From the Floors Up

7 Realistic Holiday Decorating Tips

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Although the holiday season is a time for joy and happiness, it can be stressful preparing for this time of the year – especially in 2020! From shopping for presents and decorating the Christmas tree, to getting the house ready for family, it can seem like there is so much to do. Bringing the holiday spirit into your home should bring as little stress as possible. Here are some realistic tips for decorating for the holidays:

Start Planning Ahead


While you may be a superhero to your family, realistically you’re just human. Therefore, keep in mind that you can’t do everything. Being too overwhelmed prevents you from enjoying the holiday season with your family. Before you start decorating the house, decide what areas you want to focus on. The outdoor area, entryway, and perhaps the family room may be top on the list.

Throughout the house
Instead of potentially overdoing it with the Christmas decorations you can add small, simple touches in every room. Simple touches like mistletoe in the entry, holiday towels in the guest bathroom or a simple wreath on the front door can make the whole home feel decorated.

Purchasing Ornaments
When decorating the Christmas tree don’t feel like you have to purchase expensive ornaments. Discount stores and outlets sell inexpensive ornaments that look just as festive and elegant. Look for things that bring you joy that you can simply add a hook to hang on the tree. A family project could include making ornaments for the tree.

Wrapping Your Gifts
Get creative! Repurpose newspapers, magazines and other types of unique papers to wrap Christmas presents. You can even create your very own wrapping with glitter, paper and drawing pencils. Top it off with a ribbon or an accent piece. You’ll be saving money and the environment. Craft paper with decorative ribbon can be a chic and elegant look. Try this look with colored pen messages on the gifts!

Light dimmers
Purchase light dimmers for your lamps that can easily be plugged into an outlet. They are inexpensive and can be purchased at hardware stores. Light dimmers allow you to really set the mood providing the perfect ambiance for Christmas Eve.

Plan for hiccups
If you plan on having a lot of people over to the house, make a plan for the unexpected. Prepare extra food and purchase inexpensive gifts that can be held in a glass bowl for unexpected guests. Wrap extra gifts that you wouldn’t mind keeping if you end up without unexpected guests. Just remember to keep blank tags close by!

Get the family involved
Make sure you get the whole family involved. The kids can help you decorate the house. Allow them to decorate their rooms as they please. The family can help you design the Christmas tree and prepare food for the guests. Don’t be shy about asking for help!

Happy Holidays!

Decorating with Paris Flea Market Style

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Shopping in Paris is a dream for decorators and design lovers. Wandering around Paris flea markets, finding antiques and treasures, and decorating your home with your finds might not be a possibility for you. But this doesn’t mean you can’t decorate your home in French flea market style.  There are many online resources that import French antiques as well as local merchants and flea markets that have similar furniture and objects to the French markets.

French flea market style is an eclectic style that mixes antiques, salvage and garden decorations to create a romantic, nostalgic style room.  Imperfections are welcome as they show age and give character to furniture and objects alike.  Flea market finds in artwork can decorate your walls with beautiful still life or anonymous portraits.  Transforming finds into something new is also a hallmark of French flea market style. For example, a wood urn can be turned into a table lamp.

Anderson | Tuftex Kensington Color: Pembridge

French grays and beiges create a neutral but sophisticated palette. Pale wood floors or painted wood floors work well with this style, as do faded antique or vintage rugs.

Look at blogs and magazines that feature French flea market style for inspiration. Build your collection one piece at a time for a beautiful room inspired by the flea markets of Paris.

Bring Fall Colors Inside

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Autumn thanksgiving decor with candle, sunflower and pumpkin

Outside nature is beautiful. Shades of copper, burnt red and shimmering gold sparkle in the sunshine. Why leave all those lovely colors outside, why not bring them inside and bask in the splendor of fall indoors?

If you have a neutral themed home this is a no brainer. Bring in some faux greenery such as forest green leaves, golden gourds, orange pumpkins, multi-colored flowers, bushes, vines and interesting branches with bright-red berries. A colorful bouquet in the foyer will welcome visitors and immediately convey the friendly ambiance of your home. Perch other autumn arrangements on the fireplace mantle.

For the kitchen, put out bowls of mini-pumpkins, charming little gourds, fresh vegetables, oranges and lush red apples. Don’t forget to hang a welcoming fall wreath on your front door. Buy a pre-made one or design your own from artificial flowers, fruit, pinecones or any other variety of nature’s bounty.

Pull out a cozy throw and some vibrant throw pillows in cranberry red, velvety gold or deep chocolate. Switch your breezy summer curtains for the heavier tapestries of fall. Consider hanging autumn theme prints on the walls. A well-placed piece can bring fall’s unique charm into a room in a moment. Don’t forget to change out your candles. It’s time for the reds and oranges to replace the summer pinks and whites.

Fall is the perfect time to redress your home and yard for cooler weather. Warm colors will “cozy-up” your home psychologically and permit you to keep the thermostat down a little longer. Whether you make temporary changes or more permanent ones, enjoy the wonderful palette that this season provides. Let its reds and greens carry you right on into the holiday season.

Simple Guide to Cleaning Out Your Closet – Part 3

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If you missed Part 2 of Simple Guide to Cleaning Our Your Closet, you can read it here!

Part 3 – Functionality, Appropriateness

In this final installment we are discussing whether or not your clothes are functional and if they are appropriate to the current demands on your life.

Does it need repairs? For how long has this been the case? If it’s gone unrepaired for more than three months it isn’t likely that you’re going to bother. Or, if you love it, then get it repaired right away so you can put it back in rotation. Just don’t leave it hanging and waiting. This includes tailoring, buttons, hole repair, seam tightening, professional stain removal, re-heeling shoes, and polishing shoes.

Is it worn or tattered looking? No matter how much you like the style, it’s not a keeper if it looks old and dingy. This includes snags in silk or sweaters, pilling, holes, unraveled threads, stains, loose seams, over stretching, and dull color.

Is it appropriate to your lifestyle? By this, we are referring to life changes that aren’t likely to be reversed. One example is transitioning from being young and single to caring for children and running a household. In this case, a closet full of nightclub dresses isn’t likely serving you very well. Another example is transitioning from raising a family to reentering the workplace. In this case, comfortable clothes such as yoga pants and sweatshirts need to give way to suits, slacks, and blouses.

Would you buy it today if you didn’t already own it and you saw it for sale at the store? In most cases, all of the aforementioned advice will be enough to make a judgment call. But if you encounter a garment that still perplexes you (meaning you’ve had it hanging in front of your face for more than five minutes,) use this test. If you wouldn’t buy it, then that means you don’t really like enough to keep it.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this series on how to clean out your closet!

Simple Guide to Cleaning Out Your Closet – Part 2

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Part 2 – Style

If you missed Part 1 of “Simple Guide to Cleaning Out Your Closet” click here to get caught up!

Ok now that we know if your clothes are relevant to your life, let’s talk about personal style and functionality. These additional tips will be immensely helpful with your closet purging project!

Is it my style at this point in my life? This one is especially important. Dressing is a way of making a huge statement about who you are. No matter how well something fits or how expensive it was, if it doesn’t feel like “you,” let it go. The only thing worse than it not showing the world who you are, is when it actually detracts to the point that you don’t feel like yourself at all while wearing it. 

Along those same lines, ask yourself – Do you feel good when you wear it? Clothing has a massive impact on the way we convey outward confidence. If it makes you feel average at best, toss it. Even if it’s you still consider it “your style.” Buy new stuff that makes you feel like a million bucks.

Is it a classic that will always be in fashion? If so, and it’s your size, and you love it, keep it. Timeless style looks chic and effortless and should always be a staple part of your wardrobe.

Has it gone out of style? If so, is it a style that will likely be en vogue again in the future? Keep in mind that nearly all styles resurface at some point. Except for uber trendy period pieces. So if you think it’s a safe bet to hang on to it, just make sure it passes the size test we mentioned above.

Next read Part 3 – Functionality and Appropriateness

From the Floors Up

From the Floors Up blog was created with the goal of providing a destination for consumers, designers and those interested in the flooring, design, and kitchen and bath industries. Here you’ll find, current, accurate and informative information that is always just a click away!

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