Decorating is a skill. And if you are anything like us it can be a bit overwhelming, especially at the holidays. We may have a tendency to go a bit overboard. To make sure we are hitting the right tone and balance we reached out to two Northern Virginia interior designers to get some tips so our homes are spot on in the decor department.
Dawn Earles, with Dawn Earles Design LLC, shares six tips to keep in mind when starting on your decorating. And Ana Djevenica, CID, with Total Home Design and Remodeling lays out a plethora of ideas and tips below.
- Make it your own. Whether it be traditional, trendy, or simple, mixing pieces from the past to present is key and sparks memories.
- Create a color scheme … many to choose, from red, green, and gold to mauve, burgundy, and champagne throughout the home adding fresh or faux garland, flowers, bows, colorful ornaments, and yummy scented candles or plug-ins to keep the home smelling great.
- Etsy and local craft shops during this time can be helpful in adding unique ornaments, wooden signs, holiday pillows, and throws to cozy up the space and bring in some texture.
- Create a focal point either from a fireplace mantel or accent wall and highlight with, holiday art, garland, decor from home stores like Home Goods or Michaels from metallic to gold vases, ceramic trees, and reindeers.
- Group in three’s when placing decor pieces on a table or counter. Cluster the items together varying in height.
- Don’t forget the front of the home. Adding a wreath, with colorful bows or garland to adorn the front door is a nice touch and speaks to the Joyous season.
Holidays are a time of cheer and happiness, and just like getting dressed up and unrecognizable at Halloween, we tend to overdo our holiday décor, and spend a significant amount of money on new décor every year. But it can all be simpler and more enjoyable if we DIY our holiday décor from items we have around our home. Items we never use, and are not needed anymore, but we can restore their shine by repurposing them.
By Ana Djevenica, CID, with Total Home Design and Remodeling
Decorating the Mantel
Spruce up your fireplace mantel garland with some leftover ribbon from last year. Use ribbon as your main decorating element: tying it into bows, adding some acorns you’ve collected this fall, and hanging extra tree ornaments that you will not use on your tree this year. Be creative and make it fun. You can use any color.
For a simpler but impactful look, opt for asymmetrical mantel garland with some slim candles on top of the mantel.
Decorating the Entry Door
Dress up your front door in a garland you decorated with old plastic ornaments you still have floating in your Christmas boxes that never get used anymore. Give them life again.
Decorating the Foyer
If you don’t have a large entryway, place a red chair or another small piece of furniture, red pillows, or rug in your foyer, and dress it up. Anything red symbolizes Christmas.
Decorating the Christmas Tree
Do you prefer to keep it traditional? Are nostalgic about holidays at grandma’s? Want to show your children how your childhood tree was decorated? You can use old fashioned candy in a shiny wrap and fake candle lights to give your tree a vintage vibe.
Decorating the Shelves
Use various size books to make a little tree and place a bow on top. Creative and simple décor for your bookshelf.
Decorating the Table or Kitchen Island
For a simple but unique main centerpiece you can use nativity scene, or fill several decorating glass jars with unused round ornaments in various festive colors.
Decorating the Overall House
To bring more holiday spirit, decorate various nooks of your home, side table or console table with the cuts of holly in a vase; vintage looking jewelry boxes in cascading order from smallest to largest; or three tier serving tray where you’ve placed your most beautiful ornaments mixed with some evergreen branches.
Decorating with a Wall-Mounted Tree
For households that have pets or small kids, and don’t want to decorate the tree with a baby gate around it, here’s a great idea: a wall mounted two-dimensional tree that you can mount outside the reach of little paws and fingers, and still have the real Christmas tree feel.
1 Comment.
This is a magnificent article. The suggestions, many of them novel, are inspiring. I want to create all of this right now.