A Tale of Christmas Orphans

I have written before about the importance of planning out your design before you do anything. That importance applies to all Interior Design or Decoration projects, including holiday decorating. Sadly, this is rarely the case, particularly with Christmas decorations. The story of my client is one that is so common; it’s the story of Christmas Orphans.

I have done the Christmas decorating for years for one of my favorite Design clients. She hired me as her Christmas Decorator because she hosts several parties throughout the season and felt that her decorations weren’t as well-thought through and coherent as the design we had created in her home year-round. The problem was twofold: 1. she lacked a plan, and 2. she had several Christmas Orphans.

So, what exactly is a Christmas Orphan?

Christmas Orphans are those decorations that we have acquired that don’t really fit the theme or style or overall plan of our holiday decorating. Basically, they don’t belong and are added into the collection in a hodge-podge, haphazard kind of way.

How do the Orphans come to be?

Often, they are gifts given in our Christmas past. Or they are hand-me-downs or inherited items. And sometimes they were purchased at some after Christmas steal of 99% off and you couldn’t resist even though it didn’t really go… You get the point.

Like other areas of life, clear out the clutter of Orphans. There are 2 benefits: 1. by having fewer things on display, you and your guests can really focus on the decorations that you love, and 2. you’ll be clearing the way to make the perfect holiday decoration plan.

It might shock you to know, but even this Interior Designer and champion of the anti-clutter movement has a Christmas Orphan.

Sure, he’s very cute. Yes, the gift was certainly thoughtful. But he just doesn’t belong anywhere in my home. So this year I’m giving him to charity in the hopes that he’ll find a happy home with other country-chic snowmen.

What are your Christmas Orphans?

For more ideas on your Holiday decorations:
Holiday Tables
and stay tuned for more tips from Beautiful Habitat this week and next!


Beautiful Habitat: Luxury Interior Design www.beautifulhabitat.com