Seasonal decorating is a great way to change the décor of your home and keep it fresh. You don't need to spend a great deal of time or money decorating your home for the seasons, and it's a great project you can work on over the course of a few years.
Decorating for the Seasons
If you want to decorate for Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter, take your cues from the outside world. If you find the idea of changing your whole house around a season challenging, focus on a few rooms like the kitchen, the bathroom or dining room. Remember that a few changes will make a huge difference.
One of the best things about seasonal decorating is getting all your décor items out and setting them out. For many people, putting out the seasonal decorating is like greeting old friends. They're reminded of happy times and the people around them.
The following are some seasonal decorating ideas. The key to great seasonal decorating is to use your own imagination and work around your budget and family's needs.
Spring Decorating
When Spring returns after a long winter it can seem like the world is reborn. Take cues from what's happening in Mother Nature to help decorate your home for the season.
Add Some Flowers
Plant some flowering plants and put fresh flowers in vases. If you don't like real flowers, try artificial ones. Artificial flowers no longer look quite so fake. Combine this with some glass or clear vases and bowls, and put out some garden or flowering books as décor. Put pots of colorful flowers on your front or back porch to finish the affect..
Change Out Fabrics
Consider changing throw pillows and rugs to a lighter, more pastel color. You can either replace your throw pillows or get a cover for them. Replace your heavy window hangings with lighter ones to let more light in, and while you're at it, change your window valences to a lighter color with a floral pattern. To carry the new look throughout the home, change your towels and bed linens to lighter, more pastel colors as well.
Summer Decorating
There's not a lot of change from Spring to Summer, but there are a few things you can do.
Add a Permanent Fan
Buy ceiling fans. A quietly rotating fan provides both a welcome breeze, and an atmosphere of warmth and lazy Summer days. You can get all sorts of designer shapes and colors now. While quality ceiling fans may be more expensive, your fans will look better and last longer if you buy good brand names.
Add Some Color
Add a stronger, brighter color to your color scheme like yellow. Try painting some corbels to act as small shelves that can be rotated out with the seasons while holding a few knick-knacks and other items. If you want, add a few Independence Day items to your decorating theme. It doesn't have to be much, maybe a group of red, white and blue candles.
Fall Decorating
Fall's crisper and cooler temperatures drive people indoors in search of comfort. Capitalize on this with these tips.
Add Some Heavier Fabrics
Get out your thicker throw blankets and quilts. Drape them over chairs and couches or quilt racks. Put away lighter throw blankets, replace your bed linens and towels and put out heavier colored throw pillows and rugs. While you're at it, change your valences to a darker, richer color to give the room that cozy feel.
Deepen Your Color and Texture
Add reds, oranges and browns to your decorating scheme. Replace Summer colors and knickknacks with those in a warmer color palette. Get out brass, copper or iron decorations and place them in groupings around the room. Add a few natural touches as well, like leaf arrangements or pinecone clusters.
Winter Decorating
Winter is made for gathering the family close indoors. Try these tips to welcome them in.
Create Some Ambiance
Use herbal aromatherapy products like basil, rosemary or pine to add a pretty scent. Change your lighting by adding table lamps and floor lamps so you can do activities by good lighting. Reorganize your furniture around a fireplace and add a pile of weathered logs ready for burning at any time.
Get in the Holiday Spirit
While Winter Holiday decorating continues to get more and more extravagant, you can add a few touches to your home to put you in the holiday spirit. A few strings of light, some fresh pine sprigs or a wreath may be all you need. If you have children, you may need to do a touch more decorating.
Tips for Seasonal Decorating
- If you decide to change your décor according to the seasons, store things appropriately. Put your items in a place you can easily reach them. Store them in a large plastic container like a Rubbermaid or Tupperware container. Wrap smaller objects carefully so they can't get broken. If you store them in a garage, basement or attic, make sure the plastic container keeps insects and dirt out.
- Label your boxes according to the season.
- On the very top, add an inventory list so you don't accidentally buy things you already have.
- A great deal of seasonal decorating has to do with changing decorating colors. If you normally decorate with blues, try lighter blues in spring and summer and stronger, darker blues in the fall and winter.
- If you are going for a quick seasonal change, use flowers and foliage (fake and real) based on the season. You can try tulips and daffodils in the spring, sunflowers in the summer, dried grasses or asters in the fall and poinsettia in the winter.
Don't Go Overboard
Remember that with seasonal decorating, you're constantly changing things out. Do don't go too crazy with room colors or large accent pieces; they may return year after year, but they'll be too difficult to reproduce or do away with as the seasons change. With just a few touches here and there, it's possible to create some seasonal ambiance that's perfectly natural.
