So your home isn’t really the place for typical holiday decor, we get it. So your space isn’t really big enough for the douglas fir your heart truly desires, we gotchu. So you don’t want to spend an arm and a leg for decorations you’ll ditch in a month or two, we totally understand. Skip the drama and internal distress, that’s not the mood to close out 2020 with! We’ve found 5 ways to jazz up your space in a minimal style while inviting the fullest of holiday cheer. Even better, most of these suggestions are also environmentally friendly!
1. Pick a Lane (and Zone)
Oftentimes, decorating can feel like an overhaul and that’s most likely due to decoration overkill. You don’t need to cover every inch, nook, wall, or room with the holiday spirit. A little goes a long way, sure, but so does zoning. What we mean is picking out the areas you want to host the primary bulk of your decorative efforts. This is especially important if you have a small space like a studio or one-bedroom. Starting with zones, and utilizing monotone decor, you’ll be able to carry a theme throughout your space in a clean, elegant, and curated way that feels minimal yet special.
2. Forage!
Trust us (and if not, head over to Pinterest to further confirm our suggestion on this one) forage your decor this year. It’s not lost on us that we live in a city; but you can find twigs, loose pine branches, and cones to create a minimal hunter-gatherer vibe bouquet, table piece, wall decor, gift garnish, or even a reef! You can scoop some cranberries or eucalyptus, twine, and dry flowers or orange slices to add in texture and a pop of color. Your guests will be inspired and your efforts will be appreciated. On the note of dried fruits, you can keep your decor simple and sustainable by drying a few bags worth of orange slices and then hanging them with twine throughout your home. It’ll smell incredible and the single pop of color against monotone decor will be, well, a chef’s kiss!
3. Reuse, Recycle and Get Creative
Just look at this picture and tell us you don’t find brown paper chic? Even better, you likely have tons of it from your past grocery trips. Remove the handles (they’re typically just glued on) and use the blank side to wrap all of your gifts. When done, bundle with the other gifts by wrapping a black ribbon around the stack. You can then add a personal note directly on the paper, nestle a small foraged bouquet atop, or paint on something abstract! There are countless ways to incorporate your personal touch to the gift and it looks much better than the regular wrapping paper anyone can buy from Target.
4. Gingham Goes a Long Way…
You can pull fabric from your local thrift shop, craft store, or dig through the season’s past donation pile for this trick! Pick a pattern that is consistent and cut to your likely to use throughout your home as decor or to “tie” up your gift bundle. Did you manage to find a tree but hate the typical bulb and ornament offering? Tie small gingham knots around your tree, add some white lights, and you’ve got a minimalist decorated tree ready for the cover of Architectural Digest. You’re welcome!
5. Monotone Monotone Monotone
We’ve said it once, we’ll say it again. Pick a lane! This will keep your theme consistent for literally years to come if you commit to 1-3 dominant colors for your decor. You could do black, white, and deep blue or gold. This will encourage you to pass on random sale decor you might come across when shopping and keep your purchases to purpose-driven buys only. Even better, you won’t accidentally buy the wrong color, ever. If you keep it monotone, you’ll find that some of your household items like silver, brass, wood, or gold pieces will be the perfect accents to your seasonal decor. Your guests will be impressed with your curation and ability to include timeless pieces that aren’t tacky or frivolous.
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