Sterling Pear chats with Dr Christmas’ Bob Pranga, decorator of celebrity homes, movie sets & TV shows

The Holiday Season is in full swing and the décor is out! While most of us decorate our own trees and homes, that’s not true everywhere.  Think about it… Every time you watch a favorite holiday movie, like Christmas Story or Elf, someone decorated that set. Same with a holiday-inspired TV shows, commercials or advertisements. Those amazing trees in the lobby of an office building or department store? Someone decorated that, too. And in Los Angeles, that “someone” is oftentimes Dr. Christmas.

Dr. Christmas is a holiday decorating company and is owned and operated by Bob Pranga and Debi Staron (who, by the way, also own several of Sterling Pear’s signature KeepsakeStorage Chests). Their long list of clients include numerous celebrities, movies, museums and shops.

Sterling Pear recently chatted with Bob about Dr. Christmas:

SP:  Any fun stories about decorating a celebrity home or a movie set?

BP:  A few years ago I was decorating Jaclyn Smith's home and it was getting very late.  Jaclyn asked if I was hungry.  When I told her that her staff was probably already in bed, she reminded me that she was perfectly capable of making a sandwich.  I had forgotten that celebrities are normal people too!  Also, the biggest home I ever decorated was in Malibu, CA.  The owners requested a tree in every single room!

Bob Pranga and Heidi Klum

SP:  Do you have a favorite home or set you’ve decorated?

BP:  The Hollywood Museum. I love props that I recognize from movies I love like Miracle on 34th Street or Elf.  Or from the original movie starts like Bob Hope, Judy Garland and Bing Crosby.  At the Hollywood Museum I can decorate with those props or use them for inspiration.

SP:  This season, what particular design trends are you seeing?

BP:  Some of the trendiest colors this season are orange and citrus green. Usually Christmas colors follow the hot colors in fashion from the prior year.  Still, the traditional holiday colors are most popular - the reds, golds and greens.  Those colors are never out of style.  

SP:  How do you decorate your own home?

BP:  In general, people tend to gravitate to what they grew up with.  So for me, I love retro Christmas items from the 1960s era like Frosty and Rudolf motifs.

SP:  Where do you get your inspiration for decorating a private residence?

BP:  I try to blend the holiday decor with the home itself.  While there certainly is a fantasy element of the holidays, I believe it should look relaxed, yet festive.  For example, when decorating for the Hollywood Museum one year we had the Ruby Slippers and we decorated around that one piece, using it as our main source of inspiration.  I try to do to the same in a home.  

SP:  What do you think of Sterling Pear’s Keepsake Storage Chest? How do you personally use it?

BP:  Is's a great organizational tool.  After I set out the ornaments all I need to do is put a big, beautiful ribbon around the chest and it doubles as beautiful decor.  

SP:  Thank you, Bob! Happy Holidays.

Contributed by: Lizette Nielsen for Sterling Pear

Easter Storage: Peace of Mind and 20% Off!

Spring has arrived and Easter has now come and gone.  You are now faced with taking down your Easter décor.  Do you usually throw your Easter pieces in a plastic box, left to knock against each other?  Or are you more of a newspaper and moving box type of person?  How will the decorations look when it’s time to unpack them again next year?  Are they a little worse for wear?  Think of your collectibles, you fragile items.  Do you have to work at storing them properly?

After evaluating what you have, could your Easter décor use a little more care in its storage?  Here at Sterling Pear, our Signature Storage Box is the ideal solution to protect your Ukrainian eggs or glass Easter chicks.   With three pullout trays, each storage box is quite large and can hold up to 52 individual items.  Dividers separate each item, keeping things organized and preventing delicate pieces from bumping against each other and breaking.  Additionally, the dividers are completely removable and adjustable, so the trays can be customized to make room for varying sizes of seasonal pieces. 

To further protect your smaller pieces, tissue paper or paper shred could be used to fill in gaps and prevent pieces from shifting.  Or better yet, raffia or Easter grass could be used to cushion items in the storage box and to give you an additional display for Easter.   You could very easily use the happy, pear-green box as a display case during the Easter season (green is always in at Easter… plus, you’ve cradled your beautiful pieces in that festive raffia!).

Sterling Pear wants you to enjoy the peace of mind knowing that your favorite Easter pieces will be safely stored all year long, which is why they are offering 20% your entire purchase this Spring.  Make sure to use coupon code EASTER2010 at checkout.

Contributed by Heather Martinez

Quick Fixes for the Late Winter Blahs

So, here it is -- late winter.  Easter is more than a month away and the early blooms have yet to start peeking their heads out.  It’s the late-winter blahs . . . You look around your house and it feels gray, drab and dreary.  This means it’s time for a quick room-brightening fix or two!  And there’s more you can do than just a pretty bouquet of flowers on the coffee table.

Take a look at your curtains or sheers.  When was the last time you laundered them?  For that matter, when was the last time you replaced them?  If you can’t remember, it’s probably time to either get them cleaned or replace them with something eye-catching and brand-new.  This easy little task will instantly brighten any room.  While you are out, pick up a few new throw pillows.  A fabric with a cheerful, contrasting color will easily update your living, family, or bedroom.

When was the last time you rearranged your decorative pieces?  This is another quick and easy fix to give a room new life.  If things look a bit crowded on the mantle, it’s time to edit.  Perhaps just a few bold pieces will do.  Next, check out the bookshelves.  Are they neat and tidy? Everything lined up properly?  How about using a beautiful piece of pottery or glasswork as a bookend? 

Remember, for true sophistication less is more.   No need for overcrowding of all the wonderful things you have collected the world over.  If shelves are crowded, go ahead and stash some of your treasures in a protective storage box.  Then, every few months you can rotate pieces, changing the look in a room just a bit.  Your things will have more meaning when you can truly showcase their beauty (and that won’t happen when looking at 15 things on a little shelf!).

Enjoy your easy, new changes while enjoying these last days of winter.  Spring is just around the corner!

Contributed by Heather Martinez