Businesses offer indoor and outdoor decorating services to light the way this festive season
Mary Jo Miller of Point Breeze wanted to brighten her three-story home for the holidays but knew climbing a ladder to reach the top — with a pitched roof — to install Christmas lights wasn’t safe.
She found Pittsburgh-based Three Rivers Lights through a Google search. The company installed lights in the front and side of her home, on the garage roof and along a fence line.
“It is a daunting task to think about doing all of this,” Miller said. “(Three Rivers Lights) does such a great job, and it’s beautiful to see it all when it’s done.”
She’s not alone in terms of outsourcing her holiday decorating — Google “Pittsburgh Christmas light companies” and multiple pages of results offer a variety of choices. According to Anji.com, this year, 42% of decorating homeowners are considering hiring help, with many seeking professionals who can create both elaborate front yard displays and smaller indoor arrangements.
Miller said Three Rivers Lights also reminds customers in plenty of time to get on the schedule before the holidays, and they take the lights down. She said it’s wonderful that the lights are on a timer so she doesn’t have to worry about turning them on and off.
“I just love lights,” said Three Rigers Lights general manager Graham Sowa. “People still enjoy driving around the neighborhood to see all the Christmas lights. Holiday lights bring so much joy.”
Sowa said they began at the end of October and will decorate more than 100 houses this season. They can complete standard lighting on a house in four hours, starting at $1,500.
Steve Starck of Bradford Woods hired Sowa — who also does contracting work — for other house maintenance jobs, so when Sowa told Starck about the holiday decorating, Starck said he was all for it. He said Sowa and his team did the installation in a few days.
“It looks incredible,” said Starck. “I could never do anything close to what they do.”
Sowa and his crew meticulously string holiday lights around homes. They can illuminate any trees in the yard or the space along the driveway or attach wreaths on homes. Being in the contracting business, the company has the proper equipment and is mindful of power lines and necessary electricity. Homes that have multiple peaks and higher roofs can be tough to reach without the proper lifts and ladders, and some of the large wreaths can weigh 100 pounds, Sowa said.
They service a 30-mile radius and can work with permanent lights, which are more expensive but do not have to be taken down and last longer. The permanent lights can be operated via an app.
“Everyone is working harder these days and they don’t have the time to put up the lights,” said Sowa, in his sixth year installing lights. “It’s also not easy to reach some of the upper levels on a home.”
While there are other companies that install outdoor lights, Miranda Bauer of Scott Township said she did not know of any businesses that decorate inside homes.
She and her sister-in-law, Jess Bauer of Pennsbury Village, decided to start a business that does: The Create House.
“It is so hard to get everything done for the holidays,” said Miranda Bauer, who has a passion for interior design. “People are so busy these days that there isn’t always time to devote to decorating. We wanted to offer this opportunity to help people continue their strong holiday traditions.”
The Create House will bring the decorations, including wreaths, garlands, lights, pillows, throws and table runners, small trees, decorative figures, ornaments, stockings, floor displays, wall art, centerpieces, dining plates, table settings and chair covers, but are happy to include any special items a homeowner might want as part of the display.
They find items through antiquing and thrifting, and they also source items after the holiday to be used the following year.
They come back and take it all down, Miranda Bauer said.
“The holidays are a special time, and we can create a decor that is happy and warm and friendly,” Miranda Bauer said. “This gives me a creative outlet, and my sister-in-law and I have similar interests.”
The cost is based on the square footage of each room decorated and is $1 per square foot. For example, a 12-by-16 foot living room would cost roughly $192. The cost includes decorating and taking everything down after the holiday.
They focus only on the main living areas, including the living room, dining room, entryway and kitchen. They can discuss decorating additional spaces on a custom basis, Miranda Bauer said.
“We want to take the stress out of decorating,” Miranda Bauer said. “We set it up and we take it down, and they get to enjoy it.”
This was the second year The Create House decorated the Upper St. Clair home of Karly and Ryan Dukich.
They had moved to a larger home, and last year Karly said she researched everywhere to see if there was a company that would do indoor decorating. She said she saw something about The Create House on Facebook.
“I needed help, and they came in and incorporated what I had and I immediately said ‘Can I book you next year?’ ” she said.
She ordered Starbucks for them and gave them snacks. She said she wanted to spend money on indoor decorations she could see all the time.
This season, they added the basement and created a winter white scene. When their 6-year-old daughter Ruby saw it, she said, “I am moving down here.”
“They really bring the Christmas spirit to the decorating process,” Ryan Dukich said.
Tree and tree decor can be added for $300 per 6-to-8-foot tree. They can decorate an existing tree for $200.
“We continuously source holiday decor throughout the year, resulting in a curated collection that we use within our clients’ homes,” Miranda Bauer said. “Our services are best suited for homeowners who are ready for someone else to take on all the decorating work and who feel confident and comfortable that they’ll be able to sit back and enjoy their decorated home for the holiday season.”
It usually takes one to three hours to decorate a room.
“The holidays can be stressful,” Miranda Bauer said. “But they’re ultimately meant to be an opportunity for people to slow down, come together with their loved ones and enjoy the things that are truly most important in life — each other.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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