How to Decorate for Thanksgiving.
10 Tips for Decorating Your Home on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to redecorate your home. The autumn colors, particularly in the Hamptons, are warm and inviting, and Thanksgiving decorating can add an extra touch of holiday spirit to your celebration. For successful decorating results, consider these tips: 1.) Look at your overall interior decorating scheme. Your holiday decorating should complement the rest of your decor. If your home is formal, your Thanksgiving decorations should be as well. If you are more casual or rustic, let that inspire your choices. If there is too great a difference in style, your decorations won’t have the results you want. 2.) Start with a budget and stick to it. If you are buying decorations, you can easily control the expenses by adding a few new pieces each year, rather than buying a houseful of decorations at one time. 3.) If you are using decorations from previous years, give them an update for a fresh look. Add new candles to a centerpiece, change ribbons on a wreath, or even just place a decoration in a different location in your home. 4.) Incorporate natural elements in your decorations. When autumn leaves are at their peak color, gather them and press them between sheets of waxed paper. They can then be used in glass bowls or simply scattered on your dining table for an inexpensive fall touch. Miniature gourds can be used in similar ways, or they can be hollowed out for candle holders. 5.) Consider the areas of maximum impact for your holiday decorating. For Thanksgiving dinner, your front entry and dining room will be seen by everyone, so start there. After that, if you have time, you can expand your decorating to other areas of the home. 6.) If you are making decorations, allow plenty of time before the season. Holidays can be stressful enough without worrying about half-finished projects. Start early and start simple. Family projects can become a memorable holiday tradition if you choose projects that are age-appropriate and take your time. 7.) Be creative. Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be limited to just pilgrims, turkeys, and fall colors, although these are always good choices. Add small touches of unexpected colors, such as deep purples or ivories, that complement the traditional color schemes. 8.) Use different heights for contrast. Whether you are decorating your dining table, mantle, or other surface, if the decorations are all a similar height, it will reduce the impact. Adding a vase of tall branches or medium-height candles, for example, expands the flow. 9.) Use your space wisely, including saving room for food and guests. Keep in mind that you might need to move centerpieces to serve dinner, so make sure they are easy to move and not overly fragile. 10.) Have fun with your holiday decorating. Since these are temporary decorations, you can express your personality and creativity a little more boldly than you might do with year-round decor. The best part of holiday decorating is that every year, you have the opportunity to repeat what you like, refresh anything that feels stale, and skip anything you didn’t like from previous years.
Shelly Linder is an Interior Designer in Greenwich CT that owns the luxury interior design firm, Shell Decor. You can read more about design and decorating on her Interior Design blog.
