiday decorating.

“It feels like something out of a Hallmark movie,” owner and lead designer of Sheer Interiors Melissa Parr said. “I think a lot of people are pacing that feeling of a snowy, white Christmas, and what better place to celebrate the holidays than in Summit?”

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She said every year she finds people look forward to creating a magical interior in their homes that matches Summit’s mountain-town vibe. 

Whether you are looking to make your holiday decorations stand out among the rest or are in the market for top-notch decorators to do it for you, here’s how to play into Summit’s holiday ambiance in your home.

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Bring the outdoors inside

When the winter holiday season rolls around, Joell Folger, who works at a decorating company called At Your Breck and Call, said she finds herself gravitating toward decorations that incorporate natural elements. 

She said she loves using things like pine, evergreen and holly to spruce up a home during the holidays.

“You can just spritz them with some spray paint and throw some glitter on there, and then you put a little extra sparkle onto that natural element,” she said.

Parr said she has seen more realistic-looking holiday decor emerging as a trend in recent years, with people utilizing greenery and cedar. 

She said people looking to improve their holiday decoration game and create the perfect vibe should look to match it to the interior design of their home if they want to stand out. With more people opting for organic, modern and mountain designs in their home, it makes sense to see natural element-type decorations trending, she said.

Whether it be people gathering in kitchens for cocktails or to help prepare meals, elevating kitchens with embellishments of greenery on countertops or garland hanging over the kitchen sink window helps bring Christmas into this well-used space, she said. 

Those looking for premade, realistic decorations can look to Carolann McGregor’s business, Breck The Halls, which sells decorations such as wreaths and centerpieces using pieces of nature Carolann finds on hikes. She said she was inspired to start her business since she saw an opportunity to bring Summit County residents’ love for the outdoors to indoor settings. 

For more information, visit BrecktheHalls.com.

Deviate from the norm

Red and green have long been the “Christmas” or winter holiday colors. But decorators say it doesn’t have to be that way.

“Bringing in unexpected colors to your Christmas decor can really help your decorating stand out,” Parr said. “I’ve definitely seen a trend in unique colors for Christmas decor. … It’s really fun to do something you don’t see everywhere.”

Folger said she’s long been an advocate of straying from the norm and using colors other than red and green. She said over the last couple years, she has been a fan of using more muted tones of red that are more pink in lieu of the classic red. She highlighted that she complements this with different teal and turquoise shades instead of the typical forest green people associate with Christmas. 

Deep blues and purples are more holiday colors people could tap into that combine perfectly with winter, they said. 

People can draw inspiration from other classic combinations seen around the holidays. For instance, the colors of the Catholic advent wreath — white, purple and pink — often get used together since they offer symbolization and illicit memories of this time of year.

Create comfort in your home

Amid the hustle and bustle of the holidays, Parr said it’s easy to overlook certain areas of the home, like bathrooms and guest bedrooms. But focusing on these spots can really elevate a home’s decor. 

“I think bringing the decor into those two spaces is so critical because people — if they’re traveling to visit someone else for the holidays — are probably missing home a little bit,” she said. “So I think bringing the decorations into the guest room is really great because it gives people a sense of comfort.”

She said even the smallest touches such as placing a few ornaments on a shelf in the bathroom or putting lights across a mantel can help create a cozy vibe for travelers.

Folger said she creates a comforting vibe for family and friends by using decorations that have been passed down from generation to generation. She said incorporating them into the design is a great way to tie old family memories to new ones. 

Having ample candy around the house and serving homemade cookies are other ways to create comfort for visitors, she said.

Busy? Outsource the decorating

Summit County has businesses, including Breck The Halls and At Your Breck and Call, that offer decorating services in private homes. 

At Your Breck and Call offers interior decorating services, outdoor lighting and Christmas tree delivery and decorating. They can deliver and decorate both real and artificial trees. For more information, visit YourBreckandCall.com.

Breck the Halls offerings can be found at BreckTheHalls.com.

Alpine Holiday Services out of Vail also serves Summit County and offers tree lighting and decorating. To learn more visit AlpineHolidayServices.com.

Breck and Beyond also has Christmas tree delivery and holiday decoration services. To learn more about what Breck and Beyond offers, visit BreckandBeyond.com/christmas-trees.