I had a question this past Sunday on holiday decorating for minimalists. Holiday decor can often take on a “more is more” approach, but you absolutely can have a cozy, well-decorated home in a minimal style! Here are a few tips:

Tip 1: Swap it Out

Because I don’t have a huge house (or massive storage options!) I like to adopt a one in, one out approach to holiday decor. If I bring something out, I have to put something away (and it’s easy to do since you already have your containers and packaging out! I like to pack away anything that isn’t specific to that holiday and replace it with something seasonal. It’s a great way to avoid the look of clutter! PRO TIP: You can bump up a holiday look by recovering pieces instead of packing them away. Great options are seasonal pillow covers, throws over furniture pieces and (my favorite!) recovering artwork with tapestries or decorative paper.

Tip 2: Think Outside the Box

Instead of going all-in on season-specific decor pieces, look for items that give the feel of the season without needing to be packed away immediately. Metallics are great for this; bronzes, coppers and golds can feel autumnal while silver tones can give a wintery feel. Yet both can be used all year in different settings and not feel seasonal! PRO TIP: Instead of bringing in new items, look through your home for items you can swap around to bring the feel or colors of the season. It’s less to buy, less to pack away and less to store!

Tip 3: Go Natural

Bring the outdoors in for every season with branches and other natural elements, then dispose of them as yard waste when you are done with the season – no storage required! PRO TIP: A word on branches (AKA a florist’s best friend). Never underestimate a fun branch! You can use them bare for fall, festoon with tinsel and ornaments for Christmas, swap in snowflakes for January and fun paper hearts for February. Pretty little flowers for spring, eggs for Easter, and so on and so forth until they get too desiccated to hold together. I’ve kept branches going for years!

BONUS TIP: Even if you aren’t a minimalist, resist the urge to shoehorn decor into every nook and cranny. Pick a few spots to decorate, and let the rest breathe. Negative space is a wonderful thing!