Hey y’all and happy new year! Hope your January is off to a great start! It’s that wonderful time again, where we reflect on the past year, set resolutions and dream of new beginnings. It’s also time to pack up your holiday decor and get your home all winter cozy.

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Even though we went relatively light-handed on our Christmas decorating this year, as we put away tub after tub of ornaments, lights, stockings and pillows, our house started to feel so empty. Or as Nick has recently put it “it feels so clean and open in here”. Whether you are a Nick-type or a Kristen-type, today we’re sharing our tips on how to style your home after the holidays to keep that cozy feeling all winter long.

5 tips to transition your home from holiday to winter decor

We’ll focus on our main living space since it had the tree and most decor which kind of bleeds into our dining room and kitchen.

1. Get rid of the red, kind of

This is one of the quickest ways to instantly remove that “it’s Christmastime” vibe. Since our usual decor is a fairly neutral color palette of creams and grays with some blues and greens mixed in, we rarely have red in the house outside of the holidays (or college football game days). Now, I say get rid of the red kind of because those beautiful deep cranberry and oxblood reds still make an appearance around here as we transition into our winter decor since they’re so rich, warm and add a touch of cozy warmth.

What we pack away is the bright, Santa-esque reds synonymous with Christmas. This means bye bye poinsettias, our naughty/nice pillow, North Pole hand towels, handmade Christmas Vacation-themed artwork, and anything else that screams Christmas (even if it doesn’t contain a lick of red!). Most of it goes into the attic, while we have other pieces – like our metal “mistletoe” container – that we keep out in plain sight. One trick we use to let this pull double duty is just turn it around to hide the lettering, swap the aspen logs for cozy pillows and blankets, and no one is the wiser.

2. use icy hues

I really love beautiful, dark, moody greens, however this is a good time to change them out (or add to them) for a fresher version of the color. An obvious item in the house to get rid of is the actual Christmas tree and since we won’t be filling that floorspace with something comparably huge, I like to go with more silver-toned minty blue-greens this time of year, usually in the form of pillows and smaller accents. Think the color of the Lamb’s Ear plant – lighter green flocked with a velvety soft silver layer. They’re a little frosty looking – perfect for winter months – which plays really nicely paired with the moody red wine tones we keep out this time of year. They also are a great way to tie into the tones of our usual grays + blues + greens we have going on in the house year-round, meaning we don’t have to swap out everything or feel the need to repaint walls each time we change seasons.

And as a bonus this silver-toned greens will play a role in a few months when we’re ready to transition into spring for some added bang to your buck. Which brings me to…

3. Keep a neutral base

This is kind of a core rule I follow that isn’t necessarily season-specific. Instead, we keep a neutral base – especially on the big commitment items that are harder/more expensive to change, like main wall colors, curtains, couches, etc. – so we can quickly change up the smaller cheaper stuff, like accessories, to keep from getting bored and without breaking the bank each time. We generally prefer a mix of grays and creams, making sure they pair well with one another so that, for instance, none stand out as brown when next to another gray, and vary in brightness so we have a good mix from light to dark for some nice contrast.

For instance, since our couch is a light gray/ivory weave, we’re careful to use pillows either much lighter, darker, different colored and/or patterned than it to help keep the living room from feeling one-note and looking like a sad winter gray day. This is especially why…

4. Texture is your best friend

One of my absolute favorite ways to keep neutral from being boring (year-round!) and to infuse that cozy vibe you’re looking for is to play with different textures. Some of my favorites for this season are luxurious velvets, chunky knits, felts + wools, and at the start of the year even a dash of sequins and mixed metallics. The added shine helps carry over the charm of Christmas twinkly lights while bringing a fresh new vibe perfect for celebrating beginnings brought on by the new year, and anything you want to cuddle with while you binge watch Netflix on a cold day is definitely a keeper.

5. Use items that bring you joy

It’s always in style to surround yourself with the things that make you happy, no matter the time of year. Another tip that isn’t season-specific, I think this season might be most important time to have your joyful pieces fill your home. Whether it’s photos of your loved ones, old wrenches from a family barn, your favorite books, or a quippy letter board, I find styling your space with the things you love (plus a new, fresh plant here or there) helps keep the winter doldrums from setting in and can help keep you motivated to follow through on your resolutions.

Engagement photo + vintage photo of our college town in winter

6. Unofficial bonus tip: get yourself a helper

Not a hard and fast rule, but can you really turn down a face like this when it foils your attempts to fold up the blanket?

I hope these tips help get you excited and ready to tackle the year ahead. If you’re transitioning your own space, do you have any tips of your own that you’d like to share? We’d love to read your suggestions in the comments!

If you want to see what our home normally looks like, you can check it out here.