How to hold onto the holiday spirit through decorating : Annie Elliott Design

Happy New Year, Gentle Readers! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. Bonus points if neither you nor anyone close to you got COVID. (If you’re in or around D.C., that’s a tall order right now.)

Graph of covid cases spiking in Washington, DC — Yeaaaahhhh……

We haven’t taken down our Christmas tree yet, and to be honest, I might just wait another week. I’m still enjoying it and all the other kitschy Christmas decorations we have around the house. I’m just not ready.

I admire people who decorate for the holidays — the OTHER holidays, I mean. Like Easter (wreaths of spring flowers on the door, white ceramic bunnies on the dining table) and Halloween (full-on autumn displays of hay bales, pumpkins, and gourds).

Front porch tastefully decorated for Halloween with pumpkins — If I could, I would. From Martha Stewart, interestingly

Nope: Christmas decorations are all I can handle. But since it’s kind of pathetic to leave your tree up until Valentine’s Day, I got to thinking: how can I extend the festive holiday feeling through the doldrums of winter? What temporary things can I add to my house to make it wintertime special but not…weird?

Here are three things that, swear on a stack of Architectural Digests, I’m going to try.

1. Light up a different tree. You may know that I’m a fan of faux (not “fake!”) trees indoors. There are so many good ones right now. One of my favorite places to buy these is Nearly Natural, which, despite sounding like a breast implant producer, has some great trees. (Look for silk or polyester leaves, not plastic.)

Artificial fake ficus tree — 7′ faux Ficus tree from Nearly Natural

Fiddle-leaf figs and Ficuses are can’t-go-wrong options, but I happen to have an artificial 8′ bamboo tree. (When I brought it home, John was concerned that it wouldn’t get enough light. I didn’t have the heart to tell him it’s fake. I mean faux.)

Artificial indoor tree — Faux Banyan tree from Wayfair

Anyway, I’ve long wanted to try putting white fairy lights on it. Will it scream “dorm room,” or “unexpected whimsical masterpiece?” I won’t know until I try. I will report back.

Front hall with artificial ficus tree in basket — Artificial Ficus in basket from Wayfair. I must be REALLY cutting-edge, because I can’t find a picture of a non-Christmas indoor tree with lights anywhere!

2. Dine by candlelight. We eat every meal at the dining room table, so our dining room has to straddle “everyday” and “formal.”

dining room with grasscloth, oriental rug and dark blue trim woodwork — Our grasscloth-ed dining room before the drapes were installed

To make the room feel cozy and wintertime special, I’ve been sneaking candles onto the table for every dinner. The trick: using votives or tea lights. Tall candles feel formal, low votives do not. Perfect for every day.

Olive wood tea light holder from RusticFlitch on Etsy. This will look best on a tablecloth or a table that isn’t wood

As an aside, on votives vs. tea lights, I prefer the latter. They barely last an evening, but they’re tidy, in their little metal sleeves. Votives can be used multiple times but, like tall candles, they’re messier.

Lotus design votive candle holders — Lotus votive holders from SpiceDecor on Etsy

10-piece green Gustave votive holder set — 10-piece Gustave votive holder set from Joss & Main

Let’s make a pact to buy some new votive (or tea light) holders and try using candles daily. There are a lot out there, as you can see.

Crystal votive candle holder — Campfire crackle votive holder by Tucker Glass and Design on Etsy

Glass mosaic votive candle holders — Glass mosaic votive holders from SassySoulSisterStore on Etsy

Puff Colored Glass votive candle holders from West Elm — Puff Colored Glass votive – or tea light – holders from West Elm

handmade green artichoke tea light holder — This is my favorite: a handmade artichoke tea light holder from Elizabeth’s Embellishments

3. Add plaid. I know, I know: interior designers think that ALL of life’s problems can be solved with new pillows and throws. But here’s the thing. Many can!

Living room with plaid furniture and pillows — From House Beautiful

So toss some non-matchy, wintery but not holiday-themed plaid pillows and blankets onto your sofa and chairs. You can have them out for a few months and then tuck them in a closet until next year if you want to.

Red, charcoal gray and white plaid pillows — From West Elm

Multi-colored plaid pillows — From Williams Sonoma Home

White and gray plaid pillows — Also from Williams Sonoma Home to show you that plaid doesn’t have to mean colorful. These would look gorgeous on any dark sofa

Colorful plaid tartan pillows — …but if you WANT colorful ;) Here are more from AndraOtoTextiles on Etsy

Green and brown plaid tartan wool throw — GORGEOUS tartan throw from Biddy Murphy. The real deal, and these colors are killing me. (Oh wait – is that green I see? Ah. That’s why I love it.)

Blue and tan plaid throw — From Pendleton

Let’s keep the festive feeling alive, Gentle Readers! At least for a few more months.

Annie Elliott Design is based in Washington, DC, with offices in St. Michaels, Maryland and Middlebury, Vermont. Annie is an expert on wallpaper, mixing styles, and telling people what to do in the nicest way possible.