For most of us, this time of the year is meant to be enjoyed with family and friends, but we often find ourselves exhausted in the rush to decorate our homes for Christmas and the New Year. Could there be a quick and easy way to decorate the home, you ask? In the spirit of new beginnings, here are seven tips that will surely make your home a more beautiful, efficient, clean and green place this season.
Get one, toss two
One of the best and least expensive ways to feel better about your home is to clear the clutter. Each year, we acquire a mountain of things and before we realise, it becomes hard to find the things that we truly enjoy. All that clutter makes the house look dated and messy. So, fill your home with things that elevate your spirits and make you feel good, and get rid of things that drain your energy. Get ready to breathe a little easier in your home.
Create pockets of hygge
Surround yourself with warmth. Bring out the scented candles and lanterns. You may also want to consider your electric light strategy. Usually, several small lamps around the room create more magic than one big light. You can also create small caves of golden light around the room. The most effective way to achieve this goal is to create a balance between different kinds of lighting in your rooms - incorporate table lamps and floor lamps and both upward and downward light.
Get a little tree
Some might say that Christmas is incomplete without a tree, but that doesn't mean it has to be huge. Guests won't miss your holiday doormat when it is illuminated with mini trees on either side. Alternatively, decorate an entryway or coffee table with fir, spruce or pine branches in an oversized vase.
Dress up the couch
When the season calls for snuggling up on the couch and watching Christmas movies, you don't want to skimp on the throw pillows. Nothing perks up a drab sofa more quickly than a fluffy cushion or two or three. These little packages deliver a wallop of character, colour and texture that is disproportionate to their size. Now, just for a little while, give yourself a holiday break on the cosy couch. It's all about experiencing happiness in life's simple pleasures.
Set up the dinner table
And in focusing on the table, feel free to deviate from the standard red and green colour palette. Pick your favourite colour and combine it with gold or silver accents. To improvise, add a sprig of pine to the holiday napkin ribbon bow.
Add details to bookshelves
Use your bookshelves as an opportunity to inject a bit of holiday flair. Wrap books with leftover wrapping paper in wintry prints. Bring in bowls of baubles and ornaments, desktop trees and other holiday accents to create the season's vignette in your home.
Create a conversational layout
Finally, take some time to rearrange your furniture in a dual axis so it is oriented in conversation groups and not just facing the television. That just might up the chances for board game nights, happy conversations and stronger connections in the New Year.
(The author is design manager,
Urban Ladder)