Dublin’s always nice neighborhoods are especially beautiful this time of year, with homes draped in bright Christmas lights and decorations – some professionally installed – that are especially spectacular.

Mike VanZwieten, owner of Powell-based Technicare, decorates more than a dozen Dublin homes each year for owners who don’t have the time or would rather have professionals add holiday glitz to their abodes.

Chris Apfelstadt, a Dublin native and owner of Holiday Illuminations, is also a full-service installer who provides everything to make homes transform into shining highlights in the neighborhood.

VanZwieten especially likes the work he does on one particular Dublin home. It involves lighted decorations on both the front of the home and the backyard, not a widely adopted plan but one which he readily supports.

The clients (who asked not to be named) want something they can look out and see from the most lived-in part of the home, he says. VanZwieten adds that the fronts of most homes have offices or dining or sitting rooms, while a great room with a window wall is typically at the rear.

On the same home, VanZwieten uses predominately white lighting with single color accents on bushes. The rear yard features a lighted pond and waterfall, with a color accent, plus lighting on adjacent trees to create an atmosphere befitting a picture postcard.

Bonnie Georgia and her husband Parker Jarvis recently turned to VanZwieten for their holiday décor. Because they are both busy professionals – Georgia is a realtor and Jarvis a dentist – they decided to have lights installed on their home in Indian Run, just north of Historic Dublin, and discussed ideas with Jeff Turner, service manager at Technicare. He suggested a cascade of red and white lights hanging from the branches of a white-lighted tree.

Bonnie agreed and left the rest of the decisions to Turner, telling him, “Do what you think would be nice and surprise me.” The couple went out to dinner one night in late October while the company decorated the house and roof outline, added lights to trees and bushes and placed some wreaths.

When they came home, “Everything was blazing and bright,” Bonnie says. “We’re tickled to death.” Bonnie described the first-ever lighting to her daughter in Boston, who now says she may change her mind and come home for Christmas.

VanZwieten says the holiday trends are moving away from using all-white lights, which have been in vogue in recent years. Now solid colors are being added to shrubbery and trees as accents to white lights. Multi-color strands are seldom, if ever, used.

Apfelstadt and VanZwieten agree on the advantages of their installations.

“(Customers) never have to touch a light. We design, buy, install, maintain and store,” Apfelstadt says.

VanZwieten adds some clients may want professional installations to reach high places because they are unable to do so.

Chuck and Sherry Torson traditionally have two white-lighted artificial trees on the front porch of the family home off Bright Road. For the last two years, Apfelstadt has installed lights on large bushes along part of the driveway and front walk to complement the trees.

The Torsons have four kids and eight grandkids, who all say they liked the display. Neighbors have added their compliments, as well.

“It’s a nice service,” Chuck says. “I’m just getting to the age where I don’t want to do it anymore.”

Duane St. Clair is a contributing editor for Dublin Life.