ASHEVILLE, N.C. — You can learn more about how Biltmore prepares for the holidays by watching "Appalachian Christmas" at 5:30 on November 27 on WBIR.
Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina does Christmas like no other house in America.
The 250-room mansion is decorated from floor to ceiling every year. Interior designers carefully place thousands of ornaments and lights on more than 60 trees, then pack it all up at the end of each season.
These are their tips for bringing some of their over-the-top Christmas decor to your own tree.
Choose a theme
Biltmore's designers choose a theme or inspiration for each room they decorate. The designers recommend you stick to your theme and be picky about which ornaments or decorations make the cut.
Pack away the everyday
If the painting or poster that hangs on your wall year-round doesn't match your Christmas theme, don't be shy about taking it down. Biltmore says it's a good time to give your throw pillows, dishes or mantle decorations a break.
Christmas at Biltmore
Make it glow
Candles are a great way to add warm, cozy light to your Christmas look. Biltmore's designers recommend grouping candles of varying heights throughout a room to create that warm effect.
Light it up
When lighting your tree, the experts say the height of the tree should dictate how many lights you use.
A 6-foot tree requires 8 sets of 50 lights, a 12-foot tree requires 26 sets and a 14-foot tree requires 50.
The designers say to avoid chaos when stringing up the lights, you should work each strand from the top of the tree down. They also recommend hanging the lights in sections, rather than going around the tree over and over.
At Biltmore, designers work the lights in toward the tree trunk, then back out on each branch.
A trick to make sure the tree is evenly lit is the "squint test." Just step back and squint to make things look blurry. You should be able to see any dark or uneven spots.
Make it shine
When it comes to ornaments, Biltmore's designers say more is more. Similar to lights, they have a handy system for determining how many ornaments should be on a tree.
A 6-foot tree requires around 125, a 12-foot tree requires about 250 and a 14-foot tree requires about 400 ornaments.
Biltmore designers hang the ornaments from "trunk to tip," starting at the inside of the tree and working outward. They say you can hang your more special ornaments on the outside of the tree and your shiniest ones inside, where they will catch more light.
Finishing touches
The experts recommend saving your favorite ornaments for last, so you can place them in a prominent spot on the tree.
If your tree skirt looks a little limp, they say you can place tissue paper under it to fluff it up.
Put it away
The experts at Biltmore have breaking down Christmas decor down to a science.
At home, they say there are some simple things you can do to avoid headaches next holiday season.
Pack each ornament in tissue. It can feel like a hassle, but protects the ornament while it's packed away. Apple boxes with cardboard dividers are an easy storage solution for some ornaments. Other shallow storage boxes are best.
Don't store your ornaments in plastic bags. Biltmore designers say your storage container should be breathable, in case condensation gets in.
Try to store your ornaments in a place where temperatures are relatively consistent. Hot attics or damp basements can allow paint to flake or spot.