Fall is in full effect, but before we blink our eyes Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa will be here and no matter which holiday you celebrate and enjoy the most, I think the time is now to get started on your holiday décor plan! A Yougov.com poll shows that most American households start decorating on Thanksgiving Day or before the end of November which can put a little strain on your overall holiday budget. We are all aware that everything currently costs more, and Americans spent approximately $240.00 last year just on holiday decorations for the interior of their home, which might be a little pricey, but you don’t have to break the bank to have a home you can be proud for the holiday season. If you love holidays like I do- here are some tips that can really help us lean into holiday decorating and still have money for gifts too!
Seven tips on how to decorate for the Holidays like an Interior Designer
- Start early but decorate slowly. If your plan is to host Thanksgiving, there is nothing better than having some festive ambiance to kick off the holidays the right way! Decorating in November will also help you pace yourself, so you get the most out of your decorations for the entire season. If you have an artificial tree, put it on display but only with white twinkling lights then layer in décor that inspires the seasonality of fall, such as pinecones, branches, etc. This will keep your space neutral, but once Thanksgiving dinner is over and recuperation is under way- then start to layer in color, with ornaments, garland, accents pillows, and all the extras throughout your home!
- Pick a holiday color scheme and/or theme and be consistent with it. A less is more approach is important here for a few reasons. By streamlining your color scheme, such as red, white and green then nail down a theme, you can stretch your décor throughout your home in several different spaces small and large for a cohesive unified decorative aesthetic. This also allows you to grow with your theme, family and friends will even gift you items around your theme and you can continually reuse your décor each year when and where you choose. If you love Dr. Suess and the Grinch character go in that direction and really exaggerate the look based on your budget. Use grinch stuffed animals, print quirky quotes from the movie to make ornaments and banners. Take the theme as far as you can to really make it impactful.
Image courtesy of Me. Dr. Seuss themed Christmas Tree - Create Vignettes throughout your home. A vignette is a small evocative illustration or special moment in time and space. A little can go a long way if you use what you have and are creative with the space you have. If you choose not to deck out your entire home, curate small moments in locations that will provide the most impact. For example, a collection of decorative colorful and sparkly Christmas ornaments in a large clear decorative bowl on a table or consider decorating a credenza at bottom of a stairway by covering the top with festive pillowy artificial snow and then nestling photos of friends and family in inexpensive frames in the same finish/color and style, add a few well-placed battery-operated candles for ambiance and voile you have a festive moment!
Image courtesy of Alamy. Christmas ornament vignette at fireplace mantle. - Use the Architectural features in your home to guide your decisions. If you have a two-story foyer, breathtaking staircase, beautiful archways, long exaggerated hallway, or large window these are picture perfect areas which are already beautiful year-round and when you add holiday flare now you have the perfect backdrop for any holiday décor that can be highlighted with white holiday lights, candles, ornaments, garland and poinsettias, etc.
Image courtesy of Pinterest. Festive holiday archway + entry. - Go BIG where it counts! Small decorative holiday vignettes are perfect on fireplace mantles and coffee tables, etc. but one large impactful moment is needed as an exclamation point within your home. In most instances this could be a Christmas tree located in an entry foyer, a large-scale nutcracker figurine in front of a picturesque window or consider a winter wonderland theme with a grouping of holiday trees of different sizes. Whatever your decision, make certain there is one large WOW moment and allow all the other décor to compliment it.
Image courtesy of Wayfair. Large African American nutcracker - Let there be light! Putting the debate over white lights vs. colorful lights aside- regardless of your personal preference – be consistent as holiday lights are an inexpensive way to decorate almost any space for the holidays. Holiday lights create instant ambiance and add that magic twinkle needed for the holidays. Use bright or neon-colored lights to set the mood for any room in your home. LED lights with timers that slowly change color are also a great addition to locations such as trees and garlands, but also consider unpredictable locations such as an intentional tangled grouping of lights in an oversized clear glass vase on a dining table, your options are endless!
Image courtesy of Balsam Hill. Denali White Christmas Tree w/twinkling light show lights. - Seasonal objects can play double duty for the holidays. Pinecones and branches can take you from October to January and they are free, it just depends on how and where you place them. A little bit of time and sone creativity can take you a long way here. Consider spray painting pinecones in a light frost blue or any color of your choosing and string them up high along the perimeter of your living room walls for a contemporary rustic garland border. Repeat this in a few areas for consistency and intentionality.
Image courtesy of Pinterest. DIY pinecone garland
Hopefully some of these tips will continue to inspire you all. Five stores I frequent when shopping for holiday décor include Home Goods, Frontgate, Big Lots, Dillards and Target. Don’t overthink things and decorate in a way that is suitable for your lifestyle. Remember the holidays are about abundance, abundance of friends, family, fun, good food and don’t forget great décor!
