Winter Decor Ideas
This time of year we are looking for what to do next with our home and decor. For those that love decorating, you may be just as excited to get the Christmas decor down and change things up as you are for Christmas morning… For those that are like me and perhaps aren’t overly enthused about un-decorating the holiday decor they just put up, you may be able to un-decorate systematically to relieve some of the stress. I wanted to get this post up before the New Year in case any of you are like me & start to take your decor down the day after New Year’s Day.
What is Winter Decor?
Some think Winter Decor is only Christmas decor or holiday decor, winter decor is not only much more than that but maybe more important for us mentally. For me, winter decor is capturing those elements from Nature, colors, textures, and overall vibe & bringing that into various vignettes around the house. What does nature provide us in this season & how can we use it in our homes.
Winter greens carry most of my seasonal decor. A stress-free approach to un-decorating for the holidays with winter decor being a focus is to remove the festive garlands, and ornaments, to leave faux or real pine trees nested around in corners of your home. Trees left “naked” capture the perfect wintergreen color as well texture.
Don’t fully un-decorate your spaces
For those that don’t love decorating as much as some of us… a typical approach after Christmas passes, is to take down one room entirely, and move around your whole house. I encourage you to wait, look around your house and pack up your red items, Santa figurines, ornaments, and anything that says Christmas on it. Take a step back, and you’ll be amazed at how your home already feels wintery & cozy. This way you can extend some of your cozy decor longer into the winter season, you don’t lose an entire day or weekend taking down Christmas, making it more enjoyable and manageable. Plus you won’t be exhausted!
Beat seasonal depression with cozy decor
Winter decor is so very important. Naturally, the winter season and seasonal depression go hand-in-hand, especially the month of February, which can be one of the most inherited depressive times of the year. The highs of the holiday season are over, with shorter and colder days and sometimes the lack of sunshine and vitamin D. The elements may be stacked against you, outside of any personal challenges. A cozy home you are happy to come home to and be in can be just the perfect thing that keeps you moving forward with a smile on your face.
Winter Decor for me is all about the five senses.
It’s those cozy layers- think wool blankets/throws and antique quilts. It’s a fresh outdoor woodsy citrus scent in the diffuser, lighting candles late afternoon as the sun slips lower in the sky. It’s greenery- faux or real in the corners of my spaces.
Beyond the deco, its cozy comfy clothes, a roaring fire and making sure to appreciate those quiet moments with a good book, an early morning walk after an overnight snowfall.
I encourage people to find their own version of cozy, and display that in their home during the winter months to help keep them feeling cozy and happy during this time of year. Just like the emotional high of the holiday seasons, the house is decorated beautifully and festive for a month or more, to be wiped clean from the end of December to March, can be even more depressing than the lack of sunshine and vitamin D. My definition of cozy is my fives sense being at peace at once. As you un-decorate this year, consider your 5 senses & how to factor each one into your home decor for the winter season.
Outside of ensuring our home is cozy with lots of layers, light and uplifting scents, these are some of the things I do to help me weather the next couple of months emotionally:
Stick to a routine
Get lots of sleep- go to bed early and get up early
Drink lots of water
Take my supplements every day
Diffuse uplifting oils in my diffusers
Get outside at least once a day even if it’s a short walk around the acreage
Do a small creative project at home. This one is huge for me. I will plan a small home project or two for the month of January/February.
Spend time doing something that I love- last year I knit a throw blanket and picked up reading on a regular basis. I read over 50 books in 2021!
I hope this post helps you better define and realize what winter decor is and how it can help you easily transition from Christmas or holiday decor. I have found these ideas can serve as a happy escape to the winter blues.
I hope you’ll join us for the 5 Day Design Challenge. It is FREE and it is meant to help us refresh our homes without spending any money, without the overwhelm. It’s going to be just plain fun, build some camaraderie and we will refresh a space or area of your home while we are at it.
Love to see you there and let’s refresh your space together!
