Debunking holiday home decorating “rules”
You’ve probably seen countless numbers of articles and “listicles” telling you how, and how NOT, to decorate your home for the holidays. Even we wrote one. But not every blogger sharing home decorating ideas actually understands good design. We do.
For our Monday morning radio show on WSOS Radio, our owner, Melissa Marro, debunked one of those holiday decorating articles for listeners. Here are a few of the DO’s and DON’Ts with our take on whether the advice is naughty or nice. And remember, if you are selling your home during the holidays, don’t go overboard with decorating!
Whether you’re decorating your own home or a stager that offers professional decorating on the side, you’ll want to check out the full list in the video below:
Don’t do your holiday decorating in only one room; make sure it carries throughout the whole house.
NICE
Of all of these home decorating ideas, this might be the most important one. Christmas is a magical time, especially if there are little ones around. It feels the most magical if it’s Christmas everywhere, not just in the living room.
Do try icicle lighting.
NAUGHTY
This is honestly a personal preference. And our preference is a traditional string of big light bulbs. And if yours is too, don’t feel pressured to try icicle lights just because they’re “trending.” At the end of the day, you’re decorating for yourself and your family, not for the public—this isn’t staging!
Don’t use staples to hang your lighting; use plastic roof tabs instead.
NICE
The wood framing on your house has been carefully sealed with paint or other products to keep moisture out. Every time you staple into it, you’re giving that moisture a perfect path inside, slowly ruining the wood. Yikes!
If you’re putting lights on your roof, definitely use plastic roof tabs instead. You can put them in once and leave them in year-round.
Do keep a consistent color scheme
NAUGHTY
While you DO want a cohesive look in your home, you don’t need to feel obligated to color-coordinate everything. If anything, the holidays are a time when you can be a little “loosey-goosey” with your color scheme. Most of Melissa’s holiday decor is a hodgepodge of old and new. A lot of homeowners of high-end houses will buy all new pieces every year to pull off elaborate themes, but it often comes off as tacky.
Don’t overcrowd your front door
NICE
You never want to put all your decorations in one place. Layer, layer, layer! If you pile everything onto your front door, it starts to look like junk. A cute idea we’ve seen is to wrap your door like a present. Melissa grew up doing this with the art and picture frames in her house. It’s a great way to build fond memories if you have kids in your family!
For the full video, click here. And be sure to follow us on YouTube and Facebook for more tips and tricks!
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