YOUR PLACE.

Byline: - Compiled by Barbara De Witt 

HOLIDAY DECORATING 101: If you can't attend any of the many holiday home tours scheduled this year, take some lessons from three new books packed with ideas and directions.

In ``The Spirit of Christmas'' (Leisure Arts; $24.95), a group of writers and editors made a group effort to provide everything you need for celebrating in style, from tabletop topiaries and seeded star ornaments to feather wreaths and chair-back decorations. There's also a chapter devoted to giving a yuletide tea that features a tree decorated with tea party items, a lamp made out of a silver teapot and the pastries to serve at the party.

In ``Flowers, White House Style: More Than 125 Arrangements by the Former White House Chief Floral Decorator'' (Simon & Schuster; $40) by Dottie Temple, you'll learn trade secrets on making the most elegant floral arrangements for any occasion. Temple shares sweet memories of each president's era and gives instructions for an ``Old Glory'' wreath made with a twig base, wild greens, holly, chestnuts and Spanish moss held in place with the zap of a glue gun, then accented with a flag-patterned ribbon.

You'll find more ideas for Christmas and the rest of the year in the recent book ``Stephanie Hoppen's Decorating With Style: Elegant Details and Creative Solutions for Transforming Your Home'' (Clarkson Potter; $35). All three volumes are available at local bookstores.

OUTDOOR WARMTH: Pulling a chair up to the fireplace is a different experience on the West Coast. Sure, there are fireplaces in L.A., but nobody actually uses them. You're more likely to see fireside chats out at the patio next to the barbecue or those cute chimneys made of terra cotta, but the latter requires real wood logs, which means messy ashes to clean up. A more stylish alternative for the local lifestyle is Coleman's new ``Back Home'' outdoor gas log patio hearth. It's a tall and shapely stainless-steel design with a flickering flame burning atop realistic ceramic logs fueled by propane. You can find it at home improvement and patio stores for $200 to $350, depending on size and design. For more information, see Coleman's Web site at www.coleman.com or call [phone].

THE CHRISTMAS CHAIR: Sure, you could spray paint your favorite chair in red or green, but the solid maple Hitchcock Christmas chair is a keepsake to bring out every year with the Christmas tree angel and ornaments. The Hitchcock Christmas chair is based on a 200-year-old design noted for its handwoven rush seat and painted to order by New England folk artist Lori Skolik with a different design each year. This year it's a wintery scene trimmed with garlands and folk art designs, priced at $700. To order, call the Connecticut factory at [phone].

TOOL TIME: Do-it-yourselfers have a trio of Saturdays to sharpen their skills, beginning today (with repeat sessions on Dec. 21 and 28) at Home Depot stores. The free home improvement workshops start at 9 a.m. with power tools. At 10 a.m., you can learn how to prepare your house for winter, and at 11 a.m. there is a two-hour class on installing ceramic tile. Still haven't mastered faux painting techniques? Learn how at 1 p.m.

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(1) no caption (Book: ``Stephanie Hoppen's Decorating With Style: Elegant Details and Creative Solutions for Transforming Your Home'')

(2) no caption (Coleman's ``Back Home'' outdoor gas log patio hearth)

(3) no caption (Hitchcock Christmas chair)