Artificial Christmas Trees: Balsam Hill Interview
From LoveToKnow Christmas
Spindly artificial Christmas trees that barely reach the top of your head are a thing of the past. Today, manufacturers produce holiday greenery that is full and lush, looks and feels like you just cut it that morning, and displays Christmas ornaments prominently. While you may opt for a tabletop tree under 6 ft., some trees are a stately 15 ft. – or higher!
Balsam Hill creates multiple lines of artisan Christmas trees, garlands, wreaths, and holiday ornamentation. Founder Thomas Harman started a tradition of crafting majestic artificial Christmas trees because a family member was allergic to live trees. The dedication to produce true-to-life greenery sends designers literally out into the field to collect samples for reproduction.
Katherine Shah is a marketing and operations analyst with Balsam Hill. She shares her passion for interior design, her knowledge of the latest holiday decorating trends, as well as her tips for choosing the perfect tree, in this LoveToKnow Christmas interview.
Artificial Christmas Trees: Balsam Hill Interview
When choosing an artificial Christmas tree, what are the top three factors to consider?
The first and most important factor to consider when buying an artificial tree is quality. Beware of low-quality trees that obviously look fake. The point of buying an artificial tree is to eliminate hassle, not beauty. Look for a high-quality, realistic tree that will give you the look and feel of a natural Christmas tree while saving you the hassle of watering and cleaning up fallen needles.
The second factor to consider is your personal foliage preference. Artificial Christmas tree foliage is usually crafted from either PE or PVC materials. While some trees use one type of foliage exclusively, others may use a mix of foliage types to achieve a particular look. PE needles are molded to mimic the shape and texture of real tree needles. The quality of PE needles varies. Choose high quality PE needles, like ultra-realistic True Needle® foliage by Balsam Hill, which looks and feels just like natural needles.
The second main needle type is PVC. PVC needles are the soft and flat needles, which are used on classic artificial trees and are also often used in the inner branches of PE trees to add fullness.
The third most important factor to consider is lighting. Pre-lit trees are now extremely popular both to save the time and hassle of stringing your own Christmas tree and because high-quality pre-lit Christmas trees are professionally strung to minimize dangling wires. For those who like variety, Balsam Hill® even has a Color+Clear® light option that allows you to change the lights from clear, to multicolor, or both with a click of a remote control.
How many years will a well-crafted tree last?
One of the major benefits of buying an artificial Christmas tree is that it is a long-term investment, especially if you purchase a well-crafted tree. This type of tree should last 10 years or more. Look for companies that offer long warranties. Also make sure the company services the warranty in-house, instead of handing you off to a third party.
Trends in Holiday Decorating
What are this year's Christmas tree decorating trends?
As with fashion and interior design, Christmas tree decorating trends vary and there are many different tastes, from traditional and classic to modern and funky. We recommend you trim your tree to reflect your personality and traditions. If you have more traditional tastes, then look for decorations in subtle colors like burgundy and browns. If you have more modern tastes, then enjoy this year’s trend towards brighter, vibrant ornaments in non-traditional Christmas colors like deep pink, blue, and lime green.
Why are topiary trees so appealing?
Artificial topiary trees are appealing for their ease of use and elegance. Unlike natural potted trees, artificial topiary trees require no watering, will not shed, and are perfectly pruned. Topiary trees are also often used in hallways, entryways, and other areas which may not receive a lot of natural light. Artificial topiary trees are perfect for these settings.
How does Balsam Hill decide on decorating features such as tree skirts and ornaments?
At Balsam Hill® we design all of our products to imbue a feeling of warmth and holiday elegance. Crafted from classic materials such as red velvet and rich embroidery, our ornaments and tree skirts are detailed with classic touches to add a timeless elegance to any tree.
Balsam Hill Collections
Balsam Hill features signature collections of trees, wreaths and garlands. Why are these collections attractive to enthusiasts?
Balsam Hill® Signature Collections –- Aspen Christmas® Collection, Vermont Signature® Collection, and Napa Christmas® Signature Collection –- are choice selections of our most luxurious trees, featuring significant amounts of our ultra-realistic True Needle® foliage. Searching for a Christmas tree is often a heartfelt journey, which invokes warm feelings of the holidays, tradition, and home. Our Signature Collection trees, each designed after natural Christmas tree species from their respective regions, instill warm memories of Christmas and are popular because customers can each find their favorite natural Christmas tree style amongst them.
These collections are also popular because they allow our customers to enjoy the elegance and natural beauty of a traditional tree without the hassle of caring for a natural tree. Holiday enthusiasts, in particular, look for quality products and are drawn to the craftsmanship and detail of our Signature Collection trees.
Many Christmas enthusiasts also enjoy decorating for Christmas as early as the day after Thanksgiving. Natural trees, however, can dry out, lose their needles, and become serious fire hazards when displayed so long before Christmas. Our customers enjoy knowing they can decorate their Balsam Hill® Christmas tree as early as they like and leave them up for as long as the Christmas spirit moves them.
A Personal Touch
What does your Christmas tree at home look like, and how do you decorate it?
I have the Colorado Mountain Spruce from our Aspen Christmas® Collection. It looks just like the trees that grew in the area where my family went skiing around Christmas each year. I decorate it with a collection of ornaments which were passed down to me, and vary the look each year with different embellishing touches such as bows, garlands, or using a different tree topper.
This year I plan to go with an icy theme. I’m going to decorate with white and clear ornaments, clear lights, and white and silver ribbon. I thought this would look elegant, and since it doesn’t often snow where I live, I think this will be a fun way to bring some of the beauty of a winter wonderland into my home.
More about Balsam Hill Artificial Christmas Trees
- Visit the Balsam Hill Web site to learn about all the different shapes of artificial trees available. There’s even one with a flat back to rest flush against a wall.
- Not sure which tree to choose? Order a branch sample kit.
- Check out Balsam Hill’s collection of skirts and ornaments.
~Tracey L. Kelley
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