Get ready for outdoor holiday décor

As we approach Thanksgiving and the start of the commercial Christmas season, it’s time to think about outdoor decorations.

You needn’t go all Clark Griswold (from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”) on the project – covering every square inch of the house exterior in lights and overloading circuits.

There is a beauty in simplicity. Sometimes a wreath with a large bow on the front door, or large bows on framing bushes, sets the mood without any outdoor illumination. Make sure these decorations complement the palette of the exterior. Red gives a gray house an edgy quality. Plum is a more harmonious color. Still, there’s nothing wrong with giving your holiday décor an edge.

Rather than decorate all of the exterior, focus on the property’s unusual features. A lamp pole looks lovely in spiraling garland topped by a bow. A small lit tree fills a gazebo with more than summer memories.

If your heart is set on outside lights, make a plan before you go for it. Outdoor illumination needn’t send your electrical bill – or heart rate – soaring. The best thing you can do for yourself is consult us at the Morano Group or at least an expert website before like Clark Griswold you set off sparks more in keeping with a Fourth of July ballgame than yuletide carols.

Wishing you a happy, healthy Thanksgiving.