Keep Your Decor Seasonal (Without Breaking the Bank)

Soon, pumpkin spice will have infiltrated every coffee and candle in sight, with peppermint not far behind. As we enter autumn, we move into that time of year when hobby stores are stocked full of fun items to decorate the house to match the season. Starting with pumpkins and moving directly into cornucopias and candy canes, the next few months will make you want to put a revolving door on the closet where you keep your decorations. As enjoyable as it is to bring that seasonality into your nest, it can quickly become a pricey endeavor and/or turn your home into a cluttered, crafty mess. We have five tips to help you keep your decor seasonal without overdoing it or breaking the bank!

Seasonal Senses

One of the easiest, and most subtle, ways of adding seasonality to your home is with color and texture. Look at the things you already have in your home: a table cloth in the dining room, a throw blanket on the living room couch, a large bowl on the entryway table. By switching out the colors and textures of these items to correspond with the season, you keep your decor fresh and relevant without adding a bunch of kitschy items to every nook and cranny that will just gather dust until you cram them back in the closet.

In the autumn, think of warm colors that evoke the harvest season. Orange, crimson, navy blue and purple are great ways to introduce fall into your home without a single pumpkin in sight. Fleece and flannel begin to take root this time of year, with plaids making their first appearance since winter. Moving into the chill of winter, consider whites, bright reds or rich greens for a yuletide feel. On the flip side, cool blues and iridescent silvers can turn your home into a winter wonderland with visions of Jack Frost and afternoons spent ice skating. Patterns with seasonal elements like holly leaves or snowflakes can also add a festive touch to any part of the home.

In the spring, think pastels and white to brighten up the room after a long, cold winter. Summer looks best with patriotic colors like red, white and blue or pack a punch with bright, citrus colors like yellow, lime, orange and flamingo pink.

Scents can also have a transformative effect on your home without swapping a single pillow. In autumn, bring in the smells of apple, cinnamon and that ever-present pumpkin spice (typically a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves). Winter calls for the crisp scent of pine or perhaps the delectable smell of sugar cookies just out of the oven! Spring brings to mind fresh scents like lavender, cedar or fresh linen. Summer calls out the tropical scents of mango and coconut, or the woodsy smells of sandalwood and sea water. Maybe you have your own favorite scent. Whatever you choose, it can have a profound effect on getting you in the mood for the season.

Scents can also have a transformative effect on your home without swapping a single pillow.

Pile on the Pillows

Pillows are another easy way to make your home embrace the season. Throw pillows in the common areas are an easy way to inject some seasonality into a room, but don’t forget bedrooms! Guest rooms are the immediate go-to for seasonal bedding, but even the master bedroom or kids’ rooms can benefit from this shift. Switching from light linens and quilts in the summer to warm flannels and fleece or down comforters in the winter will help ensure you, your kids, and your guests are snug as a bug in a rug, no matter the weather outside!

For bedding, we recommend sticking more to color and texture than literal patterns, but throw pillows are fair game for either approach. In the summer, pair an orange pillow with a nautical, striped pillow for a bright, summer motif to get you in the mind for lazy days by the pool. In the winter, flannel or faux fur will get any home in the yuletide mood! Gingham is great for spring, and plaid is a cozy way to introduce the cooler weather.

Chalk It Up to the Season

You may already have a chalkboard in your home to help keep track of upcoming appointments or things to remember. Why not add a little seasonal flair to your chalkboard? Keep it simple with a timely quote or song lyric, or go full-blown barista and illustrate the board with a seasonal motif. From leaves and pumpkins to pines and snowflakes, flowers and lady bugs to palm trees and anchors, design the board with whatever comes to mind for the special season ahead.

If you do not currently have a chalkboard, they are easy to come by at craft or hobby stores. We recommend getting some chalkboard markers while you are there. They come in all kinds of fun colors, and they are much easier to control than the traditional sticks of chalk we used in school. Don’t forget the eraser!

Center of Attention

Centerpieces are another great way to add little vignettes of seasonal decor to your home. By limiting your decor to tabletops and the mantle, you prevent yourself from going overboard and protect your pocketbook in the process. To decorate your centerpiece wisely, think of statement pieces that will pull in that holiday feeling without the need for 100 different pieces.

Flowers are a great way to get a big bang for little effort. Just as important as picking out the blooms is choosing the container. Instead of filling up basic, clear glass vases, find unique containers that also nod to the season. Remember, pull in both color and texture. For example, a beautiful, white milk glass dish can really make the crisp greens and earthy browns of pine boughs and pine cones pop. Tuck in a few red and gold holiday ornaments for a winter centerpiece to write home about! For summer, blue mason jars loaded up with bright sunflowers bring to mind neighborhood barbecues and evenings spent chasing fireflies. The options are as endless as your imagination!

By limiting your decor to tabletops and the mantle, you prevent yourself from going overboard and protect your pocketbook in the process.

Grapes of Wreath

Wreaths are not just for the winter holidays, nor are they limited to the outdoors. Just like a beautiful flower arrangement in a centerpiece can transform a room, so can a lovely wreath hanging on the door! Whether it greets guests and family on the front door in a traditional placement, or it looks back into a great room to brighten up the inside of your home, wreaths can be very powerful ways of introducing a season into a room. There are many DIY tutorials for whatever look you want to achieve. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box with materials. Standard twigs might work for spring, but why not try a wreath made of ornaments for the holidays, or perhaps a patriotic fabric wreath for the summer. Whatever the base, mix and match textures for the best result. Combine leafy hydrangeas with a rustic burlap ribbon against a twiggy base for a beautiful spring wreath, or wrap a foam base in multicolor strands of autumn leaves for a look you’ll “fall” for!

At GCD, we are proud to build homes you are proud to decorate! We know homes are more than walls and ceilings; they are the places where memories are made and kept. However you decorate your home, we’re here to make sure it is the perfect backdrop to all your special moments. Contact us today to take the first step to owning your own GCD home!