"Step into Decoratifs, the home accessories and holiday decorating shop, and it's as if you've stepped back into time. This Christmas will be the twentieth for co-owners John Morris and Wes Gharrett, who have stayed at the same well-bedecked location on the corner of Kentucky Avenue and High Street in Lexington since the shop's opening. The building was formerly a home, and the rooms open into each other, allowing visitors to peer around corners and be surprised. Decoratifs captures the pure fantasy and magic of Christmas.
During the shop's recent Open House, some adults, all strangers, stood around a huge tree, sharing their delight at the blown glass Old Worlde Christmas ornaments. "Look, there's a sparrow," said one woman. The person standing next to her pointed out a skunk, and this writer commented on the beautiful green turtle with gold sparkles on its shell.
In another room were ornaments made of children's dreams: rainbow-colored ice cream cones and cupcakes sprinkled with spun sugar, all looking good enough to eat, but made of glass so they'll hang on future Christmas trees.
Wreaths and beautiful floral arrangements add to the holiday atmosphere, but it's the fairies that capture much attention. Created by Mark Roberts, the Christmas fairies come in different sizes and characters. Many of them hold an open velvet or brocade candy bag. The largest fairies with their candy bags can serve as stockings hung on a mantel.
John Morris said that "for the past four years, the fairies have been our number one item."
Wes Gharrett noted that on the day Mark Roberts visited, "we sold 150 fairies."
In addition to Morris and Gharrett, three other full-time and several part-time employees work at Decoratifs, but the real supervisors are Frank, Domino, and Eddie, the three cats who are known to regular customers. Because Decoratifs sold more of the Woodford County Humane Society's calendars last year, a photo of the handsome gray Eddie is in the 2007 calendar.
Decoratifs is "known for decorated wreaths and custom centerpieces," Morris explained. Gesturing around the shop, he noted, "We're very red now," as traditional items, ribbons in velvet, brocade, and silk, and red items are in this year.
Decoratifs will decorate one tree or an entire house. Morris, who also paints murals and furniture, said, "We have some people whose trees we've put up as long as we've been in business."
The designers first visit the client's home, checking to see if he or she has any holiday collections or decorations to be included. Most jobs take two to five hours. The cost is $100 per hour for each employee needed, plus materials. But the staff of Decoratifs has learned to work quickly, especially at homes they've decorated before.
They have to, Morris said, because "there's a really big push from Thanksgiving through the tenth of December. Everybody wants it done by then. People want trees up so they can entertain in early December."
Across town from Decoratifs is another Christmas decorating mecca, the Corman Marketplace, at 881 Floyd Drive, open for 37 years. "Every day or holiday" is the company's motto, reflecting both seasonal and party event work. Three designers plus two full-time employees are joined by six to eight temporary holiday workers.
The designers, Stuart Hurt, Jeremy Rice, and Dwayne Anderson, buy Christmas ornaments, trees, and decorations for shoppers at the showroom and also design and install holiday displays for both residential and business clients. Most jobs take five to seven hours. The fee is $75 per hour per person, plus materials.
Their commercial clients include Gray Construction, the city of Lexington, Central Bank, and Heaven Hill Distillery. This Christmas you can see the creative work of Corman's designers in Thoroughbred Park.
Corman's has 14 styles of trees, in 20 themes, but customers are told that if they like something they had better buy it now, because there is no chance to reorder. The company has to think a year ahead. Rice explained, "We'll have a good idea by Thanksgiving of what we'll do for next Christmas."
He, Anderson, and Hurt go on a marathon buying trip every January. So do thousands of other people who own holiday stores, so they have to buy as soon as they see something appealing, or risk having the product sell out. As with Decoratifs, most of their decorations are made in China.
The Christmas merchandising business has changed in recent years. With almost all items manufactured in Asia or India, and because of shipping delays due to increased security inspections, merchandise isn't delivered for many months after it's ordered, and there is no time to reorder.
Hurt said that Christmas this year follows a trend of "spicing up what you've already got," with items in red, chocolate brown, apple green, and burnt orange. Corman's has ornaments in 84 colors.
Whether you need ideas, one special ornament, or have no time to do any decorating yourself, visit Decoratifs and Corman's. Both shops offer decorations not found elsewhere and attentive, nonpretentious service.
Decoratifs is open 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Corman's is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturdays through Christmas from 9 a.m. — 4 p.m. The company's Web site is www.cormanmarketplace.com.
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