Holiday decorating tips—according to a designer
Opendoor’s Home Designer shares her best winter decor tips.
YE
Yasmine El Sanyoura
10/25/2022 · 5 min read
As an Opendoor home designer my job is to turn a blank living space into one that reflects a potential home buyer’s personal style and embodies what home means to them. It’s so rewarding to turn an otherwise impersonal space into one that expresses what is truly unique to each new homeowner. That’s why I love to see people display their own design sense during the holidays when decorating is a nationwide pastime.
We’ve learned that Americans like getting an early start on decorating their homes for the holiday season. According to our survey, many begin decorating either right after Halloween (20%) or right after Thanksgiving, but before December 1 (40%). As we head into the season this year, here are the trends we should expect to see, plus my tips for incorporating design into your holiday decor.
2022 holiday decor trends to keep an eye on
This fall and winter, I expect we’ll see a lot of these trends:
Embracing the natural elements. Incorporating nature into home decor is a holiday staple. Flocked trees will be popular this year, as will the perennial favorites, natural wreaths, garlands, and botanicals. This year, try incorporating these elements in unique ways.
For example, don’t limit wreaths to the front door. Consider hanging wreaths of different sizes throughout the home. Opt for classic winter botanicals like cypress, pine, and spruce. These touches of nature are good for the soul, so even if you opt for the faux variety, placing them in vases and stoneware throughout your home can inspire joy and calm for months.
Let your personality shine through details like the ornaments you place on the tree, the vases you choose, and even the use of ribbons on your wreaths.
Candles, candles, candles. Candles are a holiday staple. Choosing a signature scent for your holiday candles (pine, fir, gingerbread, baked apple — so many are available!) will make your holiday memories resonate for years to come.
Try adding beautifully crafted tapered candles to your holiday decor, set in distinctive candle holders that match your decor. Candles come in a huge variety of shapes, colors, and lengths, so there is something for everyone. Go classic or get playful with textured candles or bold with dark colors — they’re sure to add something special to your decor.
Switching from one holiday decor set to another with ease
The last few months of the year can feel like a blur, and moving from one holiday theme to another takes a bit of work. I recommend decor that evokes your favorite holiday feelings and can last all season. Use colors and textures to evoke festivities without referencing a specific holiday. For example, get throw pillows and cushions with dark green, charcoal, and sienna tones that broadly encompass fall and winter, and skip more specific holiday pillows (pumpkin, turkey, snowmen).
That said, some people do love going all out for each holiday, and we respect that. When switching from one holiday theme to another, consider decorating with items that are simple to change but still reflect the season. I love using botanicals for this. In a signature vase, place dark, looming branches with cobwebs for Halloween. Swap them out for a dried bouquet of fall florals in November. In December, switch to a beautiful arrangement of dark greenery. The same idea works for your holiday table: use different colored napkins for each celebration.
According to our survey, many people (38%) enjoy having a decorated mantel. Include a mix of natural elements, candles, and sentimental items. Consider a grouping of different elements, like a garland, several mismatched candle holders and custom stockings from a local business hung beneath.
Taking down and storing decor (without the stress)
Almost all respondents (84%) from our survey said that decorations come down in January, with 51% aiming for New Year’s Day or soon after. To make this process as easy as possible, I suggest:
Have a storage plan. Categorize your decorations and pack them away in sturdy boxes you can stow somewhere dry and cool. Invest in specialized boxes with padding for more delicate or sentimental decorations so you won’t have to worry about them.
Make it fun. If you have family or friends staying over or have little ones at home, make a tradition out of the changeover from one season to the next by taking down the holiday decor together. Turn on your favorite non-holiday music (or savor a few favorite tracks before you move past the season!), make a special breakfast, hot cocoa or other treats, and enjoy each other’s company as you pack it all away for the year.
If you’re interested in selling your home, request an offer or check out our current homes for sale. Don’t forget to check out our open roles, too.
Yasmine El Sanyoura is a Home Designer at Opendoor
Methodology: The Opendoor Survey was conducted online by Qualtrics among 800 nationally representative U.S. homebuyers ages 28+ between September-October 2021 who are interested in either decorating or remodeling their home (or have remodeled in the past two years). The data has been weighted to ensure reliable and accurate demographic representation of the U.S. homebuyer population ages 28+. For the purposes of this report, Millennials are defined as ages of 29-39, Generation X is defined as ages 40 to 55 and Baby Boomers are defined as ages 56 to 74.
Further reading
2023 is the year of universal decor
2022’s Hottest ZIP Codes
Winter Wonderland: Home for the Holidays
What your home personality says about you
Opendoor launches Buy + Sell in San Diego
New leadership structure
First-time buyers face challenges head-on
Our new marketplace, Opendoor Exclusives
Introducing Opendoor Exclusives
Opendoor third quarter of 2022 financial results
A message from our CEO and Co-Founder, Eric Wu
Holiday decorating tips—according to a designer
We’re heading to Charleston and Richmond!
The Opendoor Finance app expands
Navigating changing market conditions
De-stressing homeownership
Introducing our new CTO Raji Subramanian
Here are Opendoor’s top family-friendly cities
Zillow, Opendoor announce multi-year partnership
Opendoor second quarter of 2022 financial results
Home appraisal tips – and what is home appraisal based on
Welcoming Sydney Schaub as Chief Legal Officer
Be Open: Our new brand campaign
8 top home selling mistakes you should avoid
How to write an offer letter for a house
Should I sell my house? 6 questions to ask before you sell
How to sell your house for the most money
Opendoor partners with Lower.com
Open house tips for first-time buyers
The paint colors that can boost your home’s value
Who pays real estate agent commission fees
Sunny skies ahead: Opendoor’s hottest neighborhoods
Opendoor is now live in 50+ markets
The most important things to repair before selling a house
8 critical factors that influence a home’s value
What you need to know about preliminary reports
Introducing a new Opendoor financing app
The Millennial desire for homeownership
Opendoor’s First Quarter of 2022 Financial Results
Opendoor launches in Detroit area and Southwest Florida
What is a cash offer in real estate and why consider it?
The new normal: 2022 Real Estate Trends Report
3+ things I learned at Girl Geek 2022
Opendoor is now live In New Jersey & New York
Opendoor report: Journey of a New Build Buyer
Q&A: Jessie Smith, General Manager, Northern CA
Honey, I shrunk the house!
Opendoor announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2021 Financial Results
Feels like home: Opendoor live in the SF Bay Area
Home inspection checklist for buyers
New report: These design trends will reign supreme in 2022
Coast-to-coast: Opendoor’s hottest neighborhoods in the U.S.
Where to next? Opendoor’s most popular zip codes
Welcome home: How you moved with Opendoor in 2021
Q&A: Franklin Muanankese, General Manager, Atlanta
2021 in review: Empowering customers through innovation
Opendoor announces Third Quarter 2021 Financial Results
Welcome home, RedDoor!
Introducing Opendoor Complete: sell, buy and close seamlessly
Opendoor announces hiring plans in Canada
U.S. first-time homebuyers missed billions in work time house hunting
Opendoor launches real-time offers on Realtor.com
Welcoming Amelia Generalis as Chief People Officer
Q&A: Patrick Halligan, General Manager, D.C. area
Opendoor partners with BDX’s NewHomeSource.com
Opendoor expands to D.C., Cleveland & Columbus Areas
Welcoming Skylight & Pro.com to the Opendoor family
Sandy beaches to rolling vineyards – Opendoor’s most popular CA markets
Introducing the most convenient, fastest way to complete your home assessment
Reaching a new milestone: Meet the Petitto family!
Check in with VP of Engineering, Mark Kinsella: One year after joining Opendoor
Opendoor announces Second Quarter 2021 Financial Results
How real estate agent saved the sale with Opendoor
What’s better than a competitive cash offer? Building your brand with Opendoor
Opendoor 2021 report: Achieving the American dream
Opendoor data reveals what consumers think about today’s real estate market
Opendoor now available in more than 40 markets
Introducing Opendoor Agent Access
Open Book: Gillian Tay, Sr. Engineering Manager
Opendoor 2021 report: The hearts & minds behind today’s housing market
Opendoor reaches 100K customer transactions & launches 6 new markets
Open Book: GeLisa Beard, Sr. Pricing Analyst
Opendoor expands to Kansas City, Colorado Springs & Northern Colorado
Opendoor announces First Quarter 2021 Financial Results
Tales from the market: Where people are moving
Q&A with Mike Cieri: Opendoor’s VP of Buyer Product
Opendoor to report First Quarter 2021 Financial Results on May 11, 2021
Opendoor now available in 30 markets; first to bring iBuying to St. Louis
Opendoor increases buying capabilities to empower more sellers
How this retired service member sold his home to Opendoor
Open Book: Sherry Wang, Data Science Manager
Meet Shannon Hodges: Opendoor’s New VP of Sales & Support
Opendoor announces two executive promotions
Welcome John Rice to Opendoor
Opendoor brings iBuying to Boise; launches in 4 new markets
2021 Local Real Estate Trend Report
Opendoor Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2020 Results
Opendoor introduces cash-backed offers, increasing buyers’ chances of winning their dream home
Expanding our footprint to San Diego and Asheville
Open Book: Ben Jenkins, Experience Partner
YE