’Tis the season for creative home decor
I’m convinced that the fall and winter holidays bring out the designer in all of us.
Our instincts kick into full gear as the need to design and accessorize becomes a top priority.
We suddenly become consumed with the subtle balance of decorating table tops with just the right amount of sparkly baubles, candles and holiday figurines. We measure to the point of exhaustion, finding that perfect center point on window frames to hang pre-lit wreaths. And we fixate on fresh-cut noble fir greens that we gently swag over door frames, wrap over stairwell banisters and drape over fireplace mantels.
We become floor plan masters, rearranging furniture to accommodate a decorative 9-foot tree or a grouping of life-size caroling nutcrackers that stand at attention in our living rooms. We become professional furniture movers, emptying family rooms to make space for dance halls or grand dining rooms with the hope that we’ll be able to accommodate our long list of family and friends for the holidays.
Recharge your inner designer
Decorating for the holidays is a way to recharge your inner designer for the entire year. So often, we put quite a bit of pressure on ourselves to make our living spaces perfect, with the right accessories, the right furniture, the right lighting. But the opportunity to decorate our homes for fun, knowing that holiday accessories are not permanent, can be quite liberating.
Holiday decorating gives you the opportunity to try out new things: opting for a different floor plan, putting away the usual accessories and replacing them with holiday baubles, or accentuating with colorful pillows and throws that you are willing to try in a temporary design.
Wouldn’t it be nice to feel this same design freedom throughout the year and design without regret? But budgets can sometimes have a big influence on how we design. On occasion, we must make modifications to designs because a material may not be available, or we come to find out that a material we selected is actually $200 per square foot – not the $20 per square foot we were budgeting.
Plan and prepare
Designing with freedom still means planning and preparing thoughtfully. For example, vendors are always happy to share samples. So just like with holiday accessories, maybe try a new bathroom tile. Bring the samples home, prop them up in your bathroom and gaze at them every morning and every evening until you know what’s right for you.
Plumbing, lighting and furniture aren’t as easy when it comes to sampling, but you can definitely print out images and tape them up on the wall. View these images from time to time, getting used to the idea of living with them full time.
I love the saying, “Dance like no one is watching.” Why not design like no one is watching?
Don’t worry about perfection on day one, but instead design like you have the freedom to pair stripes with plaids and polka dots and see where your temporary design ideas take you.
Get the design giggles out of your system, recharge your inner designer this holiday season and turn your blank canvas into something that you have thoughtfully prepared.
Jennifer Leischer is the owner of J. Designs Interior Design based in Clayton. Contact her with questions, comments and suggestions at jenna@j-designs.com.
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Jennifer Leischer
Jennifer Leischer is the owner of J. Designs Interior Design based in Clayton, CA. Combining a public relations degree from California State University, Chico, with further studies in design and interior architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, Jennifer began her career as an interior designer in 1998, working for various firms in San Francisco and Orinda, and Denver, Colorado. She describes every designing moment, throughout her career, as a wonderful tutorial about the importance of relationships, open communication, and getting down to the basics of functional, yet stylish, living spaces.