I have been hearing this a lot lately. After you set out all of your lovely Christmas decor the house looks so festive and cozy.
People don’t notice dreary weather because Christmas is around the corner, where there will be lots of baking, good food, time with family and presents. When the holidays are over and the tinsel has been swept from the floor the room can look very bare. Now rainy weather just looks dreary.
Do you remember Narnia when the White Witch was in control? It was always winter, but never Christmas.
So what can you do so your home doesn’t look bare and empty after the holiday decorations are put up?
- Embrace the empty space.
No really, I’m serious.
I used to have my home very full of furniture and accessories. Then after watching too many episodes of DESIGNED TO SELL on HGTV, I began to notice how much better the homes looked with less stuff in them. On the show, to prepare the homes to show their best, the expert would usually remove a lot of furniture from the house and make it more neutral. That got me thinking. If a house shows better with less stuff in it, then wouldn’t it ‘live’ better also? I began to remove things, and found I really loved having fewer things in my home. At first the space would look empty because I was used to seeing a lot of things in the room, but gradually I got used to the ‘blank spaces’ and began to really love them.
2. Move things around
Before the holidays, I had a big bottle on my island.
I decided to clean it (Big mistake) and it broke. If you follow me on INSTAGRAM, then you know this already. I used the jar as a hurricane lamp when the bottom broke off.
Don’t put everything back the way it was before the holidays. You may need a new look for your home. It’s amazing how much better things look when you simply move things from one room to another. On the kitchen island I took off the big bottle and put my collection of blue and white pitchers and creamers there instead. I am keeping the winter greenery there for now.
3. Evaluate your Design
Are you happy with your __________? Do you like the wall color? Do you like your table? Do you like your lamp?
At one point I didn’t like how the wall looked, so I kept adding and adding stuff to the wall. Then I realized it wasn’t the lack of art that made it look bad; I just didn’t like the color any more. It didn’t matter how many pretty pictures I added, I just was not going to like that wall until it was painted.
So now is a great time to look at your room and honestly ask yourself if the problem is that it is too bare or if there is something else about the room you don’t like.
4. Spend your money wisely on something new
So let’s say you just can’t get into the whole ‘less is more’ thing. And maybe you’ve tried moving things around but it’s still too bare. Perhaps you have even done some soul searching and have determined that problem lies not in what is in the room, but what is missing from the room. So really the next course of action is to get something new for your room. Hopefully you are the lucky recipient of a gift card or even cash in your stocking. So let’s work on selecting something that will really give your room something special.
For the room below, I had a few cloches and a bottle on the console in the back between the two lamps. This was a before Christmas photo.
So my big purchases were for the olive jug and the column base. I simply moved the cloches to the table and to other places in the house. I like that the jug added a bit of color to the room, but not too much.
Then on the table, I added some things from the kitchen, but also added some new items – the Provencal style urn and the French style wire basket that are new. Those items are available in my shop.
So how do you reboot your decor after the holidays?
This is part of the DIY TIPS AND TRICKS series.
Love the changes, and that urn is fabulous!
Anita,
I l o v e your design strategies, dear friend!!!
Just finished redesigning the built~in cabinet here on the Prairie!!!
LOVE the addition of a subtle color after Christmas!!!
Sorry about your glass jug!!!
Fondly,
Pat
I love decorating for Christmas, but as the years go by, I truly love how the house looks when it all comes down and the cleaner look shines through….Actually my favorite time to refresh the house is after Christmas. Great tips and love your home every day of the year!
I leave some decor up for a few weeks, fireside swags and mantle arrangement. My Christmas trimming tends towards green, white and gold so it works for a longer season. When I am ready to switch, I bring in fresh flowers and greenery and move my blue and white pottery around.
I. Love changing things around. Its what I do best. Less is more, and I m in the process of letting go of some things. I think my favorite things stand out and can be appreciated more when there is less to look at.
May I ask where u got those gorgeous lamps on the console in the dining room? Wow, lovely.
Oh yes THOSE LAMPS! I get asked about them a lot, which is sad because they have been discontinued. I have been in contact with the wholesaler, and they don’t carry the any more.
Hi Anita. I always read your news letters. I really enjoy your style!
I have seen you comment on your daughter who has Down Syndrome. But I see much more about Evie. I too have a child with Down Syndrome. Also, a daughter who is 11.
I embrace my son’s challenges. He is extremely special. We would be lost without him. I know you feel this way too. But to readers who dont have the blessing of having a special needs child, it may seem that your lack of comments about your other daughter is a sign of embarrassment. I do not wish to cause a stir. I meerly would like to see more of your other beautiful daughter as well as Evie.
I will try to show more SpecialMom. the difficulty is that when I mention stuff about her, I get told that I am doing something wrong. If I don’t mention her I am thought to be embarrassed by her. Honestly if I paint something red, it should be blue. If I paint something blue, it should be red. It’s a difficult spot and I get criticized no matter what I do. So I often don’t mention her at all, to avoid the negativity. I know you have a soft heart and are mentioning this because you want to hear about her. I am sure most readers don’t realize all the flack bloggers get for everything that gets misinterpreted. I appreciate your reaching out to me. I think you DO have a valid point and I will try to do more. But just know in the meantime, the ‘why’ behind my silence. And if someone says something ugly about her, then I am going to be truly sorry I shared anything. Thank you!!
I love everything you do to help us be the best we can be when it comes to design. When I read the above thread my heart went out to you. Not because what she said is mean it’s because you have to do what you want to do in your heart and if you don’t want to share private stuff then don’t. I know it must have been difficult to answer her, but you had the courage to do so and I admire that. Keep doing what your doing and thank you for making our world a beautiful place.
Thank you Sharon! Hugs. And I agree, it was not mean, just an honest question.
I love the sheep statue! I collect lambs and sheep.
I totally agree with the sadness/starkness of after the Holidays…this year I’m embracing the stark…we’ll see how it goes!
http://doodlet.me/2016/01/embrace-the-starkness/
After taking down Christmas decorations the first of January, I put up snowmen decor that I have collected over many years. I switch everything from red and green and gold to blue and silver and white. I take down my big trees and decorate a smaller tree with snowmen, snow flakes, white globe lights (they look like snowballs) and shimmery white ornaments. My pillows covers get changed, as do my throws, towels, table decor and kitchen curtains. When I first started doing this I shopped the after Christmas sales and snapped up anything snowman related at a fraction of the cost they would have been. It is a nice change and since I live where there is snow this time of year it doesn’t look out of place.
LOVE this post – it is so true too. I took down all the decorations and my house actually FELT cold (okay so the weather didn’t help) but apparently having the Christmas tree and other items literally filled what seemed to be the cold spots of my house.
I absolutely love your kitchen/island and share the same urn/vases you have. Sorry to hear you broke one.
I just discovered you blog and have fallen in love with it. Can you share where you purchased your French style counter stools. We just moved into our new constructed home and we are using French Farmhouse as our theme.
Thank you
I think you are talking about the Restoration hardware stools. I also have some others, so I don’t know which ones you are asking about.
Help Love your kitchen, however I am dying to know what type of counter do you have. Is is granite? if so, which one. I am told marble doesn’t work but I am having a difficult time in finding a granite look alike.
Love your home and your tips, I am presently trying to go more french country in my kitchen now.
Thank you
It is granite, white river, which may be impossible to find now.