Ways To Decorate For The Seasons
By Hunter Pyle
The trick to decorating for the seasons is to try to match the mood of the season through color and style. Spring is considered a fresh and alive season that does well with pastels and symbols of new birth. Summer is considered the height of abundance and you can decorate with lots of colors while keeping thinks airy for those hot, sweltering days. Fall demands the leaf colors like orange, red, and brown. It’s a time to get ready for the coming of winter. Winter is obviously more drab and somber with grays, dark shades of blues and reds being favored. It also is about nesting to make things feel warm and cozy too.
Spring
Everyone does a little spring-cleaning when the mood hits us. We know it by the birds chirping and the daffodils flowering. The thick furnishings of winter are replaced by lighter versions and pastel colors. This includes the covers on your bed, curtains, and the towels in the bathroom and kitchen. The windows that stayed shut all winter long might be pried open with herbs being placed along the sill in preparation for summer.
Summer
Summer has some great holidays and activities. Fourth of July and Labor Day are great decorating favorites. They use strong colors and vivid shades. Candles might be changed out to thin tapers from large candlesticks. Flowers are brought into the home as natural decorating elements. Area rugs might be picked up to let the wood floors have their day. Fans are moved in place and glassware becomes more visible, not just for flower vases, but for that cool drink with ice.
Fall
Fall has tons of decorating potential from all the natural materials available. One can use the squashes, dried corn on the cob, and fallen pinecones to make centerpieces or hanging accents or wreaths. Colors turn to shades of orange, red, and brown. Pumpkins appear at this time of year too. The bed coverings are changed out and coat or umbrella stands might reappear.
Winter
Winter means clearing out all the summer and fall clutter for a more serene winter landscape. The fireplace can become a big focal point in winter and changing out the mantle place decorations is very appropriate. Add lamps to your rooms if the winter sun isn’t enough to read by. Rearrange the furniture to make it cozy and inviting. Add books to your rooms. Paint a wall a darker color. Change the slipcover on your sofa to something more durable and softer. Add some throw blankets and pillows.
If you are following a seasonal palette and decorating scheme, you can still mix in out-of-season items with in-season items to add a quirky touch of fun. Adding an indoor herb garden or bringing your garden statues inside in the winter is one way to lighten the winter mood. Adding a shot of black to your spring colors might be considered interesting. Just remember that decorating is all about fun and your own personality. Any framework, whether it is seasonal or holiday decorating just helps to guide you to find your own unique expression in decorating.
About the Author: Hunter Pyle wrote this article for the purpose of sharing some tips on styling your home for the seasons. If you are looking for more ideas I'd suggest checking out Get Organized or Kitchen and Much More.
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