This could be the Christmas you go mad.

We're talking "Mad Men," the AMC series set in the advertising business that exposes the underside of the American dream in the early 1960s.

And, oh, does it ooze style.

There's the suave and complex Don Draper, impeccable in well-cut suits and Brylcreemed hair. There's the sleek headquarters of Sterling Cooper, the Madison Avenue advertising firm where Draper built his career. There's the Manhattan night life beckoning us from our middle-American lives.

Sure, there's also sexism, infidelity, greed and ambition run amok.

But wouldn't you just love a little of that glamour?

And why not? The holidays are a time for pulling out the stops, so it's a perfect opportunity for adding a dash of early-'60s flair to your celebration.

First, let's set ourselves in a "Mad Men" mode.

In the Kennedy era, much of America clung to the traditional decorating style of wall-hung eagles and wing-back sofas — the style embodied in the Draper home. But the forward thinkers were embracing the clean-lined International Modern style, the style of the Sterling Cooper offices.

Leather, chrome, glass and mid-tone woods were on the cutting edge of decor. So were solid-color textiles, tight cushions on upholstered furniture and jolts of color such as bright turquoise and intense orange, said Pamela Evens, interim associate dean of Kent State University's College of Architecture and Interior Design and a fan of both "Mad Men" and midcentury design.

Sofas were long, draperies extended from ceiling to floor and lamps were tall to highlight the ubiquitous picture window, Evans said.

It was a futuristic time, when space flights captivated the country, technology was streaking ahead and the avant-garde wanted to leave old ways behind. Even TV shows of the time, from "The Jetsons" to "Star Trek," captured America's fascination with tomorrow, noted Virginia Gunn, professor of clothing, textiles and interiors at the University of Akron.

That midcentury aesthetic is embodied in Joe Valenti's 1954 ranch-style home on Cleveland's far West Side. For Valenti, that style is a natural: He owns Flower Child, a retro-hip store in the city that specializes in items from the 1930s to the 1970s.

This time of year, vintage Christmas decorations have Valenti's house even more seriously steeped in a "Mad Men" vibe. So we turned to him for suggestions on bringing a little Madness home for the holidays:

PUT ON THE GLITZ

Perhaps no holiday decoration symbolizes the way the '60s turned tradition on its ear like a tinsel tree. Leave it bare to reflect the light of a rotating color wheel, as Valenti does, or dress it in simple ball ornaments, all in the same color.

Put away the light strings, though. Metal and electricity don't mix, which is why the color wheel came about.

Want a look that's more elegant than kitschy? Opt for a fake flocked tree, decorated in ornaments in elongated cigar shapes and nontraditional colors.

Or take a more traditional approach: Decorate a real tree with the ornaments from World War II and the '50s, the kind that might have been handed down to a young couple like the Drapers.

TOAST THE HOLIDAYS

Entertaining at home was the rule in the '60s, Valenti said, and a party was a reason to dress up. Often the aim was to impress the boss.

No early-'60s party would be complete without cocktails. Highballs, Manhattans, Old-Fashioneds, vodka Collinses — all would have been within the drink-mixing capabilities of any respectable host of the time.

You don't need to serve alcohol to dip into that cocktail culture. Mocktails look extra sophisticated served in stemmed martini glasses or rocks glasses printed with vintage designs. A cocktail shaker is the perfect accompaniment.

Or what about a punch bowl filled with eggnog, served in matching punch cups?

Don't forget the swizzle sticks and paper cocktail napkins, preferably printed with jokes.

LIGHTEN UP

With drinking went smoking in the '60s. And you can bet the higher-ups of an advertising agency that counted tobacco companies among its clients would have been puffing with abandon.

No, we're not suggesting you light up. But consider one of the common accoutrements of that era: the ashtray. Ashtrays were everywhere in the early '60s.

Setting a few ashtrays around establishes your decorating style firmly in the era. But don't think of them as just receptacles for ashes, Valenti said. Fill them with vintage ornaments. Use them to hold stick-on name tags for your guests.

MUNCH A BUNCH

Neither Martha Stewart's inflated expectations nor Sam's Club's fancy heat-and-eat appetizers had entered the entertainment realm, so party food tended to be simple. Chips, pretzels and mixed nuts were about all that was expected, Valenti said.

But of course, it's all in the presentation. Potato chips and Lawson's dip are elevated to new importance in a vintage glass chip-and-dip set.

TURN UP THE TUNES

No need to spin vinyl to bring the sounds of the '60s to your celebration. Download some MP3s of Tony Bennett and Johnny Mathis crooning Christmas classics, and your "Mad Men" mood is set.