Does Your Home Have the Winter Blues? Tips for Warming It Up!

Visiting Hawaii over the holidays was very inspiring to me as a designer – tropical décor is of course very popular in Hawaii and in this month’s newsletter, I shared a lot about my trip to Hawaii as well as many great pictures (which you can see here on my Facebook page!).  Below are a few great tips for bringing the comfort, warmth, and a touch of the exotic from the tropics into your home this winter! 

1 A great way to warm up your space is to change the paint!  Choosing a bright coral, sunny yellow or ocean blue color is a great way to add a bold tropical touch to your home decor! 

2  Hang sheer white curtains and keep window blinds open – this allows for more natural light to shine through, which will definitely warm up a space!  (Bonus tip:  install bamboo blinds!)

3  Comfortable upholstered furniture is a must in a tropical room.  Enhance furniture you already have with plush turquoise or coral-colored cushions featuring white seashell or seahorse designs.

4 Display seaside treasures. A great example of this would be to fill a clear jar with blue or green sea glass and set the jar near a window to allow light to come in to light up the glass pieces! 

5 Incorporate fresh tropical flowers and plants into your home décor scheme!  Place bright orange birds-of-paradise and fuchsia orchids in bamboo vases and use them as table centerpieces and wall shelf décor!

6 Colorful artwork, including paintings and room fixtures, can definitely make a room feel more tropical like!  Check out Janie Moltrup Photography – Janie has great floral photographs that would look excellent in your home décor!

For more great tips, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter (click here to do so) and follow me on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/MeredithDesignGroup) and on Twitter (@MeredithDesign)!

Un-Decking Your Halls After the Holidays!

Paperwhites can warm up a home during the winter!

The holidays have come and gone, and by now you’ve said goodbye to the holiday decorations in your home – the trees, the tinsel, the garland, the lights.  Gone, gone, gone and gone!  It’s January 11^th, and chances are you’ve un-decked your halls in your home, and your home may be looking sparse and gloomy without all the holiday sparkle!  Below are a few redesign ideas you can use to warm up your home and have it looking great for January (even without holiday décor)!

-       Very few things can liven up or change a room as much as paint will!  So, if your rooms are looking dreary, pick a great paint and get to painting!

-     Liven up your home this winter by brining the outside in!  A great way to do this is to add live plants!  After holiday greenery is gone, other living plans can really warm up a space!  Paperwhites are a great option (see our picture to see how pretty)!

-       Still want a winter look for your home but not a “Christmasey” look?  Decorate with white!  It gives your home a January look without screaming “holidays”!!

-        Add darker hued accessories to your home to warm it up for the winter!  Colorful accent pillows help as well!  And blankets too!

If you’d like more ideas for sprucing up your home this winter, join us over on Facebook and on Twitter, too!  We’d love to hear about what you are doing to warm up your homes after the holidays!

For more information on the redesign services Meredith Design Group offers, visit www.MeredithDesignGroup.com!

Happy January & Happy Redesigning!