‘Tis the season to be jolly, and what better way to get in the holiday spirit than to deck your home with bows of holly. You may have put your tree up November 1st, or you may not enjoy putting up decorations, just to take them down in a month. Either way, we won’t judge. We do however get asked a lot about how we decorate our homes for the season. As interior designers, there is always a bit of added pressure when it comes to our own homes, so we’d love to share some tips and tricks that we follow, as well as share some pictures that have inspired us.

#1 - pick a colour Pallete

This one I’m sure is no surprise. What you’re about to read will probably not be a surprise either: keep it neutral. No, designers don’t all hate colour, in fact, we love colour, we just are practical people and we know colour trends come and go and no one can afford to buy new things every time a new trend comes out. (Could you imagine retiling your bathroom every year when the “Colour of the Year” comes out. Us either.) If you’ve seen our tree in the office, you know that we like to add different ornaments made of different materials and textures. We also have pink in our décor, so we are definitely not saying don’t add any colour! Simply, use the colours as an accent piece and have it coordinate with the colours throughout your home.

#2 - don’t be sparse

I’m sure the mention of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” brings a certain image to mind – the little sad tree with one heavy ornament. You don’t want that in your home. While we are all for the minimalist look, just be sure to use a tree/ garland/ wreath that is full and voluminous if you do go that route. But if you want to save the trees from the chipper (any fans of FRIENDS reading this?) we understand. Which leads us to tip #3…

#3 - real is ideal

Nothing beats real, fresh greenery. The look, the feel, the smell. Oh the smell of pine! Like we said, it is ideal, however it is not always practical. If you want to knock your guests’ socks off, or you only leave decorations up for a short while, go for it. But chances are you don’t want to deal with the pine needles falling off the garland or someone in your family has allergies to anything to do with the outdoors, forbidding you to even think of a real tree. In that case, go for real candles, real mercury glass ornaments, real mistletoe, poinsettias or birch logs to place throughout your space. Even something as simple as adding natural elements such as wooden beads to your wreaths/ garlands/ trees can bring that little bit of extra pizazz.

#4 - Additional Décor pieces

If you LOVE the holidays, chances are you like to go all out to make your home feel like a cozy cabin on the North Pole. Some additional ways you could decorate is adding themed throw pillows, cozy blankets or stockings throughout your space. Perhaps you’d like to go one step further and swap some of your framed pictures out with holiday imagery. You could also create a winter village on a shelf, or simply place a few houses or trees here and there on your coffee table, kitchen island or console table. If you no longer have little curious kiddos in the house (or nosy adults for that matter), you could place some wrapped gifts under the tree or throughout the house. Be sure to use wrapping paper that fits your colour scheme for it to all be cohesive!

#5 - don’t forget about “bonus spaces”

We all have ornaments and decorations we have accumulated over the years, whether as gifts or hand me downs, that have sentimental value and we just can’t part with. While we love them, if we were to decorate our tree with them, our living room would look like a hodgepodge of seasonal décor that was done by our children. Our advice would be to place these items in secondary areas. By that we mean bathrooms, bedrooms, guest bedrooms or whatever space is separate from your main living area/ where you would host guests. Perhaps you could place them on a garland or let the kids have a tree in their room and decorate that with them. No need to toss them, just get creative!

Whether you are a minimalist or a maximalist when it comes to decorating your home, there is something about the holiday season that just exudes warmth and excitement. We believe this is the reason most people have embraced the tradition of decorating their home for this season even if for no other holiday. We hope this year will bring you lots of love and laughter and time spent with friends and family. Happy Holidays and Merry Everything!

Happy Thursday!