Winners of the Holiday Indoor Decorating Contest announced

During the holidays, outdoor light displays generally get all the attention, but central Ohioans are no less clever and creative when it comes to decorating inside their homes.

For the third year, Oakland Nurseries and The Dispatch have conducted a Holiday Indoor Decorating Contest.

After conferring by judges from the newspaper and the landscape-and-garden business, three top winners have been chosen. We spoke with each of them about their winning entries.

Grand-prize winner

“Tuxedo Kitty Old Fashion Christmas” by Janet Konicek of Westerville

Konicek will receive a $500 Oakland Nurseries gift card.

This Christmas, Janet Konicek, 61, and her husband Paul, have someone new in their family to celebrate the season with.

“We adopted the cat from across the street because he was living in a garage,” said Janet, who took in her new cat, named Petey, in the fall.

Wanting to create a comfortable environment for the whole family, Konicek put up a pre-lit tree in the family room. Red ornaments hang from the tree. White stockings adorn the mantle, on top of which is an angel and angel wings affixed to a mirror. The color scheme has meaning for Konicek.

“The white (represents) the innocence of our loved ones, their spirits, and the blessings that they left behind,” Konicek said.

It all adds up to a cozy and inviting picture.

“I love the old-fashioned theme anyway, but (each year) I always change it up in different decor,” said Konicek, who chose this year’s theme of “old Christmases of past” as a way of remembering loved ones in her family who have passed away.

She added: “It’s a Christmas of remembering.”

But, for Petey, it’s all new.

“He has no problem laying under the tree, and he doesn’t touch one bulb,” Konicek said. “He’s very well-behaved!”

Second-place winner

“North Pole Christmas” by Linette Parks of Circleville

Parks will receive a $100 Oakland Nurseries gift card.

Over the years, Linette Parks has accumulated a great many Christmas decorations. As the holidays approach, she goes through her boxes and decides which decorations to haul out and set up.

This year, she decided to create a North Pole vibe in the living room in the home she shares with her husband, Steve, and their son, Zachary.

“Every year, I just want to change it up a little,” said Parks, 51, who last year created a tree farm: three trees were grouped together with a sign pointing the way.

“I love to do one room as a theme,” she said.

This year, the North Pole theme was evoked by a ladder for elves to climb, a sleigh and a basket of candy canes. Of course, above the fireplace in the living room is a large piece of signage reading “North Pole.” To the right are two artificial trees, including a white tree with brilliant red ornaments.

Parks began decorating the day after Halloween. Steve and Zachary helped with the display, but Linette did the lion’s share of the setup.

Visiting friends and family appreciate the effort.

“I have a few (people) who will stay with me, and they say they feel like they’re in a Hallmark movie,” she said.

Third-place winner

“The Night Before Christmas” by Kayla Stowers of Westerville

Stowers will receive a $50 Oakland Nurseries gift card.

Each Christmas season, Kayla Stowers and her wife Brittany travel to Kayla’s parents’ home in Lima.

“My favorite part is always seeing my mom’s Christmas tree,” said Kayla, 34, whose parents, Denise and Brad, live in an old farmhouse.

That tree — a 7 ½-foot-tall artificial tree — was set up in the family room and bedecked in the usual elaborate fashion a year ago.

“If you look at the Christmas tree itself, there are some very old vintage ornaments, from when my parents first got married,” Kayla said. “That tree alone is history itself.”

Along for the ride was Kayla and Brittany’s dog, a husky named Dax.

“It was the night before Christmas,” Kayla said. “I took a photo of Dax, just sitting by the tree (and) enjoying, as he usually does, the comfort of home.”

Sadly, Dax passed away in June at the age of 9. But the picture Kayla snapped captures the magic of the moment forever.

“It was always his favorite time of year,” Kayla said.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Here are the top 3 winners in the Holiday Indoor Decorating Contest