I love showing properties at this time of the year because homes are usually all decked out for the holidays and look terrific. If you have your property on the market in December, don’t be afraid to express your inner decorator and give your home a festive flair.

While there tends to be a long-standing formula to holiday decorating that includes trees and wreaths for greenery, with tinsel and lights for shimmer, new decorating trends are using plants in the garden to reimagine traditional holiday decor. Look around in your garden or nursery for plants with silver foliage or slender branches and use your imagination. Sunset magazine has wonderful ways to brighten your Southern California home for the holiday season. Go to sunset.com/holdaydecorating.

Appeal to the senses

And although the visuals of a house are important, another big part of how a space feels to us is how we perceive it with our other senses. Think of how a luxuriously soft throw across a worn leather chair makes a reading spot seem extra appealing or how the background scent of eucalyptus makes a spa seem clean and calming. Keeping all the senses in mind when making decorating choices will create spaces that feel more inviting.

Decorating for the sense of taste is all about implication – creating a space where food is enjoyed and celebrated.

Dress your dining spaces with seasonal centerpieces, and repurpose bottles at the bar as vases for vibrant cuttings. Freshen up your outdoor dining spaces with colorful pots, and for a soft glow in the evening wrap tree trunks and branches with strands of white lights.

When appealing to the sense of smell, subtlety is key. Try incorporating the outdoors by using the scents of nature. A winter wonderland of cedar and pine boughs, pine cones scented with cinnamon, rosemary trees and other fragrant gifts of the season are available now.

Create a foal point

Whether your taste is classic, midcentury modern or eclectic, there are certain visual rules that apply for all styles: create a focal point in each space. Group like things together and display objects in odd numbers. Take advantage of your home’s architectural features and highlight a long hallway or corner window with a view. Use light from a variety of sources, including candles and a fireplace.

Engage the sense of touch with contrasts. Cover crisp sheets with a soft warm comforter and big fluffy pillows. Add things that can be touched and look fun to touch, like a nubby throw pillow.

The most obvious way to bring sound into a space is with soft background music.

Remember, the goal is to make a buyer believe there’s no place like your home for the holidays.

— Adriana Donofrio, Podley Properties Glendora, 626-914-2904 adrianad@podley.com