why 'seasonal' decorating?

i get that question a lot: "why do you change your home decor with the season?"

it's not such a foreign concept, really. most people do this at certain points in the year -
Halloween, Christmas, Fourth of July, Easter.

they bring out decor elements that are specific to those holidays to enhance their enjoyment.

i grew up with a Mom who did that, making holidays special.

decorating for winter, spring, summer, and autumn is a similar approach...

simple, subtle changes in color and accessories can make a dramatic difference

in how a room feels, and how i live in it.

for example, the room shown above... it's filled with warm neutral hues and soft textures,

the perfect place to cozy up on a rainy fall day.

but i wouldn't want to live in it like that during a hot summer!

with a few simple changes, the mood shifts and the room feels appropriate to the season.

 

every season brings a new design scheme, refreshing the space and me with new energy. 

and when i say 'new design scheme', i'm not talking totally redecorating a room.

i'm not advocating spending a bundle - of money OR time - several times a year.

easy changes - swapping out colorful accessories and bringing in touches of nature - 

are my main methods for bringing the beauty of a new season indoors.

it doesn't take a lot of money or effort to get results like this - just imagination!

continue reading to see the room above change through the seasons of a year...

[ autumn ]

golden earthy hues, sweaters & blankets, leaves, leather accessories
warm tones bring a 'cozy cashmere sweater' feel to the room,

reflecting the hues of leaves, grasses, and flowers outdoors.

you can have a whole new look and feel in your home easily and affordably, 

with the concepts of recycling, reusing, redesigning, & re-imagining 

your existing furnishings & accessories. 

[ holiday ]

green fabric, art, & painted accent furniture, silver & clear glass accessories
focusing on varied green hues combined with white, clear glass, and warm wood tones

reflect the evergreen tree-filled winter landscape outdoors,

with the Christmas tree decor evoking icy, snowy branches. 

restyle rooms, rearrange furniture, re-purpose items, 

and change it all up to create memorable spaces for living. 

a combination of items you never thought of here, a shift of that from another room...

and suddenly your home is refreshed, re-energized, and ready 

for new memories to be made within its comfortable spaces.

'comfortable' is subjective, of course...

for me, using decorating tricks that expand space and cool the visual effect in summer

and cozy up rooms and warm the visual effect in winter

make me feel more comfortable in my home.

[ winter ]

 new leather chair & sofa in neutral tan, black furnishings & accessories, sweaters
a return to neutral hues and nubby woven textures add warmth,

while black accent furniture and decor accessories act as a punctuation mark.

the room pictured throughout this post (my living room in 'the Cottage', 2006-08) 

is a perfect example of how rooms in my home shift and evolve throughout each year:

the furnishings stay largely the same - they are just rearranged.

the color scheme is built on a neutral palette,

with different colorful accents brought in for each season to reflect nature.

the mood can change from cozy vintage to fresh modern with accessories.

as the sunlight shifts and changes outdoors, the way i approach decor indoors changes.

[ spring ] 

white denim slipcovers, chartreuse & grass green fabrics & accessories, yellow accents

a fresh bright look opens up the room, building on sunshine in the windows

and reflecting the leaves, buds, and grass springing back to life outdoors.

truthfully? if my home stays the same for three months, that's a LONG time,

because even during a season, i have ideas that i want to try out.

i just love to decorate, play, experiment, in my rooms. 

it's a design lab, constantly in flux because of my active imagination.

[ summer ]

white slipcovers, sky blue and white fabrics, art, & accessories

 blue accents serve as a punctuation mark here, combining with white and tan

to reflect the hues of the seaside and cool the room on long, hot summer days.

the photos above show how the same room can appear very different each season - 

without a major outlay of cash or permanent changes.

because i love to change the decor of my rooms with the seasons, 

i pursue methods and materials that are inexpensive and readily available...

and i usually find a way to construct decor elements as 'temporary',

so that they can be dismantled and the parts reused again.
this approach is affordable, accessible, and sensible for me as it builds

on the skills i honed as a retail display designer & stylist for over 40 years.

even if you pay someone else to decorate your home

or you shop regularly at stores to incorporate the latest trend in your decor,

i hope that the ideas that i share will help you to engage your own creativity

and put your own individual spin on your decor

to create a home that you are happy to live in.

i'm currently working on creating & installing our fall decor,

and it's like nothing i've ever done for fall in the past...

but it feels right for us during this very strange time. so i'm running with it.

because it's our home - and we should be happy here every day!

 

[ sorry, these photos aren't the best quality. 

they are over 15 years old, and i nabbed them from my old blog to use

because my external hard drive with thousands of original images was stolen. ]