Winter is coming! And for all those who got that reference, you know the prep that goes into it all! Yes, we have slowly inched our way into the happy time of the year. With festivities galore, you find yourself amidst cheer almost all month long. Starting all the way from Dussehra in October, to Christmas and New Year in December, these three months are like the icing on the cake as far as the year goes by.
With that in mind, what better way to ring in the festive cheer than by sprucing up your home to tune in to the celebrations!
A holiday makeover can be as easy and effortless as you want it to be and still add that bit of oomph into the homely cheer.
Whilst the décor can differ from person to person based on styles, colour palette and moods, in this list I am going to be putting together a few generic ideas to give your home a fresh new lease of life.
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A fresh Coat of Paint
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While this sounds a bit permanent, there is no better way to give your home a new look than by adding a fresh coat of paint. Not only does this allow you to pack up all the room’s belongings and sort through them sifting through what can be thrown away, it also allows you to look at the room as an empty canvas, thereby allowing all the possibilities to come right off the drawing board. Pick a colour that works for the room as a base. For rooms with very little natural light, pick whites so that the light bounces off the surface and makes the room feel larger. Keep the ceiling light and bright. If you have a wall with symmetric windows or which acts as a feature, throw a splash of colour by using a highlight paint or a wallpaper thereby creating a focal point in the room. Remember; ensure you pick a theme right at the beginning so that the entire scheme ties in together at the end. Winging it as you move along can result in a catastrophe, especially if you are tied up for time and end up wrapping up the job with whatever you have left over.
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Pick a theme
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As mentioned earlier, make sure you have your mood thought through right. Create a mood board using cut outs from magazines and swatches of fabrics that you pick from the store. Preparation of the palette requires almost as much time as getting the job done itself. In fact, a well thought through design scheme will ensure the job gets done quicker and much more efficiently. A theme can range from just about anything. A Diwali inspired theme could revolve around bright warm colours with hints of accents in brass. A classical theme could add a lot of whites and beiges with highlights in pastels and pops of cool blues and greens. Remember, do not over do the theme, because you are going to have to live in the home post the holidays and you want it to blend into your daily life without being too much of an overkill.
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Accessorize
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I cannot stress this more. Accessories are right there at the heart of a makeover. Adding a touch of new accessories can very easily add that sparkle into your home without actually changing much. In addition, without them, your space can feel like quite a bore. Notice how a room comes to life in those images in the interior magazines. Use inspirations from these and create your own setups. Remember, accessories do not particularly need to overpower the room, but only complement what is happening around them. Pick bold colours and finishes so that they stand out from wherever they are meant to be placed. Lastly, make sure to pick stuff that is easy on the cleaning. The last thing you need is a bunch of tiny artifacts with intricate detailing that is a dust hub and almost impossible to maintain.
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Re-Upholster the Furniture
Invested in an expensive couch and do not want to part ways with it? Simple, add a simple new upholstery if the old one’s time is up and you are good to go. Re upholstering, can be a very easy hack especially if you have already invested in a good set of furniture, which means the base is strong. Since the furniture forms the largest loose components in any space, giving it a new lease of life can visibly change the appeal of the room. Additionally, adding a few throws and cushions to match the theme of the festivities can give the whole room a rich holiday glow. For example, your Diwali décor could mean you throw a mix of ochre and orange cushions against your new blue upholstered couch, thereby, adding the shimmer of the holidays. Christmas could mean you add that pop of red and green that will stand out quite vividly adding cheer all month long!
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Get a Rug
Don’t already have one? Then get one! A rug can quite easily change the appeal of any room. Area rugs can fill blank spaces effortlessly whilst adding to whatever mood you want. Inexpensive and versatile, a rug can be changed depending on your décor. A simple rugged orange rug can come out during the holidays and easily stored away for the other times of the year. Not only does it add that extra cheer, it makes sure you have a space on the floor to sprawl during those times your home is filled with loved ones around the holidays.
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Curtains
Invested Needless to say, but a new set of curtains can quite easily do the job of changing the mood instantaneously. And by Job, it will never go to waste. An extra set of curtains always goes a long way. We personally own four different sets at home that completely change the mood of the home all through the year. It keeps things fresh and opens out the home to a new lease of life.
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Decorate the Outdoors
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Something most of us are used to during the holidays, but in the excitement of prepping up the interiors, do not forget to pay heed to the outdoors. What happens outdoor, paves the mood for what is to come inside. Show your holiday cheer to everyone in town! The biggest part of sprucing up your house for the holidays is paying attention to the outdoors too. Twinkling lights, some festive accessories and even some candles can show the neighbours what a good mood you are in, and most often, put a smile on those around you. Try it, it actually works!
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Aromas & Landscape
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This one is my favourite. While I strongly recommend adding some aromas into your home all through the year, the holidays are when you can go out of the ordinary and change things up a bit. Diwali time can mean earthy fragrances take over while Christmas time means you get out the Cinnamon scented candles. I always love it when you get washed away by an array of scents as soon as you enter the house. It changes perspectives and automatically puts you in a better mood, which is ultimately the main goal. I always refer to a good cup of Cocoa with Cinnamon as ‘Christmas in a cup’, so it doesn’t hurt to make sure that your home does just that for you all through the season.
Another clever way of bringing in the scents is naturally though some landscape. Plants such as Lavender, Citronella or Lemon Grass, and Mint can throw out fresh scents into the air. A very natural method of creating a soothing aura through the house. Of course, these can always complement the scented oils and candles because what you are looking for is a real splash of scents as opposed to subtle hints. Adding some natural green around the house is also key. I spoke of air purifying plants in another article. Plants such as Aloe Vera, Areca Palms, Peace Lilies & the Snake Plant are natural air detoxifiers. It does not hurt to bring a few of these into your home and change the air quality in your brand-new space.
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Wall Hangings
Lastly, for a touch of drama, wall hangings can go a long way. Wall hangings that suit the holiday theme can come in place of existing ones or just adorn the wall with them. New artwork can be added that can give the space the pops of colour it was waiting for. Use fabrics and frame them up for an inexpensive hack for wall art.
Equipped with these tools, I am quite certain you will be able to blend in the new vibes seamlessly. And again, remember, you can never be too prepared, so use all the time you have to research and design so that once you begin your project, you get done with it within budget and time.
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