Article:
A fresh new look after the holidays
By Shelley Anderson
January 2009
The holidays have come and gone and those who decorated their homes have at least begun to take the garland down and put away all that sparkly stuff until next year. This is the perfect time to re-assess your home’s accessories. Don’t be too hasty to just replace everything where it was. Sit back after you have cleared out the seasonal items and really look at your home. Granted, it will look a little bare, but this is the perfect time to think about how you have been accessorizing your table tops, fireplace mantels and those nooks and crannies that somehow found themselves VIPs in your seasonal decorating.
Start your adventure by bringing all of your accessory items to one place — the dining table would work well. Then look through your cabinets and storage; you would be amazed at what you will find. Look for a common element that can be highlighted to create a collection. Remember all of those glass vases that arrived with floral arrangements throughout the years? Place all of them on an entry table or buffet and treat yourself to a couple of inexpensive grocery store bouquets every couple of weeks. Fill the vases half way with glass marbles or small stones, break up the bouquets among the vases and push the stems down into the marbles — they will keep the flowers and greenery upright so you can use less in each vase.
Other items you might find to work with are decorative serving platters and plates. Don’t hide them in your cabinet and only bring them out for entertaining. If you have space above your kitchen cabinets or in a corner of your counter, group three (remember the odd number rule) pieces together using plate stands. Add a small bit of silk greenery and you have a simple but effective decorative display and the platter is easily accessed when you need it.
Don’t forget about the guest bathroom. New hand towels can add a fresh color to your décor here. Shop the discount stores for odds and ends. The prices are great and you can even find some designer brand items. You don’t need to replace all of the towels — just the ones you hang on the bars. Pick up a few decorative soaps and a fun plate or dish to hold them for added fresh color.
Now you can revisit your existing accessories. Maybe that silk floral arrangement from the entry table would work on the dresser in the guest bedroom, or it might just be time to retire it. Your silk florals can be reworked into fresher, more modern designs; sometimes it is as easy as changing the container.
Don’t feel like you have to re-use all of your items. If you can’t find the right spot for it, then go ahead and store it away. Next year when you put your seasonal items away and you pull the stored items out, it will be like finding fresh, new accessories to work with.
Shelley Anderson has been creating interiors in the greater Seattle area since 1990.You may contact her at (206) 719-6814 or email her at
shelley.anderson@shelleyandersoninteriors.com.