How to Freshen Up Your Home

Raise your hand if you have the post-holiday blahs. You’ve taken down the tree and twinkle lights and what’s left? A few dust bunnies and those bare shelves that are keeping you up at night. If this sounds all too familiar, don’t despair. You are not alone.

As you take down your holiday decor, now is the ideal time to refresh your home. Here are some simple solutions that will help you fall in love with your home all over again.

HOW TO FRESHEN UP: Your Bookshelves

1. Take an honest look at your bookshelves. Rid yourself of any “treasures” that have run their course. Don’t fret or feel guilty about it. Hold onto the things you love and find a new home for the rest. Remember: This is your home. Fill it with things that make you smile.

2. When you have a big set of shelves, it can feel overwhelming. Take a deep breath and formulate a plan.

3. Keep it simple. You don’t have to fill every blank space on each shelf. By giving decorative items some breathing room, they become more eye-catching.

4. Create a color palette. Sometimes a bookshelf filled with unique, eclectic items can feel overwhelming to pull together. It may be easier to determine a color palette and work from there. When you’re searching for decorations, find books and decorative items to compliment your scheme. Having a color palette in place will help keep you focused.

5. Sure-Fire Bets. Certain items are always a good idea while decorating bookshelves. Picture frames filled with sweet photos add a warm, familiar touch. Select a handful of photos and place them in frames whose finish are in the same family. Books in a bookshelf sounds obvious but it’s a must. Set off a collection of books with a pair of unique bookends and you’re in business.

6. Form vs. Function. Oftentimes, bookshelves serve a specific function. But that doesn’t mean functional has to look frumpy. Use a set of wicker baskets, decorative boxes or jars to camouflage the clutter.

HOW TO FRESHEN UP: Your Front Door

1. Your front porch is the ultimate way to make a good first impression. Take a minute and look at your front porch as if you were visiting for the first time. Has the doormat seen better days? Is there a welcoming outdoor light near the door? How can you add something special to boost your home’s curb appeal?

2. A wreath is always a good idea. After the holidays, a boxwood or magnolia wreath has a year-round appeal. Try hanging it from your door frame with a wide decorative ribbon for a pop of color.

3. Frost-resistant flowers like pansies and decorative kale add a lush touch paired with an evergreen topiary. Invest in a unique, quality planter that will last for years to come. With a show stopping planter, you’ll have fun changing up your plants each season.

The most eye-catching way to freshen up your front porch?

Paint your front door a new color. When choosing a new color for your front door, consider your surroundings. What is the color of your brick, siding or stucco? Do you want to make a big statement with the color you choose or simply add some warmth to your entry?

Here are some front door paint color fan favorites:

The Classics

• Tricorn Black by Sherwin Williams – Everyone loves a black door. There’s something substantial and classic about it and it works in just about every home.
• Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore – This paint color is that deep, classic navy you’re looking for.

Traditional with a Twist

• Wythe Blue by Benjamin Moore – It’s that perfect mixture of robins egg blue and sage green which make this color so lovable.
• Dragon’s Breath by Benjamin Moore – When you need a deep, dark, muddled color Dragon’s Breath could be the color for you. An earthy blend of brown, green and gray, it has a surprisingly wide range.

Go Bold

• Gumdrops by Behr – This coral hue is adventurous enough to make a playful statement, but stops short of offending your neighbors.
• Gentleman’s Gray by Benjamin Moore – Don’t be confused by the name, this is color is true blue. Gentleman’s Gray will add the perfect vibrant pop to a home with light color stone or white exterior paint.

HOW TO FRESHEN UP: Your Coffee Table

1. Updating your coffee table decor is a quick way to refresh your living room, but it can be tricky (especially if you have little ones in your home). Your chosen
accessories need to provide visual interest while not overwhelming the function of your coffee table.

2. Something to remember when selecting accessories for your coffee table: items need to be seen best from a bird’s-eye view. Unlike decor placed on bookshelves at eye level, your coffee table decor will be seen from all sides. You might consider decorative boxes, bowls or sculpture which look great from any angle, while picture frames and one-sided clocks look best on a bookshelf. A large tray is a place for accessories to land, offering a collected feel. You can also remove the tray and accessories all at once when it’s time to use the coffee table for game night or prop up your feet while watching TV.

3. If you have kids at home, your coffee table is not the place to display anything precious. Instead, opt for accessories made of indestructible materials such as wood or plastic. Pull together a stack of your family’s favorite storybooks or cleverly collect toys in unique containers to decorate your coffee table.

4. Other tried and true coffee table essentials are coasters, your favorite candle and a stack of – you guessed it – coffee-table books! Display a collection of beautiful art books or a matching set of leather bound family albums.

5. Don’t let the post holiday blah’s leave you overwhelmed. Take things slow. Try to refresh a couple of spots around your home and see if it jump starts the new year. And remember, a home filled with love is the most beautiful of all.

by Callie Harris

Callie Harris is an Abilene-area interior designer. Along with helping friends and family decorate their homes and parties, Harris works with local builders on new builds and renovations.