Post Traumatic Holiday Decor Disorder?
by Laura Sullivan
http://blog.bestinamericanliving.com/holiday-post-traumatic-decor-disorder/
Holidays can be like a whirlwind throughout a period of a couple months in your home. When you’re decorating for the holidays and entertaining family and friends things have a tendency to get to a point of disarray. Then when the holidays have passed you look around in amazement at the state of your home, and the Holiday Cheer has hit the door running! So, the question is…. How do you cure this Post Traumatic Holiday Disorder?
Don’t let the packing up of the ‘Holiday Cheer’ put you in a funk. Use this time to bring the coziness back into the normal state of your home, where the mistletoe is no more and the elves have laid themselves down for a long summer’s nap. How you go about organizing and removing the clutter, as well as minimizing the amount of holiday décor you’re storing in the attic, can really aid in bringing back the comfort and normalcy of everyday life!
In organizing after the holidays you want to evaluate what you have and what you will or will not be using in the future. There are probably some decorations that you have from years past that you haven’t actually used in years but still keep tucked away in the attic because you might use it down the road. Get rid of it! Give it to a friend or family member or donate it to a second hand store where it can be reclaimed/recycled in that regard. It will feel like a weight is lifted off your shoulders and you’ll feel a sense of relief in moving back into your everyday life. Also, aside from narrowing down what you have stored throughout the year, people underestimate consolidating items into bins in more specific categories, such as one bin for lights, one for tree ornaments, one for garland etc. The more specific you can get in organizing the better. I love the sense of accomplishment I feel when I can look back at the organized bins and think “next year all I have to do is grab the bin and go, without shuffling through a mess of who knows what to figure out what I want to use or not!” Treasure hunting is fun when it’s a game, not when you’re on a mission! Out with the old, in with the new!
Along with organizing and minimizing to boost your post holiday mood it does still help to incorporate the appropriate colors into your home. Think about the goal for the overall feel of your home. Do you want it light and airy, warm and cozy, crisp and clean? As I’ve stated before, color plays a huge role in how a space feels. It’s not only the textures and surfaces that make the difference. Color carries more weight than people normally realize.
Incorporating warm color is still relevant during this time of year. Although the holidays have come and gone winter is still in full swing and our emotions play into the grays all around us and the best way to combat that is to add softer textures and warmer colors into your home. Use those gift cards you received over the Holidays to shop for some soft, warm throws and warmer colored throw pillows! Also, if colors such as reds and oranges aren’t quite your taste there are more neutral or lighter, softer colors available that have a warm undertone that could even be in a warm grey or blue. This will brighten and lighten your space while still providing the warmth needed in the winter. Replacing blinds with sheers will brighten and let in more light, and if the curtains possess a warmer undertone they will give the illusion of the room itself being warmer.
Best in American Living Reader Question: Would it still be okay for me to keep out the berry wreath during the rest of the winter months that I had used as part of my Holiday décor?
Designer Answer: Absolutely. The idea of using the warm colors, after the Holiday season is over, is to use items that are pretty neutral in style. If you had little miniature reindeer on the wreath too I’d say no, but the berries alone will still lend toward incorporating some of the warmer colors I had previously mentioned without looking like a holiday decoration.