I would go for silver glitter, bring light and shimmer in your decor; it won't clash and it will be festive. A clear glass vase filled with silver balls says holidays to me.

Linda, here is a link to my Christmas pictures, but I am not sure it will do you much good. My colours are red and green all year 'round!

Here is a link that might be useful: kswl's Christmas photos

I'm in the same boat. This year I decided to do a different tree. Real tree with white lights, silver beads, silver and white ornaments and I'll tuck some baby's breath into the branches. And the pointsettias will be white, and maybe some paperwhites. I think silver and white will work with my green and purple colors.

-Donna

Some of the most beautiful holiday decorations I've seen have been in Victorian homes. They've run the gamut from mauve, green, pink, silver and copper to deeper colors like plum, garnet, emerald and bronze. I worked in Ridgefield, CT, a few years back and visited the public "homes" that were turned into either businesses or clubs during the holiday season. Most of them were Victorian and the decorations were always so unique and festive...and definitely imparted "holiday".

Mistybear,

I don't have pics as it was pre-digital camera days for me, but, one year I did my tree in all shades of soft purple and blue. I tied all of the ornaments on w/ black ribbon and topped the tree w/ a black grosgrain (?) bow. While I was decorating the tree DH was skeptically watching. Afterwards he said that he was sure that it was going to look like 'The Death Tree' but that instead it turned out really neat & he liked it.

Typically my colors are soft blues, purples, greens & brown to decorate. This year I think that it will be more green and brown.

No, you are not the only one who decorates this way. Target is known for having a great selection of holiday decorations in the colors you say you want. Check around other stores too.

Since Apartment Therapy has mostly young members, they have lots of offbeat xmas decorating photos to view. Real homes decorated by real people not designers, and the result are spectacular.

Google colors (purple, pink, black, ect) or themes with the word *christmas* and view photos, get ideas, and find places to shop.

Want a black xmas tree? Check:
http://www.treetopia.com/colored-artificial-christmas-trees-p/tuxedo-black-tree.htm

Check out The Purple Store for their purple xmas decorations:

http://www.thepurplestore.com/christmasdecor.shtml

Here is a link that might be useful: Purple Christmas

Gold and silver would go well with pretty much any other colors. Or the colors of natural items, such as greenery and pinecones, although with your eclectic leanings, muted nature colors might get lost. Perhaps greenery with brightly colored ornaments in colors to match the room?

I have kind of the same dilemma each Christmas to deal with: my living room is Southwestern/Eclectic and done in cream, black, green and rusty reds . . . and I like an old-fashioned family Christmas tree look! We have SW style paintings above the fireplace in there, which clash badly with the average Christmas decs:

After MUCH trial and error, I came up with this compromise. It's a simple, natural arrangement that doesn't look weird with the paintings above it. I have tiny white tree lights and real pinecones wound through the garland, that don't show up in this pic. And, yes, that's my foot there. Sorry, it's the only pic I have of the mantel:
{{!gwi}}
And here's our tree pic from last year. There are no themed ornaments on it. This is our family tree, where we hang every ornament my kids have made over the years, every ornament we've bought on our yearly family vacations, ornaments we've inherited, etc. In other words, a real hodgepodge tree . . . and we love it that way!
Lynn
{{gwi:1449159}}

Buy boxes of cheap shiny brites in nonbreakable colors of your choice, preferably gold or silver. Use bead garland of blue/purple whatever you like. Buy spools of ribbon, velvet, silk, etc., in your color of garland or opposing color, i.e., beads of purple, ribbon of blue. Tie together with pipe cleaner or other 2 gold shiny brites and 1 silver. Hide pipe cleaner with bow of blue velvet with which you use to attach to tree. You have the shiny of gold and silver, your home decor colors and the low expense of simplicity and DIY.

I personally like white lights on trees as white makes a good backdrop for any other colors, like the gold and silver shiny brite ornaments.

I consider purple and/or royal blue to be a truly "Christmas" color because it is an advent color.

If I decorated in purple I would use greenery with gold, silver, purple, and blue ornaments and white lights.

My daughter's room used to be turquoise, and we found decorations at Target that were so cute - hot pink, lime green, purple, and turquoise. That's a great look, too - more modern.

Another beautiful look is Victorian, as someone above mentioned. I have a friend who used to do a Victorian tree, and it was beautiful. Not a bit of red on it, it was mostly shades of pink, ivory, gold, and silver.

A friend of mine had a very rustic, country look to her decor, and she used to buy plain brown rolls of butcher paper to wrap her gifts in. She bought cheap, cheap fabric and ripped it to make bows. You might not want the rustic look, but you could take a cue from that and buy rolls of plain, cheap white butcher paper to wrap your gifts, and tie everything in cheap gold fabric or ribbon, or silver. That would eliminate the problem of clashing red gift wrap. Your family could have a lot of fun with making creative bows or tags.

When I decorate for Christmas there is absolutely no red anywhere. My Christmas colors are always blue and green, even on the outside of the house. It's a little bit retro and a lot of fun.

Here is a link that might be useful: Christmas Colors

I had a small tree decorated in orange last year. I also do one with turquoise and silver but this year I am doing it in turquoise and lime green.

I bought new ornaments for the FR tree that will be orange, turquoise, blue, purple and a lime green.

My colors are mostly purple and gold with some clear/crystal (and white lights).

it is really fun to introduce *nontraditional* christmas colors ~ my living room has turquois accents ~ here's a picture from last year ~ phyl

mitchdesj, Thanks, I love silver and glitter and crystal or acrylic. I have a little of it but I find it gets lost in the pine trim and the oak surroundings.
Last year I did my tree in silver and acrylic with a hint of purple but something gets lost somewhere.

kswl, Would love to see your photos but I can't get through.

donnamp14, That combo sounds very nice, a little more on softer side which is the way I should be thinking.

mrsmarv, I agree and I love the deep saturated colours of the Victorian era and I tend to go with the same richness in somethings but still something I do is lacking in umpfh.

ttodd, I do wish you had a picture that is also one tree I would have loved to see. The one you are planning to do sounds just as wonderful.

dilly_dally, Thanks for the links. When all the sales are on after Christmas there is always a huge selection of ornaments and stuff in the blues and purples and pinks for sale. That is what makes me wonder if anyone was buying these for themselves.
I have also wondered if I am getting a little to old for the colours I have.
I just have to find a way to use them tastefully. hahaha. Yea right as if that will ever happen.
I do have lots of purple everythings and I do have a black tree that is probably going to go through it's fourth Christmas. So you and I are on the same path. thank you.

lynninnewmexico, It doesn't matter what you do how you do it, your decorating is always eye candy for me. I love the idea of a family tree and there are times when I would just like to have a traditional one. Your's is so pretty.

patricia43, I could do that as I have all the supplies that you mentioned. Thanks

daisyinga, Those colours sound very good as well. I would also like to incorporate turquoise but I think that might definetly be OTT. However I do like the idea of plain white paper because you are right I always end up the with the clashing red paper.

daisyadair, I love your tree and your colours. If I could get mine to look as tasteful as yours I would be well on my way.

dd50, Decorated in orange. I would like to see that. I remember when the bronze came out a few years back and I fell in love with the bronze but that would have meant I would have to buy all new stuff. Which might not be so bad except I have nowhere to store anymore stuff.

tracey_b, Another tastefully well done tree. I so wish I could get it right. Yours is gorgeous.

phyl345, What a beautiful setting. I really like your turquoise accents.

Thank you all for your pics and ideas. I really need a lot of help if I am going to get my house to look like the ones you've shown here.

"I have also wondered if I am getting a little to old for the colours I have."

No! Never! You're never too old to have fun.

You say you already have a black xmas tree like the one I linked. Yaaaay! So you are already set with your 'tuxedo' tree. How about painting ornaments with glow in the dark paint and then having them glow when you dim the lights for parties? Mixed in with the purple you already have would be cool.

So you would not be interested in offbeat ideas like this cool "tree" idea which is a decorated ladder:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/inspiration/alternative-holiday-decor-015795

Do you need a black feather wreath?:

http://www.2darksisters.com/gothicchristmas.htm

You can make most of your christmas decorations. Things like pinecones dipped in glue and then black glitter.

I know you say you do not want red but don't rule out red for funky xmas designs, especially mixed with the purple you have or mixed with pinks. (Either/Or. Don't do both pink, purple and red.) Here is a black and red polka dot with rhinstones, hanging stocking:

http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Stocking-Black-Rhinestone-57952-BV/dp/B000WLB7TU%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquidooa231547-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB000WLB7TU

Here is a link that might be useful: Dot Stocking

I wish I could find some of the ornaments that are on sale after the holidays! Here where I live, the pinks are the first to sell out!

My decorating is mostly done in pinks and mauves. Here's a couple of photos of my tree from last year. I had bought a new tree and didn't have quite enough ornaments to decorate it as full as I would have liked it to be. It's decorated in pink/mauve and crystal.

Here's a photo of my stacked plates on the island in my kitchen.

One last photo...this is my dining table decked out for Christmas. A very talented lady in Texas painted the chargers for me. Each one has roses with sprigs of pine branches with white berries.

I love out of the box x-mas decorating. One year I went on a business trip with DH to New Orleans. After several days of sightseeing, I did 2 days of "christmas tree" shopping. My inspiration for my mardi gras tree for the LR was a large jester carrying a staf with a baby head on it. I worked from that for the colors. I ended up using purple and gold beads, fuschia, gold and purple balls. All themed ornaments were all purchased at a great Christmas shop I found after a cafe au lait at Cafe DuMonde. I filled in with gold glittered snowflakes and other gold toned items.

Let's say that the conventional red and green lovers didn't exactly "love" my mardi gras theme tree. I didn't care, I absolutely loved it. DM felt it was sacrilegious not to top the tree with an angel:)).

I usually do several trees throughout the house. Each is a different theme. We have a snowman lodgepole tree, a tree in our foyer which is decorated with cardinals and other natural items I've purchased or found on our property.

Last year I purchased lighted slim trees for the urns on our steps. Had lots of fun decorating those, but needed everything to be unbreakable.

Have fun with whatever you choose.

dilly_dally, I know honestly you would think at my age that it wouldn't matter, and you are right I do have fun. I think it is just sometimes I need others to understand or maybe even appreciate my unusual or different or say creative? taste. I do like the idea of a feather wreath. I would like to hang it on the door. Goth not so much! But I do like the ideas of the pinecones and glitter and also can see that stocking in purples and silver or black. Here is a picture where I tried to encorporate red. I recall DH saying " it would be better if you just used either purple or red but not both. Shot me down right out of the sky. lol.

dreamgoddess, I love the pinks! I like the way you set the table using glass but with a pretty charger or placemat. Very nice.

work_in_progress, I don't think I have ever had an angel for the tree topper. That is another thing I can't find exactly what I want for up there. Your snowman tree sounds very cool. I know what you mean about things having to be unbreakable. I still have quite a few of the glass balls kicking around and a couple get shattered on the tile floor every year.

Here are mine from years previous. Every year I did something a little different. I think it was because I could never remember what I had done the year before.

This was before the black tree. I thought the purple was awful looking on the real green tree. I was thrilled when I found the black one.

This was when I tried to add red at night. 2004
But during the day, yuk!
This was 2005

This was 2006

This was 2007

This is a close up

This is my little feather tree and my fibre optic one.

This the paint colour I have to work with for this decorating season.

Linda

I'm sorry, mistybear, I forgot to change the access :( I've set it now so you can look at the Christmas photos if you would like. Love the photos above!

misty, I wasn't pushing 'Goth' for xmas. It's just that using the search word 'black' and 'christmas' brought up all sort of colorful African-American themed xmas decorations and that is not what the thread is about. Using 'Goth' instead if 'black' brings up decorations in black but you have to sort through the really Halloween-y lookings ones and 'Goth' also brings up 'Gothic Victorian' xmas decorations to sort through. Many of the items viewed on their own, out of the context of the themed websites can be incorporated into a unique, yet homey, holiday decor.

Don't be afraid to buy plain holiday items and add your own sequins and tassels to them. Make your space unique and wait for the oooohs and ahhhhs from your guests.

Here is a link that might be useful: Plain Purple Velvet Stocking

Here's my demonstration that "traditional" colors on a Christmas tree are not precluded by non-traditional colors in your decor.

The rooms that are visible near my tree are yellow, coral and acid green, while the tree is green with white lights and mostly red ornaments. (I will grant you that my living room and dining room, which flank the foyer, are green and red. But they are "off" versions of those colors -- a bronz-ish green and a paprika-ish red.) As the holidays go, I think anything goes if it delights you.

kswl, For whatever reason I can't seem to get through. Will keep trying. Thanks

dilly_dally, Oh I know you weren't pushing Goth. That came out wrong. I just don't even want to think that my tastes are reflecting Goth. I was hoping that it would lead down the path of modern or contemporary or something similar. I do have lots of material and can sew something resembling the stocking. Thanks

callaloo, What a pretty picture. I love the tree and the colours you have. Thank you.

Linda