Colour your house for the season
Dec 17, 2010
FOR many people, Christmas décor is limited to the living room where the tree stands. But, you can bring the festivity to other rooms of the house, if you try to use the season colours creatively. You do not have to redesign the house.
BY HARRIET BIRUNGI
FOR many people, Christmas décor is limited to the living room where the tree stands. But, you can bring the festivity to other rooms of the house, if you try to use the season colours creatively. You do not have to redesign the house. Rather, be inspired by your home’s colour scheme that brings out the sensational feelings. Focus on the colours you have in your home year round and use festive décor to make a scheme.
Living room
The centre of christmas activities is the living room; it is the best place for the Christmas tree. If this room has red and maroon seats, the better. All you need is to echo the colour with the Christmas decor on the tree.
Alternatively, if the seats are of a different colour, this is the time to bring out your red, white or blue cushion covers to rhyme with the season.
If you have a plant or two in the corners of the living room, this is the time to emphasise their green foliage. Hang ornaments on your house-plants after you have decorated your tree. Use a bit of the Christmas ribbon and silver balls.
For the family with a reading culture, place a basket of seasonal books at the end of the coffee table to help your decoration, as well as, your Christmas knowledge, while you enjoy the festivity. Other than a plain glass top table, place a coloured candle in the vase and battery charged light under the table to add interest.
Stairway or corridor decoration
Buy battery-operated Christmas lights and place them in bowls and vases to give off that illuminated light.
The beauty with them is that you can keep or re-use them even after the festive season when need arises. The stairway is a busy traffic flow area, not much decoration is needed. This can be sparkling, if ornament garlands of flowers and shimmering satin or velvet ribbons are used.
The Christmas dining area
This is the focus of the Christmas day. As such, it is bound to groan under the weight of meals served. But, it also presents a good opportunity to decorate and show off your creative skills.
To start with, invest in good lighting. Get accent light in blue for a wonderful look. It is great for displaying your China dishes and the decked table.
Introduce a table centre piece. The trick is in choosing a piece that can easily be moved to one side of the table to make room for food and still looks nice.
On top of your table cloth, use a blend of candles, a few Christmas decorations of blue and silver balls, red napkins, well polished glasses and cutlery.
On the walls, introduce a well framed mirror to reflect the decked table and wall hanging for interest.
Kitchen
So much activity goes on in this room, limiting the options for decoration. Not to be left out, place snowmen above the kitchen cabinet. Or, a Santa cookie-jar filled with home made cookies on the kitchen counter will bring warmness in your heart and home.
Bathroom
A Bathroom is a warm and private room in the house where you can go to take a soothing shower or luxurious bubble bath and let go of all the day’s stress.
For a fresh look, this room usually has white walls. And, if that is what you have, introduce a blue vase. Have it placed on the window sill, and for a fresh look, fill the vase with flowers.
Red flowers with green petals will echo the Christmas colours. Team them with scented candles placed on organza holders.
Bedroom
Change the bulb of your bedside lamp to a shade that is warm. Red is passionate and inviting. Add cushions to the bed and ensure that they are rich in colour.
To bring all of your Christmas decorations together into a cohesive whole, remember to keep in with the same colour scheme and theme. Something with a funky, fresh and modern feel will really strike new life into your Christmas ornaments and celebrations.
FOR many people, Christmas décor is limited to the living room where the tree stands. But, you can bring the festivity to other rooms of the house, if you try to use the season colours creatively. You do not have to redesign the house. Rather, be inspired by your home’s colour scheme that brings out the sensational feelings. Focus on the colours you have in your home year round and use festive décor to make a scheme.
Living room
The centre of christmas activities is the living room; it is the best place for the Christmas tree. If this room has red and maroon seats, the better. All you need is to echo the colour with the Christmas decor on the tree.
Alternatively, if the seats are of a different colour, this is the time to bring out your red, white or blue cushion covers to rhyme with the season.
If you have a plant or two in the corners of the living room, this is the time to emphasise their green foliage. Hang ornaments on your house-plants after you have decorated your tree. Use a bit of the Christmas ribbon and silver balls.
For the family with a reading culture, place a basket of seasonal books at the end of the coffee table to help your decoration, as well as, your Christmas knowledge, while you enjoy the festivity. Other than a plain glass top table, place a coloured candle in the vase and battery charged light under the table to add interest.
Stairway or corridor decoration
Buy battery-operated Christmas lights and place them in bowls and vases to give off that illuminated light.
The beauty with them is that you can keep or re-use them even after the festive season when need arises. The stairway is a busy traffic flow area, not much decoration is needed. This can be sparkling, if ornament garlands of flowers and shimmering satin or velvet ribbons are used.
The Christmas dining area
This is the focus of the Christmas day. As such, it is bound to groan under the weight of meals served. But, it also presents a good opportunity to decorate and show off your creative skills.
To start with, invest in good lighting. Get accent light in blue for a wonderful look. It is great for displaying your China dishes and the decked table.
Introduce a table centre piece. The trick is in choosing a piece that can easily be moved to one side of the table to make room for food and still looks nice.
On top of your table cloth, use a blend of candles, a few Christmas decorations of blue and silver balls, red napkins, well polished glasses and cutlery.
On the walls, introduce a well framed mirror to reflect the decked table and wall hanging for interest.
Kitchen
So much activity goes on in this room, limiting the options for decoration. Not to be left out, place snowmen above the kitchen cabinet. Or, a Santa cookie-jar filled with home made cookies on the kitchen counter will bring warmness in your heart and home.
Bathroom
A Bathroom is a warm and private room in the house where you can go to take a soothing shower or luxurious bubble bath and let go of all the day’s stress.
For a fresh look, this room usually has white walls. And, if that is what you have, introduce a blue vase. Have it placed on the window sill, and for a fresh look, fill the vase with flowers.
Red flowers with green petals will echo the Christmas colours. Team them with scented candles placed on organza holders.
Bedroom
Change the bulb of your bedside lamp to a shade that is warm. Red is passionate and inviting. Add cushions to the bed and ensure that they are rich in colour.
To bring all of your Christmas decorations together into a cohesive whole, remember to keep in with the same colour scheme and theme. Something with a funky, fresh and modern feel will really strike new life into your Christmas ornaments and celebrations.