Keep Decor Fresh with Seasonal Themes

Seasonal décor provides an easy, festive way to modify the appearance of your home and keep from getting bored.

Particularly during the latter months of the year, my home goes through a nearly constant metamorphosis. Changing décor with the seasons requires thought, however.

When to decorate

The autumnal wreath on my front door
celebrates the season's abundance.

Timing ranks high among the considerations of seasonal decorating. Leaving Jack-o-lanterns on your stoop to rot well past their prime is poor form. So is erecting an inflatable Santa in your yard before your neighbors even pick out their Halloween costumes. (This Storify from NJ.com indicates that most prefer not to see Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving.)

At the newspapers where I’ve worked, the general rule of thumb has been not to publish anything related to a particular holiday more than a month in advance or more than a few days after it passes. I take the same approach to decorating.

I also place more emphasis on the season in general than any holiday in particular. Although I did bring out some spooky embellishments for a few weeks around Halloween, most of what has adorned the castle since late September is generically autumnal. After Thanksgiving, I will transition into wintry ornamentation that will last well into January.

Decorate the whole house

Fall decor means pumpkins, leaves,
and warm colors.

Celebration of the season begins at the front door, with a seasonal wreath and doormat. Inside the home, I focus most of my attention on the areas of the house where we spend the most time, but every room has at least one seasonal adornment. The dining room always has a seasonal centerpiece and place mats; the bathrooms, seasonally-scented candles and hand soaps. A few seasonal trinkets line the desk of my home office, and I keep a seasonal arrangement on a table in the bedroom.

Seasonal touches do not have to be blatant. Although the theme of pumpkins and autumn leaves echoes throughout the castle right now, I often use colors and scents to evoke a sense of the season. For instance, I currently have out golden kitchen towels with orange and green stripes and clear vases filled with warm-hued stones and orange votives.

In a few weeks, snowflakes and snowmen, pine boughs and cones, and shiny red apples and berries will find their way into every room; scents will shift from pumpkin and cider to hot chocolate and gingerbread; and the color palate will transition to reds and greens with the occasional gold accent. (If you need ideas for winter decorations that don’t scream any particular holiday, check out this slideshow from Real Simple.)

Preserve decorations between seasons

Spring and winter wreaths await their time in the garage.

Once one season ends and the next begins, it’s important to store your seasonal decorations properly. Wrap fragile items with care, and remember that nothing that may melt or warp should be kept in an attic, where the heat tends to rise in warmer months. 

I keep my indoor seasonal decorations sorted and labeled in their own designated closet, accessible when I need them but out-of-the-way when I don’t. Outdoor decor stays organized in the garage.

What season is your favorite? How do you decorate for it?

Gather Around the Perfect Dining Table

My husband Jason, master shuffler, at our first
Cribbage game on the new table.

Finding the perfect table for our tiny dining room was the biggest challenge we faced when furnishing the castle, and it was, to me, the most important.

Often the only time my husband and I have to give each other our undivided attention on an average weekday is at breakfast and dinner, so we cherish that time solving Mensa puzzles over granola and discussing our days in the evening. 

The table is not just for dining, either. It sees a lot of board and card game action, including our weekly Sunday morning Cribbage brunch, which we had on tray tables in the living room for the first month we lived in the castle. 

The table also serves as an occasional workspace, and I needed to be able to see over our living room furniture on those Saturday afternoons when I'm grading student projects with the Alabama game on the television.

Choosing the right size and shape

The latter meant the table needed to be tall, and it needed to be wide enough to lay out an Iron Dragon board. Yet because we had a space of only 72x86 inches to work with, it couldn't be more than 42 inches wide if we also wanted to have chairs and room to navigate around the set.

Apartment Guide and Houzz recommend choosing round tables for small spaces, with the added benefits that round tables encourage conversation and afford more room for guests, especially when expanded with a removable leaf.

Placing the order

The table set for our first dinner guests.

We looked at a number of styles online to get a sense for what we liked, but we had to check them out in person to make sure we found the chairs comfortable enough to sit for long periods of gaming, writing, or lingering over a cup of herbal coffee with a magazine. Ultimately, we one saw at Ashley Furniture that we could see ourselves at every day for years to come, and we liked their financing and delivery options.

If I had known how long furniture takes to be delivered, though, I would have ordered it before we moved. We had donated our old dining set to a local charity because it was too big for the space (and it was a hand-me-down my husband had since his first college apartment). Therefore, we spent weeks without a table. The picnics on moving boxes were cute at first, but the novelty wore off quickly. 

Caring for your table

My youngest child, Topaz, goes wherever she pleases
because I can't say no to that face.

I've been a tad obsessive about protecting our purchase (though not enough to enforce the "no cats on the table" rule). Per tips from Guardsman, I dust it off regularly with a microfiber cloth, and I use a pad under my centerpiece, coasters under our glasses, and linens under our plates and serving dishes. 

Because the table top is so lovely, I don't want to cover the whole thing with a cloth. As SFGate Home Guides suggests, I use a runner and place mats instead, only at meal times.

What are your favorite memories around your dining room table?

Botanic Gardens Plant Home Landscape Ideas

Landscaping ideas for the home gardener abound in public botanic gardens and arboreta.

Since moving into the castle, I’ve been looking at landscaping everywhere I go with an eye toward what would best ornament the patio and front stoop. On my power walks around the new neighborhood, I’ve been peeping at my neighbors’ yards. Driving down major thoroughfares, well-maintained medians and tree lawns catch my eye.  The many trips we’ve taken to hardware stores in recent months always have included detours to the garden section.

Beauty from Science

I'm eager to incorporate any idea that
brings wildlife to the yard.

Those public spaces specifically devoted to the celebration and study of trees, plants, and flowers have a special appeal, maintained as they are by teams of true horticulture experts. [See Penn State University’s outstanding definition of botanic gardens and their purpose.]
 
Those experts know what plants work best in which seasons and the local climate, and they arrange their plants and flowers into spectacular displays that can be mimicked on a smaller scale at home. I always have loved visiting local gardens as seasons change and admiring the different shapes and colors that come with each distinctive time of year.

The slideshow above will take you on a botanical journey through the four seasons via photographs taken at the Dallas Arboretum, Fort Worth Botanic Garden, University of Florida Butterfly Rainforest, and Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens in Akron, Ohio.

What to Plant Now

White and green pumpkins add interest to
a fall display at the Dallas Arboretum.

As I prepare to incorporate some of the ideas I’ve found at these public venues in my own garden, I’m making ample use of seasonal garden plans from Better Homes and Gardens and seasonal planting info from HGTV. 
 
The gardening cue I’m following right now is to plant mums and pansies in warm fall hues such as red, orange, and yellow, complemented with an occasional pop of purple and plenty of green foliage. Gourds of many sizes, shapes, and colors combine with the standard orange pumpkin to create variety.
 
Lowe’s gardening experts suggest thinking ahead and planting spring-blooming perennials and bulbs in the fall as well. Remember that most plants do not thrive equally well in each climate, so make sure you know what zone you're in, and patronize local garden centers that stock plants specifically for your region.  

Where do you find inspiration for your passions?

Decorate with Your Inner Child in Mind

A child-like bookshelf holds my tomes,
bears and a couple giraffes, accented with
some of my favorite Disney pieces.

When I began decorating my home office at the castle, I decided to use that room to showcase collections that demonstrate my youthful side.

During our last couple of moves my husband and I have purged more stuffed animals and toys than any childless couple nearing 40 should possess, but I refuse to let go of my cherished Teddy bears or my favorite Disney memorabilia. Because we want the first home we’ve ever owned to reflect a more grown-up sensibility than our apartments have, I decided to concentrate these items in one place.

Luckily, experts indicate that an office is a fine place to embrace one’s inner child. Art therapist Sarah Magsamen indicates that being more child-like enhances curiosity and creativity, two traits that are crucial in research and writing. 

Creating a functional space

I teach on my college campus two days a week; the other five, I’m writing, grading, and doing class prep at home. The office gets a lot of use, so it’s crucial that the space is functional, especially because it doubles as my workout room. It also is important to me that despite the youthful focal points, the room doesn’t read “playroom.”

A Thomas Kinkade print of Cinderella's Castle
is being framed to hang above the desk.

Therefore, I consulted design experts on proper office planning and am incorporating more child-like elements where they make sense. Following advice from 1 Kindesign and myfancyhouse.com, I chose a room with ample natural light. It happens to be an extension of my master bedroom, separated by lovely French doors.

Appropriately enough, the prior owners used that space as a nursery, and it came outfitted with a whimsical lantern as its primary electric light source. Because so much light streams in through the windows most of the time, I only need it and my prized possession—a Snow White Tiffany desk lamp—on overcast days or when I burn the midnight oil.

Incorporating color and patterns

Myfancyhouse.com and 1 Kind Design also recommend choosing the right colors for your type of work. When I have a chance to paint, I aim to use yellow as the primary wall color because it stimulates the mind. Green accents provide balance, including my grandmother's comfy green barrel chair for reading.

I am focusing my use of green around the window, following a tip from This Old House for making a space look bigger by using color to extend the outdoors into the room. Lavish Living Magazine indicates that this trick, as well as incorporating plants into the design, also reduces stress.

The view from my two office windows is green and natural.

Luckily, vibrant greens and yellows are perfect for a youthful design. Decor blogger Kathy Joe recommends polka dots as another design element to please the inner child. She and Huff Post Home suggest using curtains and rugs to bring child-like touches into a room. These cute green polka-dotted curtains are my next purchase.

As I complete this work in progress, I have my eye out for a rug that ties it all together. I’m looking for something plaid or striped with yellows, greens, and maybe a touch of pink.

How do you celebrate the child in you?

Find Decorating Deals at Estate Sales

Estate sales, garage sales and yard sales are great places to locate unique, often vintage home decor on a budget.

I'm a firm believer in creating a look that is collected over time, rather than having a room appear like it was purchased all at once from the page of a catalog. Designers such as Nate Berkus agree. Hence, gathering off-beat pieces that already have served their purposes in other people's homes holds tremendous appeal.

This morning I located two estate sales going on within five miles of the castle using estatesales.net, and I tweeted about the experience using the hashtag #sales0906. 

Estatesales.net, along with estatesales.org and estatesale.com, are great tools for finding sales in your area. A number of listing services also exist for finding garage sales and yard sales, such as yardsalesearch.com and gsalr.com.

What is an estate sale?

Professionals from Attics to Basements arrange goods.

According to estatesales.net, an estate sale liquidates a large quantity of a person or family's belongings due to death, divorce, moving or bankruptcy.


Attics to Basements Estate Sales managed one of the events I visited. Manager Vicki Parker explained that estate sales differ from standard garage sales because of the scale--a whole house full of belongings, as opposed to a small subset--as well as the quality of what's available.

"Estate sales also are better for the sellers because they make more money," Parker said. "They attract a different type of shopper, such as serious collectors."

Bargain-hunting for treasures

Prices at one estate sale ranged from 50-cent coffee mugs to a $400 dining table.

Nonetheless, estate sales offer items at prices much lower than what consumers would pay at a retail outlet. Having recently purchased a brand new dining room table for the castle, I know that such items typically cost far more than the $400 tagged on the all-wood six-seater at one sale today.

The later in the sale a shopper visits, the less expensive items become. Parker said that most estate sales operate on a graduated discount schedule. For example, a four-day sale would offer items at 20 percent off on the second day, 40 percent off on the third day, and 60 percent off on the fourth day.

Parker indicated that shoppers also can negotiate discounts if they buy large quantities of items or if they frequent sales managed by a company such as Attics to Basements.

Whereas shopping later in a sale yields better prices, shopping earlier presents a better selection. The first sale I visited today had just started, and goods filled every room in the large home. The second sale was within two hours of closing on its fourth and final day, and earlier shoppers had purchased a majority of the offerings.

I personally have my eye on a bicycle-shaped planter from the first sale I visited today, but I'm hoping the price comes down a bit on it tomorrow. [UPDATE: The planter had been sold when I went back.]

What sort of things do you look for at estate sales and garage sales? Have you ever made a particularly exciting find at such an event?

Use Patio Furniture to Create an Outdoor Living Room

A lovely flagstone patio provided the perfect foundation
for my outdoor living room.

The quest for furniture to create a living room on my patio began with a gift from the former owner of my new home.

For the past four years, the apartment I lived in looked out onto a parking lot next to a major roadway. I have longed for nature—trees, birds, fresh air—and a place I could sit with a cup of chamomile or a glass of chardonnay and take it all in.

The castle has such a place. Like the rest of the home, the backyard is small in size, but it’s big on character. The prior owners installed a flagstone patio and planted a perimeter of shrubs and vines. They also left a little water feature and a post for stringing a hammock. I fell in love the first time I walked back there. It’s a lovely oasis. I felt like I just needed some patio furniture to make it the perfect outdoor living room.

End-of-summer deals

The timing couldn’t be better. As summer winds down, retailers are looking to unload their outdoor merchandise to make room for fall and holiday wares, and patio furniture is priced to move. We found a settee, chair, and ottoman on clearance at Pier 1 Imports. Our new homeowner budget never could have withstood the full price of this set, but we got such a great deal that we were able to afford a ceramic garden stool, too.

 

Bringing the Inside Out

My Home Ideas suggests arranging patio furniture in an outdoor living room just as you would indoors to encourage conversation and relaxation. To increase the comfort level, the site suggests liberal use of outdoor cushions and pillows. We followed that advice, purchasing cushions in a coordinating palette of orange, green, gold, and blue. Because I need birds and/or butterflies in every room, two of the throw pillows are embroidered with avian friends.

As I’ve researched ideas for decorating and furnishing small spaces, the tip that has come up time and again in magazines and on sites such as IKEA is to find furnishings that can multitask. In our little outdoor living room, the ottoman serves as a comfortable footrest when topped with a cushion, but it doubles as a coffee table with the aid of a serving tray. If guests visit, it offers extra seating (as does the garden stool, which we’ve been using as a stylish place to rest our beverages).

I'm Not Done Yet

The more time I spend on our patio, the more I realize I want to do, but the furniture has been an excellent start to create an outdoor living room where I can relax.

What is your favorite way to relax outdoors?