Tag Archives: Holiday Decorating Minneapolis MN

Cozying Up During the Post-Holiday Months

Just as the holiday season is here before we know it, in a flash it’s over and a new year is upon us. I often struggle with the balance of wanting a fresh start with my home in January, and being saddened by the storing of our family’s colorful, warm, holiday decor. The months of January through March can be difficult to tolerate, especially in Minnesota, but I’m starting to find beauty in this dark, cold season, and a certain comfort and coziness I can create in my home to cradle me until spring finally arrives.

The idea of hygge has become known and popular over the past eight years or so, and continues to be especially helpful for folks living in winter climates. Hygge is the invoking or fostering of a sense of coziness, contentment and well-being; a Scandinavian state of mind to survive the long, cold, winter. I love this concept and how it can guide us in decorating our homes in a season that is usually forgotten or overlooked. Here are a few, simple ways to create a winter respite for ourselves and our loved ones this season.

When deciding on holiday decor, include accessories that remain relevant throughout the winter season, not just during the holiday months. Winter greens, natural wood, bottle brush pines, dried branches, ceramic houses, and apres ski will act as reminders to embrace the winter season.

Source: Forbes Homes

Source: Forbes Homes

Source: Forbes Homes

Source: Crate&Barrel

 

Cover throw pillows for a quick, inexpensive decor update. Add faux fur, velvet, knit and other soft fabrics to your collection in warm, wintry colors such as midnight blue, forest green and an abundance of creamy neutrals.

Source: Crate&Barrel

 

Swap out bright colored artwork with a similarly sized piece more suitable for winter. Rustic wood pieces, or nature inspired prints, work well during the winter months.

Source: Urban Outfitters

Source: Kohl’s

Source: Arhaus

 

Add extra throw blankets to a basket in your living room, and even consider providing slippers to guests when they come to visit!

Source: L’ESSENZIALE Home Design

Source: Anderson and Grant

 

Keep a special set of linens just for the winter months. Flannel sheets, velvet quilts, and fluffy feather beds will ensure a good night’s sleep.

Source: Pottery Barn

Source: Pottery Barn

 

You can never have enough candles or firelight when practicing hygge! Whether using faux candles and fireplaces, or the real thing, fill your home with the natural feel of flames. Practice safety, of course, and never leave a room with burning candles! We especially love our locally made Koselig candles, another Scandinavian idea meaning a feeling of deep contentment, provided by a person, place or atmosphere.

Source: Room for Tuesday

Source: Koselig Candle Co.

Source: Modern-Glam

 

Winter can be a wonderful time to simplify and organize. What can you live without? Gift to others? This is another wonderful Scandinavian concept, lagom, which is being in perfect balance; just the right amount; not too little, not too much; the state of being, having or doing just enough.

A final encouragement from Scandinavian wisdom is to practice fika throughout this season. Fika is a coffee break with friends, often accompanied with pastries; a moment of quality time to appreciate the good things in life. What better way to practice fika than with locally roasted Fika coffee from the North Shore of Minnesota!

Source: Fika Coffee

Source: Taste of Home

 

This winter season, I hope you find time to rest, renew and refresh. Take the opportunity to slow down, reconnect with yourself and others, and prepare to bloom in the spring!

 

Guest Blogger: Katya Larsen, Stager, A Home Revival

 

 

Holiday Decorating Elements

Are you looking for a new element to add to your holiday decorating repertoire?  Here are some of our favorite elements.  We hope you try one of them this year!

White décor

If you have your base décor in a monochromatic pallet such as white, you can add in a different accent color each year (think emerald, crimson, gold or blue).  Or let it all stay white like a Winter Wonderland!

randigarrettdesign.com

lovegrowswild.com

Natural & wood décor

We love layering in natural and wood elements to our décor to warm up a space.  We do this not only at Christmas but throughout the year!

greenweddingshoes.com

crateandbarrel.com

Real & faux stem decor

Add wreaths, garland or stems throughout your home.  Some unexpected places are on the backs of chairs or stools and on your light fixtures!  Add touches of ornaments and velvet ribbon for elegance and sparkle.

alimanno.com

bluegraygal.com

We wish you a warm & full holiday season.  May you be able to slow down a bit and take part in things that you truly enjoy.

 

 

Easy As 1 – 2 – 3 Holiday Decorating Tips. Home Staging and Redesign MN

“I don’t have time to decorate”.

“I’m starting to dread the holidays because it is so much work”.

“My house is for sale and I don’t have time to take everything out and bring in Christmas items. Plus I need to keep it simple”

“I love the holidays but there just isn’t time for everything”.

“The older I get the harder it is to get it all done”.

Have one of these quotes come from you? Maybe if you are like me it is all of them! Well, the selling part isn’t me but many of you are in the process of selling your home and decorating for the Holiday is a challenge.

I used to decorate for days….and I mean days of decorating for the holiday season. I have at least 25 bins filled with Christmas decor not to mention shelves filled with Christmas Snow Villages.

A few years ago I decided I couldn’t do it all and I needed to pick a few things to make my home feel festive but have it take me only an hour or two to pull together. You can do it too.

The key….keep as much as you can in place and just add a few holiday items to it. Save yourself all the time of carting things to the basement, packing them away only to have to dig them all out again in a few weeks.

Here are some suggestions for my “Easy As 1 – 2 – 3 Holiday Decorating Tips”. If your home is currently on the market these tips will save you a few gray hairs.

Holiday Decortating for Dining Room Center Piece

Don’t remove anything from your centerpiece, leave it as is.  Before……

 

 

Just add a string of metallic garland and two metallic Christmas trees. That’s it. Now if your center piece doesn’t look exactly like this it’s okay. My point is take what you have and just add some glitz and glamour.

After…..

 

 

Holiday Decorating With Urns

It’s easy to take out whatever you have inside your urns.  Before…..

 


Simply remove the candles and rocks and replace with Holiday Ornaments. Choose ornaments that you like. White satin is timeless and classic. Okay….move the urns to another table in the house and really mix it up! LOL

After…….

 

 

Holiday Decorating with Trays

We all have them and they are a great decorating tool. If you have a tray on a coffee table, side table or buffet it is so easy to change it up for the holidays. Before….

 


Add  Christmas Ornaments, a string of garland and a couple funky sparklers. Use the same color ornaments that you used in the urns for a consistent look. In this example I stayed with white but I used gloss ornaments and silver metallic for more shine and a few tone on tone patterned in white.

After…..


 

Holiday Decorating the Tops of Accent Tables

If you have a large floral arrangement don’t struggle to take it away. Use it as a backdrop for your Holiday Scene. Before……


 

There is nothing better than lights at the holidays so adding something with a string of lights in front of  your arrangement makes it new and fresh for the season without much work.

After……


 

Holiday Decorating with Open Glass Candle Holders or Lamps

Any open glass item can be changed for the seasons. Candles and lamp bases are the most common. Before……

 

 

One $4 glitter filled branch cut into separate twigs and inserted into the base of glass objects changes it from everyday to holiday.

After…..


Holiday Decorating with A Special or Meaningful Piece

We all have special pieces that mean so much to us. A piece that has been handed down in the family or a piece that is the heart of the holiday for you. For me it is a Manger Scene.

 

 

Putting in a little thought in the first year to simplify the process will turn your “decorating  day” into an hour or two process. But it will look like you spent all day.

Holiday Decorating really can be as Easy As 1 – 2 – 3!

Before…


 

An hour  later…..

 


If you would like assistance with creating your easy holiday decorating plan contact Rooms With Style.

www.RoomsWithStyle.com

952-567-1124