4 easy winter decor ideas to keep your home cozy after the holidays
This time of year gets a bad rap for being bleak and, frankly, depressing. Christmas has come and gone, and all the colorful, cozy decor with it. The days are short and the nights are long, and without the glow of a Christmas tree to brighten both your space and your spirits, you may be looking toward the rest of winter without any joy. It doesn’t have to be that way!
Below, I’m sharing the four ways you can keep the cozy, cheerful spirit of holiday decor going all winter long—or at least until it’s time to decorate for Valentine’s Day! From festive flourishes that still feel fresh after December 25 to serious decorating advice meant to help with the seasonal blues, these ideas are guaranteed to warm your soul like a crackling fire on a cold winter’s night.
Keep Your Greenery Up
Ontario Farmhouse Christmas Tour Kitchen Sink
They’re called evergreens for a reason! Listen, fir garlands or cedar wreaths shouldn’t be confined to the four-ish weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the same way that fresh flower arrangements aren’t only for spring. While you may want to chuck your Christmas tree shortly after opening presents, leave your garland in place! If needed, remove the red or plaid ribbon and swap it for dried oranges or pine cones for a wintry, holiday-less touch. And, if it’s looking a little tired, you can even head to the backyard for a few sprigs of greenery to freshen it up.
Layer Your Lighting
Bryant Birmingham Home Living Room
Soaking up the warm glow of your Christmas tree with a glass of mulled wine and your favorite book is arguably the best part about decorating for the holidays. When the tree comes down, keep the good vibes going with warm-toned lights from all your lamps and layers of candles—more than you think you would need. Your body craves a slow, cozy atmosphere in the post-holiday period, and lighting is a huge component of that. Avoid turning on the dreaded big, overhead light at all costs and ensure that every room has at least two lamps in it. If you’ve been debating whether you should add another lamp to your space, the answer is almost always yes, but especially during winter. If you’re lucky enough to have a fireplace, be sure to keep firewood stocked so you can continue to enjoy your hearth’s warm glow all winter long.
Pile on Seasonal Textiles
De Wolf Washington Barn Home Great Room
Keep your plaid blankets, just switch up the color palette to helo it feel a little less Christmasy. You can easily shift your decor into winter mode by trading out your deep reds and greens for softer, more seasonal tones—think icy blues or soft, sage greens. Touches of cream, which contrast so nicely with the stark white snow just outside the door, go a long way in adding visual warmth to a space. Also layer chunky knits or faux furs for even more cozy texture.
Stick to Silver Tones
collection of silver bowls and trophies displayed on shelves
Silver feels especially festive during the holidays. But, I believe silver should be on display throughout the year and just because Christmas is over doesn’t mean you have to put it away! If you have bowls filled with sparkly Shiny Brite ornaments, just remove the colorful pieces and leave the more neutral baubles—silver and white feels so shimmery and wintery. You can also fill them with pine cones or oranges until the end of January.
Have silver mercury glass trees or compotes lining your mantel or decorating your table? Again, just remove any red and green ornaments and adornments, but leave the sparkly silver as a nod to the wintery scene outside. Tied candlesticks with red ribbon? Swap it for a black or icy blue ribbon and go for pink in February.
