How To Fill Your Home When The Tree Comes Down

As the snow has fallen and the hot chocolate has been poured, we’ve all gotten used to homes that feel full. Full of our favorite people, our favorite memories, and also full of décor. Mantels have been decked with fresh garland and candles galore. Evergreen wreaths hang in colorful ribbon in front of windows and on our doors. And the corners of our living room displays a dazzling array of lights and baubbles on our Christmas tree.

And then December 25th comes in all its glory. But come January, we begin packing it all away again. And when the lights are wrapped away (or in my case, balled up in a tote), the Christmas tree down, and all the décor packaged up neatly for next December- well, it starts to feel quite a bit more empty. It is in this emptiness that we see our home in a new way. It’s been a problem that many of our clients have been asking us about. “How do we keep it comfortable and full- especially after the holidays?” At a time when a cozy living room is most important- when the sun sets at 4pm and the snow is flying- we really need to embrace cozy vibes.

So often, the grand scale of our decorations are what bring in so much coziness. A 9’ Christmas tree is quickly missed in an empty corner. To solve this height problem, I suggest a vintage ladder and with an assortment of textured cream and white blankets hung with a pop of amazing color. Not only does displaying blankets make your gathering room feel welcoming and cozy, but the added texture from all of the blankets will have you feeling just as cozy as your Christmas tree once did.

I also love wreaths quite a bit here at Carriage House Studio. Although I don’t consider wreaths purely a Christmas decoration, often the live ones might start looking a bit sad come January! The color and texture that they bring is hard to replace, but layering beautiful pieces of art with some stems for texture does the trick quite well!

Another way to add fullness and a wintry feel is by filling your fireplace with firewood. The texture looks amazing and it adds the deep tones to a mantel that feels less lovely.

Lastly, you can never go wrong with mixing up your pillows. Choose a rich, deep color that contrasts with the monochromatic palette of our winter wonderland. When the trees go bare and the snow is bright and simple, you can go extra bold with your color scheme inside. I went with rich jewel toned sapphire and blush tones with hints of brass and gold. To keep these royal colors casual, make sure to add natural tones like the birch logs, artichoke hearts, and natural wood finishes.

I hope that as you’re packing your holidays away that you’ll feel inspired to decorate for winter. After all, you never spend quite as much time indoors as you do on chilly winter nights- make the most of them!

Warmly,