Winter Flower Arrangements

Temper vivid red tulips and berries with a copper vase in an earthy, mottled shade of rust. French tulips can be lanky and droopy, so insert them after creating a framework of holly, winter-berry, and red twig dogwood for support. Add antique glass Christmas ornaments to the branches and in small cups to complete the arrangement.

Hand-hammered copper vase, $450, leodesignnyc.com.

Tired of poinsettias? Freshen up your Yule-tide decor with these cheerful houseplants instead. Simply arrange on a side table a selection of potted specimens -- cyclamen, amaryllis, primroses, Chinese evergreen (aglaonema) -- that boast scarlet flowers or red-tinged leaves. They will last well past New Year’s Day and brighten up the darkest days of winter.

Trunk pot planter, in Natural, $18; and pine barrel pot, in Natural, $18; shopterrain.com. Cast wood ring pot, $55, bunny williams.com/treillage. Victorian taxidermy bird box, $1,490, lbecker flowers.com.

Even the smallest dollops of red (in this instance, a few ranunculus, miniature roses, and parrot tulips) will stand out when set against ivory walls, pale wood, white china, and silvery ornaments. Gray-green eucalyptus pods and pine needles create a muted backdrop for the centerpiece.

Blue-and-white checked Fog Linen napkins, $48 for 4, John Derian Dry Goods, 212-677-8408. Pine Glitz large round dinner plates, $117 each, dbohome.com. Dandy glass pitcher, by Nason Moretti, in Coral/Gray, $285 each, barneys.com. Lempi glass, by Matti Klenell for Iittala, in Gray, $71 for 2, finnish designshop.us. Place-holder glass bubbles, $6 each, shopterrain.com. Frosted deer mule antlers, by Grace and Blake, $150 each, parkerkennedy living.com.

Eschew the expected fireplace garland. Instead, group different styles and sizes of vases, and fill them with long and short stems of red amaryllis, red-and-white carnations, anemones, and striped amaryllis. Coordinate the colors of the vessels (in this case, gold and white) for a cohesive look.

Painting (untitled), by Nick Barbieri, $1,800, cristina dossantos.com. Bavarian porcelain vases, with gold-leaf coral motif, Rorschach motif, and gilt bird design, from $295 to $375 each, theendof historyshop.blogspot.com. Gold luster tile, from $300; Cyril vase, in Gloss Clear, $490; mushroom sculpture, from $100; and still-life book, $365 for 5; kleinreid.com.

Martha and Lloyd Traven make a holiday centerpiece using colorful poinsettias.

Sweet fragrances and sunrise colors fill this vase with bright promise for the New Year. Kumquats and limes evoke a tropical getaway, as do lush blossoms of phalaenopsis orchids (available at many supermarkets). The perfumes of paperwhite narcissus and jasmine are a surefire pick-me-up. As you make the arrangement, insert the sturdy citrus branches before adding the delicate flower stems. For a final touch, let some jasmine trail down the side.

Unlike Narnia, where it's always winter and Christmas never comes, this land of ice and snow welcomes festivities (soundtrack: Louis Armstrong's "Cool Yule"). A combination of vintage and contemporary vessels holds white spider mums as well as seeded eucalyptus (available at florists) and blue Atlas cedar branches lightly frosted with silver floral spray paint. For a change of scene, line up containers across a mantel, along a windowsill, or down the middle of a table.