An Uncluttered Christmas
Recently I have been blogging about the cost of home improvements. I think it is important to be as transparent as possible about budget and costs when talking home renovation, because it is a necessary and important part of the process. When working with clients I make budget one of the first topics of conversation and I take budgets very seriously, working within them to execute the final design that my clients love. I plan to complete more posts about estimating project costs and project planning in the future but today let’s take a break from that topic because I would like to talk CHRISTMAS!!!!!
I love Christmas!
Maybe I should be more specific… I love the lead up to the holiday. I love the decorations, the songs, the shopping for gifts and the magic that comes with the season and these past few years have been extra special because I have been able to experience the holidays through the eyes of my kids (now 5, 5 and 3). Since I remain a lover of the lead up to Christmas I look forward to the day we decorate the house because that really sets the tone for the season.
My Kitchen decorated for Christmas
Once the return to school season (and in our household, birthday season) settles down I start counting down the days until it is socially acceptable to decorate for Christmas. No matter when you like to decorate for Christmas you may find bringing out your holiday decor can leave your home feeling cluttered and chaotic. Here are a few tips that I use when decorating homes year-round that are helpful reminders to us all as we decorate for Christmas (and any holiday) this year.
1: Treat the Holidays like any Design Project: Christmas comes every year and if you’re doing it right (in my opinion) you leave up the decorations for at least 1 month (maybe longer?). If you can commit to a Christmas design style and colour palate, then you are able to create a professional looking Christmas-themed interior that you are proud to show off. A consistent style and palete, just like when applied to our home the other 11 months of the year, creates an esthetically pleasing home. When our eyes (and brain) can anticipate what they will see, when there are not too many surprising colours or design elements we can avoid that chaotic and cluttered feel. This does not mean you need to choose muted tones only or have a very neutral, minimalistic Christmas. Even bright holiday decor and maximal ornamentation can achieve an intentional, and well-designed look. To achieve this it does require you to plan ahead and decorate with intention.
Photo and design cred: 1: Citrineliving.com 2: penderandpeony.com 3. thelesliestyle.com
Home Alone movie set
2. Edit and swap decor: When I think the perfect Christmas home I think the McCallister household in Home Alone. Full of loud extended family, and decked out for the holidays, this traditional home dripped with Christmas and when I think about all the times I watched this movie with my own extended family I can’t help but feel Christmas cheer. I watched the netflix series “The Movies That Made Us” and the episode about Home Alone was super interesting. They noted that the house was purposefully decorated in red in green; all the funiture, carpets, and even the kitchen counter was tiled green. This choice was made so every scene would remind the viewer of Christmas. Any other time of year this house may have been a little too much, but for the purpose of the movie it worked so well, and we can apply this concept to our own homes for the holidays. I dont suggest wallpapering each room in red and green, but by swapping out the decor we have with the same in red and green (or your holiday palate) or other items for winter or Christmas themed decor we can transform our homes for the holidays without battling the extra clutter. Here are some suggestions:
Textiles: swap your pillow covers and throws, even kitchen or hallway runner for colours that match your holiday theme. Since we are entering the winter months, look for thicker, chunkier textures for a cozy, layered feel.
Greenery and Florals: If you are bringing in a Christmas tree and or garlands, move your faux trees and other florals or plants to storage or another room of the house. Let the evergreen boughs and your decorated tree be the stars of your decor.
Art: landscape photos of rolling green hills, photos of beach holidays or other large-scale art that you look at the rest of the year can be swapped out for the holidays. This is a great way to add winter-themed decor and Christmas cheer to your home without cluttering surfaces. Family photos from last Christmas, framed digital prints of snowy landscapes and framed winter-themed prints or wrapped canvases that you can find at stores such as Homesense are all cost-effective ways to bring in that decor for the holidays. Bonus: looking for winter scenes and not just Christmas-themed art means you could leave this decor up long past December, making this effort really worth it.
Knick-knacks: For every holiday knick-knack that goes up on the shelf, an existing decor item should be put into storage for the season. Since this can be laborious, my best advice is to be intentional with your what you display, however it is totally a personal decision. I like to choose 1 collection. Whether it is a snowy Christmas village or a nuttcracker or snow globe collection and find a surface or spread them over multiple surfaces where you are able to properly accommodate those items as an intentional design element, meaning you have made room for them to shine.
Take a look below at a roundup of holiday decor (or similar) that I have in my own kitchen to give me that Traditional Home Alone inspired Christmas feel I strive for during my holiday season (links provided below)
Traditional Christmas Kitchen: Table runner and towels, red kitchen utensils, Wreath, bells, velvet ribbon, tabletop tree, prinatble art, Frame, Tartan runner
3. Lean into nostalgia: I hope these above tips help you to avoid (some) stress that can be brought on this time of year when our homes feel too cluttered and chaotic. Part of decorating intentionally is always considering how you live and your own objectives. At the end of the day Christmas cheer is a feeling and it is personal to each of us. Lean into those feelings and what Christmas should feel like according to you. Christmas is obviously not about how or when we decorate our homes but who we bring into our homes, and who we celebrate and make memories with.
Thank you for reading and I wish you all a safe and magical holidays season with your loved ones.
