How to Celebrate Your First Holiday Season in a New Home

| Homeowners

We’re total suckers for the holiday season from watching Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas (sorry but we can’t help ourselves) to decking out our homes and family baking traditions to spotting that perfect little black dress for holiday parties. But in our business, one of the best things about the holidays is knowing our clients will be having their BHE (Best Holiday Ever) celebration in their new homes!

The first rule about decorating your new home for the holidays is there are no rules. BUT we also know not everyone is an OG Martha Stewart type, so here we share some tips on how to make this your BHE.

Colour Me Festive

Colour is a good jumping off point. What colours feel right for your décor? Something edgy and modern like Brat green and Barbie Core pink? Something traditional in red and green? Lots of sophisticated gold or silver? Cool and wintery white, silver, and blue? Maybe something cozy like black and red flannel with hints of deep forest green?

Find a colour that triggers your holiday spirit in a meaningful way, and you’ll set yourself off on the right track to BHE land.

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Variations on a Theme

A theme helps you create a more cohesive look that feels calm and warm as opposed to chaotic and erratic (but hey if that’s what you like, we say go for it!).

Some popular themes include:

  • A favourite holiday song: Your GOAT carol is the perfect inspiration for your holiday theme from Winter Wonderland to the 12 Days of Christmas and Santa Claus is Coming to Town to White Christmas.
  • Your home décor scheme: If you like things to be just so, use your home décor as your guide. Is your home mid-century modern, ultra-modern, cottage core, eclectic with a good mix of everything? Stick to that theme and you can’t go wrong.
  • Nature inspired elegance: Snowy white tones boosted by natural touches like fresh pine boughs, textured pinecones, seasonal blooms like holly berries and poinsettia is simple and elegant, especially when paired with soft white lights.
  • Minimalist: If you love holidays but hate the hype, minimalist design does just enough to reflect your holiday spirit, without that chaotic feel that overstimulates the senses. Think white lights, uncluttered mantles and displays, and monotone decorations.
  • Holiday icons: You can also choose common holiday icons for inspiration such as reindeer, snowmen/snowflakes, angels, Santa, bells, gingerbread men, nutcrackers, winter sports (think sleds, skates, skis), etc.
  • Era: Choose an era such as vintage holidays from the 40s or 50s, Victorian, or retro like the 80s or 90s.

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The Key Elements of Holiday Décor

Be sure to tackle the key elements of holiday décor:

The wreath

Your wreath can be a fun DIY project, but you can also find endless natural and artificial ready-made options. It starts with your front door, but you can also hang them anywhere you think a wreath might look nice.

Garland

Garland can be hung inside and out including:

  • Around your front door and exterior window frames
  • On your front stoop/porch stairs and rails
  • The staircase
  • The mantle
  • Around interior door and window frames
  • Draped over furniture, chandeliers, kitchen cabinets, etc.

Urns

Urns can be placed at your front door, on your front steps, along your path, etc. Fill them with fresh greenery and natural elements like pinecones, birch branches, holly, etc. and festive details such as lights or a bow.

The tree

Real or fake? There’s a lot of reasons you should go the real tree route:

  • You help provide livelihood to local tree farmers
  • They are completely recyclable
  • As they grow, they help purify the air and support local wildlife, maintaining a large area of green space for generations
  • They don’t create greenhouse gases like manufacturing plants for artificial trees
  • They smell wonderful
  • It’s fun to go to a tree farm if the idea appeals to you (great for kids)
  • Tree farmers plant about 3 trees for every tree they sell
  • You don’t need space to store a massive artificial tree box

On the other hand, if you can’t be bothered with the needles and watering, not to mention disposal, an artificial tree might be best for your lifestyle.

Lights

Of course, no holiday décor is complete without lights. White is elegant and simple, while colourful lights are nostalgic and whimsical. A timer is a great way to save money, set to turn on at sun set and then turn off when most people are home at about 11 or 12pm.

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Embrace Seasonal Swap Outs

Swapping out current design elements and replacing them with something festive is always a fun idea, such as:

  • Throw cushions and blankets
  • A major piece of art such as what’s hanging above the mantle
  • Powder/guest bathroom and kitchen hand towels
  • Oven mitts
  • Your welcome mat

Holiday Décor for Condos

Bummer alert: Condo owners are subject to holiday décor bylaws such as:

  • Limiting what you can install on your balcony, or sometimes in your windows
  • Deadlines for when you must remove visible holiday décor
  • Safe lighting guidelines such as CSA-approved balcony lighting
  • Limitations such as wreaths and decorations on your unit door or walls
  • A ban on real trees due to fire risks, elevator use, messes in halls, disposal, etc.

Speak to management or your condo board about rules that apply to holiday decorations to make sure you’re compliant.

Holiday Décor Safety

Not to be Debbie Downers, but you should follow some basic holiday safety tips:

  • Never leave candles unattended
  • Keep natural trees watered and away from heat sources and fireplaces
  • Use CSA-approved lighting and exterior-safe lights and extension cords for outdoor displays
  • Don’t overload plugs with unsafe extension cords
  • Don’t use frayed, damaged lights or extension cords

You know the stores will be stocked to the rafters with all the holiday joy you can take by November. So, browse the shops early to get ideas and concoct a theme to transform your home into a holiday haven.

If your holiday wish is to celebrate your next holidays in your own home, The Christine Cowern Team can help. Give us a call at 416.291.7372 or email us at hello@christinecowern.com. We’d love to work with you!