The Christmas decorations are all down and packed away for another year. The house feels pretty bare when everything is stripped away.

I honestly think I heard a tiny echo in the bathroom at the end of my teardown day. I walked through the house and thought, now what? 

Now we need some after the holidays decor ideas to get us through the next several months. We need to make our homes feel warm and cozy, now more than ever. The harsh dreary days of winter find us staying indoors, looking for the perfect spot to snuggle up with a good book or our favourite movie.

Our winter decor can help create the homey, comfortable shelter we are looking for. 

My Best January Decorating Ideas

It’s a nice time to change things up a bit as we’re all in the new start mode. Good decorating doesn’t need to be expensive. Here are some suggestions, many using things you already have in the house. My business continue to grow by helping “everyday people with everyday budgets”. I love to repurpose and redesign whenever possible. 

It’s a great time to replace those Christmas pillow covers with some winter ones.

You can keep the snowflake patterns for a good while yet, along with some winter word art to celebrate the season. And nothing invites more than chunky knits and heavier textured fabrics in neutrals and whites that say winter. 

Layer on top with colours in your personal decor scheme if you want a pop of colour on these dreary days. Changing up your decorative pillows is a cost effective and very easy decor application that anyone can do in minutes.

I have a collection of four white faux fur sheepskins that come out in fall when I start changing up my decor accessories.

Here are a few of my faux fur decorating ideas. Two of mine are draped over benches - one at the end of our bed, the other in our entry.

The other two are laid over the back of our wing chairs. I relocated one of these chairs to my office a few months ago. I’m finding it to be my best place to read, pray and journal, and I love the warmth and softness that little fur provides on the cool mornings when the house is quiet. Adding rich texture and soft comfort is the perfect way to bring cozy to any space.

These two IKEA footstools were refitted with new legs to bring them to bench height and provide the perfect sitting solution in our small entry. The deep green velvet has lovely texture and introduces one of the colours in my decor scheme. Topped with my faux fur throw, we’re all set to welcome guests all season long. 

Do you love my new entry wallpaper? It was inspired by client project that I’ll be sharing soon.

Throw blankets are a must have during the fall and winter months.

They are definitely on my after the holidays decor list. One of my favourites is a chunky navy blue knit that my daughter gifted me for Christmas several years ago. I love it for being so very warm and pretty, but most of all because it’s hand made and was her first ever knitting project. That one lives across the bottom of the bed in our guest room where I’ve been know to curl up with a good book from time to time. It’s the perfect little blanket to pull up to take the chill off and settle in for a good read or a little nap. 

Knitted, fur, trimmed and textured. Any of these throw blanket decor ideas draped across the end of your sofa, bed, or favourite chair, can be the perfect companion piece in your winter decorating.  Don’t forget to tuck one into a nearby woven basket to bring some beautiful winter texture to your rooms. 

The soft, ambient light a few well-placed candles bring to a room is so welcoming.

Decorative accent candles are both a source of light and a source of soothing. I think we need both of these during the darker days of winter. 

As soon as you light that wick (if you’re at all like me) there is an instant sense of warmth and relaxation. Lit candles are known to represent healing and spirituality for many. They come in so many amazing scents as well. I particularly like the spiced ones that we put out in Fall and use right through the holiday season. After the holidays, decor can still include some lovely scented candles like cranberry, cedarwood, and my all seasons favourite, vanilla. 

Don’t forget to add some to the bathroom for the full spa like experience. A bubble bath surrounded by lots of your favourite candles and some quiet background music (I like worship music) is sure to relax you; spirit, soul and body. 

A few candles on the dining table help set the mood for an intimate and even romantic dinner. Turn down the lights to the surroundings and you have an instant connection atmosphere like no other from a moment of effort. 

Candles add the finishing touch to a well styled space. They come in so many colours, are happy in almost any room of the house, and bring the “fire” element of Biophillia design that I promote and practice in my business. The Swedes brought the design industry the term “hygge” several years ago. Pronounced “hyoo-guh”, simply stated it’s how we get consciously cozy. Candles fit this terminology for sure. 

Your January decorating ideas can easily be part of your all important self-care regime. On a personal note, I was chatting with my cousin during the holidays and the topic of self care came up.

She made a funny but sadly true statement that the only self care example either of us had from our moms growing up was to see them sit down with a cigarette and coffee for a few precious moments during the day. I’m glad we’re doing so much better in this department and I love influencing this in some of the decor choices I recommend for your decorating projects.

Plants and greenery in our decor is another important element in Biophillia design that nurtures our good health and well-being. 

The greenery you have out for Christmas can easily be tweaked to allow it to stay up for a few more months of enjoyment. In general, taking away the glitter, Christmas ornaments, bows and red colours, like berries, makes for wonderful winter arrangements and greenery you can enjoy for a while longer.

I might not include the traditional staircase garlands, however, you can leave some pretty eucalyptus garland on the fireplace mantle in you have one. And I keep one of my fresh table arrangements out after the holidays.

Simply taking away the red and gold baubbles and sparkled pine cones, leaving a few off-white faux florals with a few sprigs of eucalyptus does the trick for me. You can easily keep out pinecones and even some fairy lights if you like. I took away my pinecones that were tipped with glitter. A few natural cones on a tray or in a pretty display jar add texture, warmth and interest. 

What are your after the holidays decor tips?

Leave me a comment and share your winter decorating practices. I love hearing from you!