Finding comfort and joy at home for Christmas

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press/USA Today Network • Dec. 3, 2022

In 22 short days, we celebrate Christmas.

And of course, it’s different this year. But no matter where you will find yourself during the holidays, we’re all due a bit of holiday cheer and that starts in our homes.

Decorate a little or a lot?

Maybe this is the year to give yourself a break and make time to enjoy the season. You can still have a great holiday without trying to make the house look like a Hallmark Christmas movie set. And you don’t have to be broke, overwhelmed and exhausted to celebrate Christmas.

There are advantages to a simple (but beautiful) decorating scheme. It’s prettier. There’s less clutter. It’s not expensive or time-consuming. You can appreciate the quality of your decor rather than creating visual overload with too much. An added benefit: there is less to put away when the season is over.

Here are a few of my holiday tips: for a simple but beautiful Christmas:

Seeing too much red? Feng Shui teaches us that there can be too much red or “fire” energy in our homes this time of year. It promotes burnout and who needs that over the holidays? To prevent an imbalance, think about using more green than red. Plants and evergreens decorated with “cool” colors such as light blue, silver and white will tone down and balance out the red.

Keep this holiday simple with greenery and pretty candles. Photo: Ballard Designs.

Trade secret: Use white lights and pick two colors for holiday decorating. Cool, calm and beautiful! It works.

Small space? No problem. If your space is small, don’t overdo it. A small tabletop tree, a wreath and a few wrapped gifts will make any space festive. Ornaments in a glass bowl. Holiday music.

Use what you have. Skip a year of buying anything and go with what you already have. Rearrange and find new ways of displaying your decorations. Put the tree in a different room. Decorate the kitchen pendants with greenery and ribbons. Mix real scented candles with faux.

Set a pretty table. Even if you’re not having guests this year. Set the table for the holidays. A few small trees down the center, garland garnished with your favorite ornaments. Colorful placemats and napkins.

Chair wreaths for your dining chairs. Or barstools. These are so much fun. You will need small wreaths, ribbon and a few ornaments that you already have on hand. Or hang a stocking on the back of each chair. If you are like me, you have lots of those stored away.

Simplify. Instead of huge trees that take hours to decorate (not to mention taking them down) try a couple of pencil trees that can easily fit into any corner. They are often pre-lit so there is no struggling with lights. Decorate with only your favorite ornaments and leave the others packed.

However you decorate your home this holiday, let it be enough. My holiday wish is that you find the comfort and joy that the season is all about.

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. She helps homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces and solve decorating problems. Her articles appear the first Saturday of each month. For more information, visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 239-850-5800 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog