The winter holiday season brings energy and activity to our lives. Parties, baking, and shopping throughout November and December keep many of us burning the candle at both ends! But when the holiday hype and excitement is over, we are left with a few more months of frosty mornings and leafless trees. It's common to feel a little confused about how to decorate your home during this “waiting” period. Waiting for what? Spring, of course! Until the days grow longer and the birds start chirping, here's our advice: Settle in to that cozy, warm place you call home, adorning it with the beauty of winter.
Winter Decorating Color Choices
It’s no secret that the winter months with their cold, short days can be a bit of a drag. We stay indoors more and are less active (adding pounds to our waistlines, right?). What if this extra time spent in your home could actually make you feel a little lighter? Your decorative color choices have a lot to do with your mood and can make a significant positive emotional and psychological response. Golds look fantastic when paired with vibrant colors of the season like juicy cranberry, deep burgundy, or teal. Opposites do attract, so try a bright mustard yellow with black and white to really make a bold statement with your color selection.
Keep in mind that less can be more while decorating your home. Go for a clean, decluttered look this time of year to help lighten the mood! Do you love the white linen sofas in Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware catalogs? If you think there are too many sticky hands and wet doggy noses “decorating” your furniture, the good news is you can actually live in your home and create a similar look:
- Use a white/light colored machine-washable slipcover on your sofa through the winter months to lighten up your space. Slipcovers can change the entire look of your room and extend the life of your upholstery, plus you don’t have to spend a fortune on them!!
- Have fun with your throw pillows, too. This is a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to decorate for any season. This winter, mix winter whites with metallic and soft natural colors to create an inviting balance.
Winter Light
Speaking of light, there are lots of ways to brighten up spaces in your home. Here are two of my favorite techniques:
- Make up for lost sunlight by changing lightbulbs to those that emit blue or white light — these bulbs mimic natural sunlight best.
- Use mirrors to add light — hang a wall mirror behind a lamp to help reflect light, or use a collection of small mirrors on a wall opposite windows.
- Use a metallic accessory or two in each room, or add a couple of metallic accent lamps to illuminate your room.
Accessories for Winter Décor
After you choose your color scheme, it’s time to accessorize. Add a personal touch by making your own accessories if you dare! Think artic animals like snow owls, penguins, moose, etc. Use a swatch of faux fur, antlers, or dark feathers to create your masterpiece. Repurpose old sweaters by using the sleeves to wrap around vases and glass votives. Just search Pinterest for winter crafts, and you'll find countless options from the simple to the complex.
Keeping in the spirit of bringing the outdoors in, here are a few more accessory suggestions:
- Bulbs add a shot of bright color and life to any room. Amaryllis and Paper Whites are available during the holiday season and make a cheerful, elegant accent.
- Aromatherapy can be your friend! While many love to use traditional “winter” scents during the winter months, consider this fun way to bring a little piece of “summer” to your home during the chilly months. Burn candles, use diffusers, or other scented products in summertime scents like grapefruit, orange, and lemon, which are known to energize and uplift. Or, if you're needing to relax after the busy holidays, try bergamot, jasmine, and clary sage, which are said to help relieve stress and anxiety. Who doesn’t need that?!
Even Easier, Simpler Tips to Brighten Your Home in Winter
However you choose to furnish and dress your home, don’t stress about it! Be patient when you are out shopping for accessories, waiting until the right items hit you. If you make choices out frustration or desperation, these items typically find their way to the yard sale or Goodwill bag pretty quickly. More than anything else, the simplest things can help you feel energized as the new year begins:
- Keeping your curtains, shades, or blinds open to let natural sunlight in.
- Decluttering and tidying your collections of valuables, tchotchkes, junk, and clean laundry piles.
- Do a "spring cleaning" a few months early. You'll feel lighter and more productive right away!
Let us lighten your load this winter: If we can provide you with any assistance related to buying or selling residential property in Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem, Summerfield, Oak Ridge, Jamestown, and other Piedmont Triad areas, call us at (336) 790-5210, email Steve Vincent, and visit our website at greatnest.com for more information. The Vincent Group at GreatNest is a full-service real estate company serving buyers and sellers that will save you money in buying or selling a home by charging a low set fee instead of a percentage commission. Our experienced real estate professionals are ready to answer your questions or get started looking for the property that suits your taste and budget.