Christmas, holiday displays create festive curb appeal
Naldoven Seizeme, owner of Yule Love Lights, decorated his parents' Amityville home. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Angela Forcina said the covered porch on the Victorian-Colonial she and her husband John bought six years ago is amazing, but it "always looks under-decorated."
"I feel like my house always looks a little sad," said Forcina, 44, of Commack. "I wanted to bring some joy to my home for the holiday season, especially because the kids do get excited when it looks pretty."
But Forcina, a mother of three, dedicates all her creative energy to the hair salon she owns, Hair Addict in Commack. So, she hired Michelle Bocelli, owner of Porch Perfect, a holiday porch decorating service based in Dix Hills.
Bocelli transformed the bland entryway into a holiday display Forcina called "a neighborhood conversation starter." Forcina said the $800 total cost — which included labor, installation and decorations she gets to keep — was worth it because of how festive her house now looks.
Wreaths and other essentials
The main attraction for any outdoor entrance starts with a wreath, said both Bocelli and Seizeme.
"It ties everything together and is a focal point to the front door. It's the first thing you see and should carry the theme throughout the display," Bocelli said.
Seizeme agreed it's essential décor, but said a misplaced wreath can be almost as bad as none. Hanging wreaths between two windows or between levels results in a cluttered look. The best place is above the door if you have a peak or other space for it, though of course the front door is a good option.
But there has to be symmetry, said Bocelli. If you have a double door, don't put a wreath on only one side; double it up — or don't add one at all.
"And you should have a wreath that's big enough. Often people have wreaths that are way too small for the door," she said, adding that anything 30 inches in diameter or above is perfect for a standard-sized door.
Professional lighting services like Seizeme's provide artificial, lit wreaths for $200 to $300. But battery-operated, warm lights are available for under $10 and can be wound around a real wreath — carefully tucking the battery pack where it can't be seen.
If you hang lights yourself, Seizeme said to avoid distracting wiring and staples — anything that ruins the look and possibly causes long-term damage like nails sticking out of the door frame.
Seizeme said not to forget a very easy lighting change: swapping out the usual white bulb of your porch lights for red, blue or green bulbs.
Bocelli said she prefers live wreaths for their scent, but depending on the theme she's working on, she'll use a fake one. Either way, you can decorate with zip ties to embellish it with different ornaments or use floral picks available at craft stores like Michael's. And don't forget large bows in red, blue or burgundy.
— LIZA N. BURBY
Hiring a professional to create that exterior holiday spirit has become more common on Long Island as homeowners try to match the elaborate designs they see on social media, said Bocelli, who only promotes her business on Instagram and Facebook.
But they can’t necessarily do it themselves, added Naldoven Seizeme, 23, owner of Yule Love Lights, a holiday lighting and decorating service in Amityville.
"When they try, it doesn't turn out the way they saw on social media and TV," Seizeme said. "So, they realize they need professional help."
What it costs
At Forcina's home, Bocelli wrapped balsam garland with oversized red ornaments and bows around the two porch pillars and added holiday-patterned throw pillows to rocking chairs. A holiday-themed welcome sign, a life-sized snowman, carefully placed wrapped "gifts" and two decorated Christmas trees completed the transformation.
Bocelli, 46, a single mother of four and a legal recruiter, opened Porch Perfect in September, just in time for the fall/Halloween season. She said that most clients have no idea what to do with the front of their homes and every house is unique.
"People hire interior decorators and then they forget about the outside, so I'm like a decorator for your exterior space," she said, adding she usually asks clients to send her a photo of their front entrance. Then she customizes the display to their space and preferences and works within all budgets. Her packages start at $300 and include decorating consultation, seasonal decor and installation.
Michelle Bocelli, owner of Porch Perfect, decorated her own front entryway with an elaborate Candyland theme. Credit: Rick Kopstein
For Bocelli’s clients — who can pay up to $1,500 — that has meant details like a bench with a plaid throw and pillows, an outdoor plaid rug underneath a holiday welcome mat, lanterns and pine trees in gold planters and an old-fashioned wash tub filled with holly berries and pinecones. A Candyland-themed display included life-sized nutcrackers on either side of the door, candy canes and gingerbread men. Winter sports themes utilize refurbished skis painted red, ice skates tied with ribbons and old-fashioned wooden sleds, all items that can last throughout the season.
Appealing to the sensory experience at the front door is another welcoming touch. Bocelli said she likes to add scents like cinnamon-scented pinecones or plenty of pine branches.
Naldoven Seizeme said people often try to recreate displays they see on social media, then realize they need professional help. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Lighting is also important. As a professional installer, Seizeme said that porch railings and columns can become central focal points with lights on a timer. That costs about $100 per column if it needs two strings and up to $300 to add railing decorations with strings at about $50 each. He said if there are bushes on either side of the entrance, wrapping them in lights and adding the LED spritzer lights can create a snowflake effect as you enter the house. The total cost, with installation and removal, would be around $1,000.
Since there’s no porch on the ranch he shares with his parents, Seizeme focused on lighting the gate and pathway to their door, with lights and bows, as well as the two columns on other side of the front door.
If, like Forcina, you just want to be welcomed home by a festive display, attention to detail makes a difference. Seizeme said that while some homeowners "just throw up a wreath and call it a day," others focus on the entryway.
"Whatever holiday you're celebrating, that's the start of the person's time in your house. You spend time decorating the inside, but their experience starts at your entryway because it’s the first step into your home," Seizeme said.
Bocelli agreed, saying, "The entryway to a home sets the tone and is often an overlooked space where packages and dirty shoes meet. I believe transforming your entryway makes you and all visitors feel good each time they enter and creates a welcoming space."
Holiday curb appeal for houses on the market
Decorating a porch, front steps, door or front path has more significance than just looking merry. It’s also about projecting an inviting home to guests — and potential buyers.
"Really good curb appeal is going to always make someone stop," said Stephan Mahabir, 38, a real estate agent with Signature Premier Properties in Merrick. "When someone pulls up and they can start imagining your porch is a great spot to sit and drink some hot chocolate, that makes a really well-decorated entryway a big deal."
Curb appeal is an important investment in your home. If it’s in the budget, Mahabir said hiring a professional holiday exterior decorator could be part of the staging, especially if you don’t have a knack for decorating.
Really good curb appeal is going to always make someone stop.
— Stephan Mahabir, Signature Premier Properties agent
"Think about when you’re driving around your neighborhood right now and you see the houses that look best with their wreaths and garland on the handrails. Are they actually the best? I don’t know," he said. "But if you were walking up to that door, it puts you in a festive mood."
Then again, if a house is on the market now, the balance of getting the home in showing mode — which means no clutter and fewer decorations on the inside — for an open house while celebrating your own holiday can be tough.
"The primary job of a realtor — and the seller — should be to capture as wide an audience as possible to get the most interest generated to get the top dollar," he said.
To do so, sellers should make sure decorations have wide appeal, Mahabir said.
"When you're listing your house, what you really want is for people to come inside and feel like that could be their home so keep the theme as neutral as possible," he said. "Create a general festiveness with things that say winter, like pinecones and fake snow — neutral holiday ideas — so you're appealing to the widest audience."
It also helps the potential buyer to imagine how they might decorate next year if the home becomes theirs.
"I think especially for people shopping for a home around the holidays, which is always stressful for buyers and sellers alike, thinking about all the ways the house will work for you is a part of the experience," Mahabir said.
