When the seasons begin to transition from fall to winter, you know it’s time to dress the entire home into something more toasty and comfy. While a holiday makeover sounds like it’s a lot of work to pull off in a very short amount of time, it doesn’t have to be stressful.
You don’t have to make it perfect and you can always decorate on a budget. What’s important is that you capture the holiday spirit the way you know how.
That said, here are six tips to help you get started if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed about making your home merry and bright this holiday season.
Declutter and Deep Clean
Before you begin decorating your entire home for the holidays, it’s always a good idea to declutter and clean everything first. If there are any items that you haven’t used in the past year, you can either toss them, sell them, or donate them. Doing this will help you organize more effectively and decorate more easily as there’s less stuff in the way.
After, you can do a thorough cleaning of your house to give it a fresh and pristine look right before you start creating a more festive atmosphere.
Come Up with a Simple Yet Festive Color Palette
One of the best ways to have a consistent and cohesive look all over your home is to choose one or two festive accent colors and find a way to incorporate those in your decor. Think ribbons, patterned pillows, scented candles, fluffy blankets, and even your family’s Christmas stockings.
You can go for the traditional Christmas colors like the ever-present green and red pairing, or you can switch it up by mixing in hues from the same color families. For a more elevated and modern twist of this classic Christmas combination, try burgundy and chartreuse.
You can also do something completely different such as white and brown, black and gold, and blush and copper.
Add Warmth and Light
Make your home a little more inviting this holiday season by burning some wood-scented candles. Opt for warm, dim lighting to give an ambiance of coziness. Another way to make your house feel warm is through textures so bust out those chunky knits and velvets.
Keep guests comfy and warm with fleece throw pillows and blankets. You can also rearrange your furniture so that it faces your Christmas tree or fireplace. This can become the perfect gathering spot for the whole family and your guests as you enjoy some winter entertainment.
Less is More
While the holiday season is known for its extravagance, you really don’t have to overwhelm yourself and your house with way too much decor and the price tag that comes with them.
Too many decorations will only result in every single one of them competing for attention, making it all look chaotic and cluttered. As with anything that involves home styling, keep it as simple as possible.
There’s nothing wrong with store-bought materials and ornaments, especially if you don’t have time to hand-knit your pillowcases and tree skirts. You can make inexpensive ornaments look elegant and festive just by grouping them together or arranging them in unique ways.
Alternatively, if you’ve collected more ornaments than you can count over the years, it’s the best time to use them. Place your spare multicolored balls and bulbs in apothecary jars or clear, decorative bowls of varying heights and use them in different areas of your home.
Include a Touch of Fragrant Greenery
Aside from what you can see and what you can touch, another way to bring out a festive and wintry mood is through the sense of smell. Add a natural touch to your home with fragrant greenery such as boxwood cuttings, freshly cut white hydrangeas, and evergreen sprigs.
For your dinner table, you can add fresh holly and a few magnolia leaves to napkin rings or place cards. If you don’t have resources for these around you, a scented candle or a DIY holiday potpourri will do the trick.
Don’t Forget the Outside
It’s easy to get caught up in all the decorations and themes of the inside of your house, but don’t forget to match it all up outside as well. Whatever your aesthetic vision is for your interior styling should reflect on your home’s exterior.
This is especially important if you have huge windows that will peek into your home. The decorations inside should tie well into what you have on your front porch.
You can test this out easily by standing in your yard and seeing how it all comes together.
Creating a warm and cozy atmosphere through home styling isn’t an easy task, but it shouldn’t give you an overload of stress. After all, this time of the year is about getting to see the people you love and having a great time together.
So, take a deep breath as you make your home more festive and inviting for the ones who matter and enjoy the process.
