Decorate your home in the spirit of the season

Dash headlong into the season of delights with high spirits and plenty of panache. The countdown to Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Eve has begun.

The intent is simple; decorate with things that smell, look and feel good. The payoff is a beautiful home to fill with joy and laughter.

Scent and sensibility

Tempered by the constant reminder that there’s much to do, even Martha Stewart realizes the tasks ahead: “I think baking cookies is equal to Queen Victoria running an empire. There’s no difference in how seriously you take the job.”

She has a point. It’s really a matter of attitude and preparation.

So tap into your senses by bringing on the sparkle and start with a medley of decorative ideas rich with color, bold textures and novel accessories.

There’s also no denying you want your house to smell wonderful, beginning at the front door.

Jump-start the mood with the power of scent and infuse the house with cinnamon, vanilla and cloves simmering on the stove.

Diane Walton Van Der Tuuk of Diane Walton Interiors recalls, “Just a whiff of a holiday essence still conjures up Christmas memories. Pine, cedar and the smell of warm cookies baking were all part of our family traditions. We would bake hundreds of cookies to share with friends and neighbors. The atmosphere in our house was heightened with all the fresh holiday trim and Christmas songs.”

Van Der Tuuk carries those memories into the present. She’s still baking and still decorating. Now she designs elegant interiors with shimmering touches.

“Adding scents of balsam, spruce and cedar are as important as the sparkle,” she says.

At J’Adore Home & Garden, owners, Michael Richardson and Allan Stever embellish their Brookside shop with plenty of creativity.

This will be their fifth year displaying a table filled with old-fashioned ribbon candy overflowing in glass containers.

“We’ll also decorate a tree completely in blue: blue ornaments, bluebirds, blue lights — you can do this for the holidays when whimsy and nontraditional decor is acceptable,” Stever says.

All aglow

Hanukkah, which this year begins at sundown Dec. 24, is a joyous eight-day celebration for the Jewish community that commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

Also known as the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah is a time of togetherness as families light the menorah with nine candles, exchange gifts and spin a small top known as a dreidel.

Robin Jaffe remembers lighting a children’s size menorah: “My sister and I had a mini menorah along with a family menorah. It was customary to get a gift each night, but the gifts weren’t wrapped … mittens, socks, new dreidels and little books.

“At dinner we would have potato latkes (potato pancakes with sour cream and applesauce). After dinner we looked forward to lighting our menorahs and singing Hanukkah songs.”

Jeff and Linda Schlachter remember a similar experience. Only now that they have a granddaughter, they acknowledge it’s a blessing to watch three generations celebrate Hanukkah together.

“It’s the same sparkle in my little one’s eyes as the generations before her,” Linda says.

Hoopla ahead!

New Year’s Eve has a style all its own.

Sure, “Auld Lang Syne” may invoke a wistful moment; cheer up with an abundance of festive Father Time accessories from horns and confetti to balloons and bubbly.

“Though big parties are in full swing, consider an intimate gathering like a romantic dinner for two,” says Steven Chester, retail sales manager at Trapp and Co.

He suggests setting the table with beautiful dinnerware and a stunning centerpiece. “We’ve composed one with a combination of novel accessories, small plants and oversized ornaments.”

Whether you throw a bash or small dinner party, go out in a blaze, albeit a small one.

A showy way to banish bad karma (thought to scare off evil spirits and misfortune) is topping cupcakes with sparklers. People will love the flourish.

This story was originally published November 26, 2016 at 8:00 AM.