Decorating for the Holidays: Small Space Edition
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Every time the seasons change I want to reflect this change indoors. This is particularly true every autumn, as the leaves change to beautiful shades of red and yellow. The temperature cools and I start to be aware of the holiday season creeping closer. By the beginning of October, I start adjusting certain elements in my home to more earthy colors and scents—replacing the lighter florals and colors of spring and summer.
I’m also always admiring decorations in stores and other homes—and always consider new decor additions. However, I live in a small NYC apartment with little storage space—and honestly only so much room to decorate too! So how do I balance decorating, storing off-season decorations, and (hopefully) keeping to a minimal budget? Here are my tips:
1) Invest in Versatile Pieces
Find decorations that cover multiple holidays or seasons. This means leaning into colors or general items for the season—or seasons if you play it right! For instance, for the fall go for pumpkins, dried wheat, and the autumnal colors of red, orange, yellow, and brown. All of these items and colors cover both Halloween and American Thanksgiving holidays perfectly. And some gold items can also cover the winter holidays quite well too. For example, the glittering gold table runner in the picture will also work for Christmas dinner, even after being on the table through the fall. I will simply change the centerpiece to a more Christmas-y look (think pine rather than wheat)!
2) Use Storage-Friendly Items
In a small home, storage space is at a premium. I always look for smaller, easily foldable items. I don’t have too many figurines or items that take up a lot of square inches. I especially like using different accent pillow cases for the seasons. During the spring and summer, I usually go for more pink, blue, and lighter colors. During the fall and winter, I go for browns, reds, greens, and darker colors.
I also like to use window cling stickers for some holidays—I use these stickers for Halloween. Reusable every year, they are stored on several paper-sized sheets that easily tuck into a drawer or file cabinet. And they stick to any clean glass surface—note that it needs to be clean (and that forces me to wash my windows at least once a year!).
3) Flowers and Plants Always Help
Of course, flowers and plants always help reflect the seasons and are a solid choice for decoration in general. They also help clean your home’s air, so are definitely a healthy choice (just be careful in your selection and placement if you have pets)! Try chrysanthemums and sunflowers in the fall; pine (Christmas tree anyone?), holly, and poinsettias in the winter; and lilies and tulips in the spring. And remember fresh lavender is available during the summer! 😉
4) Keep It Minimal (save room for next year’s additions)
It’s so tempting to splurge on everything in the incredible store display, but it’s always good to remember your space (and budget). Unless you are going for a crowded maximalist look, you want the decor to accent or enhance your home. You still want to be able to move around and use your space!
Keep in mind that you can always add more decorations each year. I know that there’s always something that catches my eye each season—and if I have room for it then I can potentially add it! Whereas if you buy everything one year then you’re stuck with it. It’s kind of like clothes shopping: buy a couple quality items each year to replace old worn ones and keep up with the styles. That way you have something new but aren’t overfilling your wardrobe.
That being said, minimizing the decorations also saves storage space and keeps the task of decorating and un-decorating (argh I dread that!) from becoming too onerous. With busy lives, it’s nice to keep tasks from becoming too long and complicated. Spending 20 minutes on housekeeping sounds much better than several hours—to me at least!
With these tips you should be well able to decorate your home through the years without much trouble. And if you’re just starting out in a new home and don’t have many decorations—that’s wonderful! Just take your time and choose items carefully. A little bit of color or greenery can go a long way in bringing a festive cheer to your cozy home. Happy decorating!
