"Queen of the Designing Team," Summer Baltzer certainly knows how to make a home look its best. To find out how to keep homes classy, yet in the holiday spirit, Summer Baltzer came to our rescue. Known for her work on HGTV's "Design on a Dime" book and television show, Summer is very popular on the home decorating scene. She has given us some valuable pointers and ideas on how to give our homes a little change for the holiday, and advises that when preparing for a sophisticated yet traditional Christmas, less is more.

The Christmas season. Most families get into trouble with multi-colored lights and tons of snowmen or Santas, but this year can be different. By using a consistent color scheme (usually three or four colors at a time) and a recognizable style, your home can look fabulous for the holidays.

Where do I start?

"I always love to start decorating the day after Thanksgiving. That gives plenty of time to enjoy your decorations without getting tired of them," said Summer.

For your decorating experience to go as smoothly and stress-free as possible, begin shopping for your materials first. Stores like TJ Max, Marshalls, or Ross, are recommended by Summer for supplies that are great in quality and price.

Shop with an agenda. Choose a color scheme while looking at different fabrics and patterns. Red and green are the typical colors of the season, but if you're in the mood for a more "original" Christmas this year, variations of color can put a fun spin on your home's Christmas. "On the warmer side, try an eggplant or plum color to substitute your traditional reds. Ambers and sage greens also look nice together," suggests Summer. For those feeling even more modern and funky this Christmas, try using a more shocking shade of plum, closer to hot pink, and mix that with a mint green or turquoise for a retro feel!

Artwork and wall accessories are also high-priority items. "I like to pick things out that are meaningful to me and make me feel something when I look at them," says Summer. Try not to fill spaces with meaningless objects; they will just create clutter in the end.

Accessories and lighting are the next items to find. Pick accessories that work with the overall theme or feel of a room. It's not about just filling space, it's about creating a feeling in your new environment. The lighting not only has to look good, but also needs to create a mood or feeling in the room. Make sure the lighting isn't too bright or dim. Make sure tape, hot-glue, tacks, and any other supplies you'll need, are on your list to help carry out your decorating plans.

Fabrics should be first on your list since they establish the color palette and feel for the entire room. Window treatments, accent pillows, throws and rugs all fall into this category. When looking for upholstered items, make sure the fabric is durable, washable and versatile. Summer prefers upholstered pieces to be somewhat neutral, with little or no patterns, allowing you to frequently change the look of the room.

What part of your home needs to be decorated?

Decorate the room where your family spends the most time, first. You want to create a place where the family can feel warm and comfortable. (Usually this is the family or living room.) The changes made to the room should be creative and have a holiday feel, but at the same time we want them to be easily removed when the holidays come to an end. Here are some suggestions for this type of room:

Fireplace: A blazing fire is the perfect symbol of Christmas cheer. Adorning the fireplace with silk or sating stockings makes a very elegant Christmas statement, especially if you arrange the light of the Christmas tree, or glow from the fire, to bounce off of them. Try decorating the mantle first by layering Christmas tree branches, and then adding some lighting accessories. Ribbons or Christmas balls are also nice. Decorate the fireplace hearth with a stack of boxes wrapped in ribbon. Who says that the presents can only be under the tree? If you have a woodpile next to your fireplace, add some holly leaves and pinecones to dress it up.

Sofa and couches: Adding seasonal pillows is a great way to accent your sofa. You can make cushion covers, with a zipper opening, so they can be easily switched. Covers don't need to have Christmas decorations on them, just changing colors works perfectly. For example, if you have light tan pillows throughout the year, switch them to a chocolate brown color, and add a burgundy color as well. If your sofa already has a pattern, that doesn't scream Christmas, slipcovers are inexpensive and can be purchased at any linen store. Chenille throws, in rich Christmas colors, can also do the trick.

Windows: Don't neglect your windows. Easily change existing window panels with more holiday-oriented panels.

Accessories are as important as ever! Soft candlelight is one of the most inexpensive ways to add warmth to the room. Add trays of candles around the room and weave some iridescent or metallic ribbon throughout the arrangement. Create groupings of candles with different heights, but the same colors.

Christmas trees are more than appropriate for the family room/living room areas. White lights can be used as a backdrop. Adding plenty of evenly-spaced lights will do wonders for the look of your tree. Although it may be difficult, stick to a preset color palette of three or four colors. Summer concentrates on adding ornaments that are common in theme. Picking four or five shapes, or styles, and repeating them throughout the tree, then weaving in beautiful ribbon, will create the perfect Hallmark look.

Is it necessary for the kitchen to have decorations? Switching out window treatments, table linens and a few accessories is a wonderful way to change the look of your kitchen. You'll want to keep from creating clutter, as the activity in the kitchen tends to increase during the holidays.

Feeling extra crafty? Try taking flexible twig bundles and lightly spray them in either silver or gold to allow the natural color of the twig to show through, then weave them back into the tree.

Rather than the traditional tree topper, create a large and elaborate bow with ribbon, tying everything together. To do this, take a long length of ribbon and create loops while securing them with floral wire.

What about the front of the home?

Summer warns to stay away from too much ornamentation on the exterior of your home. For a refined elegance, think of an old Bing Crosby movie. So much of the look will depend on the architecture of your home and what you have to work with. Lush garlands with beautiful white lights hung near the roofline look gorgeous. Small white lights staggered throughout a few trees in the front yard will polish off the look. Hang a simple wreath with pinecones, ribbons and poinsettias underneath on the front door. Make sure to keep your look consistent with only one type of Christmas light. 

If your family doesn't want to go all out this Christmas season, Summer suggests:

1. Put out everything that is most meaningful to you and your family.

2. Switch out a few of your pillows, and add some throw pillows in the mix.

3. Add some holly leaves or garlands to the room.

By Lauren Berger