I love when the seasons inspire getting cozy and when my pastel palette takes on deeper tones.
Pale pinks blend into raspberry, eggshell blue to teal and whites to grays. Even though I love the spectrum of these shades all year round, the transition from fall to winter is when I really embrace the moody blues and pinks.
When getting ready to decorate for the season, I start to pull out some of my holiday treasures and layer color and soft fabrics on my bed and sofa with throws and bedcovers. Faux furs and soft, drapey velvets are my favorites. Even though Christmas is traditionally known for reds and greens, somehow darker shades of pale belong too.
It’s also a time when I appreciate more than ever nostalgic details, handwork, teeny ruffles and vintage items with evidence of past lives. I revisit the movie Little Women, when time was a little slower, and creativity and make-believe in the home were the custom. With so much so-called “entertainment” at our finger tips, it’s easy to become just an observer and not be part of creating.
Our “Pink Santa” art piece is hand painted by an artist with no digital shortcuts. Just her paints and brushes. Our cross-stitched stocking was inspired by a threadbare sampler, a common practice in days gone by.
I’m always on the lookout for vintage accessories, especially Florentine trays for this time of year. The slightly bolder colors complemented by gold give them an overall faded-grandeur effect. No longer intimidatingly perfect, the trays are now so very usable.
And of course, lighting takes on a whole different effect in the winter months. While chandeliers twinkle all year round, the shorter days in particular need and relish their romantic presence.
So yes, this is a very special time of year.
