How to go eclectic with holiday decorations without cluttering

When it comes to holiday decor, designer Lisa Gilmore of Lisa Gilmore Design keeps it merry, bright, and unique.

"No color is off-limits for me," Gilmore told FOX 13. "For me, the traditional holiday look of like the reds and the golds just doesn't flow. So, I really wanted to do a color explosion of joy and happiness."

The first step, she suggested, is continuity.

"Maybe pick a jewel-tone color palette, maybe pick a pastel color palette and then work within that, making sure you have some good fillers that break that up," said Gilmore.

Add in some non-traditional ornaments.

"I found these beautiful deconstructed crystals that are iridescent from chandeliers that I adorned on the tree," she explained. "These are some beautiful silk tassels which anyone can get from your fabric store."

READ: From Gasparilla beads to Cuban sandwiches, you can make your holidays dazzle with Bay Area treasures

Go for a touch of retro.

"These are some vintage pieces from the 70s. The bulbs are from Target. My continuing thread is the snowflakes which really kind of balances it and breaks up all the color," said Gilmore.

And she's mixed it up on her mantle too.

"I am currently really obsessed with these bottle brushed trees and they're really popular in a lot of home stores and stuff like that but, of course, I wanted to take it a little bit of a notch further and I found these rainbow color ones on Etsy."

"I mixed them with these vintage Hollywood regency reindeer and pulled together the traditional Mexican Christmas garland," she added, "which is from a maker in Mexico. I just loved the texture that came with this and it's just such a unique twist on the holidays that I feel we're used to."

Being eclectic doesn't mean cluttered.

"Don't try to shove things in because you feel like it should work really. Let your soul guide it," said Gilmore.

It's a way to go if you're dreaming of a whimsical Christmas.

"There's some really great ways in thinking outside of the Christmas aisle box," said Gilmore.

Gilmore said she also shops for Christmas items from local artists and vintage stores.

For more holiday decorating tips, click here