seasonal decor

[artichoke]

hi all

i would like to change the look of a room with the seasons but am in need of some ideas pointers.

I am a keen gardener so always have seasonal plant containers outside my front and back door but need inspiration on how to bring the seasons inside. We grow our own veg and therefore eat seasonally and so i want to now reflect this in the look of the house inside as well.

I know i can use plants - but what else do people do?

I am in the Peak District in the hills in the middle of the uk so at present here it is still cold and even snowed today - but i will be potting up snow drops soon for outside my front and back doors and then the crocus and daffadolis will be emerging - but how do i represent this indoors?

We live in a traditonal stone small cottage built into a hillside surrounded by open coutryside / moorland so our decor is traditional country rustic, wooden kitchen units, log burning stoves etc so want to keep the look "rustic / natural / countryside etc."

I love my christmas / winter garlands / wreaths which are pine cones, red berries, pine leaves....... but i would like to replace them with something else soon - natural looking but hinting towards spring just as the snowdrops do......

inspiration needed....

thanks

artichoke :heartsNY:

 

[Bren]

I am no help at all. With three kids my house is decorated in the style of Lego blocks, American Girl dolls and Cars :rotflol: . As far as plants go, mine are artificial or I kill them :thud:

Just wanted to tell you that the way you describe your home makes me want to visit your part of England. It sounds just BEAUTIFUL "heartstrings: .

Hope the others here can help you out with decor. There are many creative members here :grouphug: .

Bren :love:

 

[artichoke]

hi

with a 2 year old boy and 3 year old girl my home is also decorated with lego, playmobil, and particulary dora and diego following father christmas's recent visit....

but i also want to move to seasonal toys and books and dvd's.....

We had a playmobil nativity set this year which they love and a playmobil santa's grotto but they will go away at the end of this week and i will replace them with a farm set with lots of newborn lambs etc....

From december we watched a christmas dvd each night and read christmas books from the christmas book basket (an idea i pinched from here) and so i would like to carry this on with seasonal books and dvd's but again need suggesstions.....

not sure how the seasonal toys/ books / dvd's will work out - again i would welcome ideas.....

once the gardening year starts the kids spend most of the day outside......and at the moment spend most of their playing time rescuing animals with dora and diego

lots to think about with this seasonal theme...


artichoke

 

[Ahorsesoul]

I've aways wanted four seasons of pictures for the wall. I'm thinking this year I'm going to take a area of my yard and photo it each season. Then frame all four photos for display. I'll change the picture each season.

 

[jackfrosty]

Ahorsesoul-Someone I know did that with a particular tree in her yard and had them all framed alike-It's beautiful! It would be fun to do with family pic's as well!
artichoke-Your home sounds like a perfectly wonderful place! Maybe you could use some garden sculptures indoors-the bunnies or other animals that have that weathered look-maybe some terra cotta? I'm hoping to head to the library soon(one vehicle can stink sometimes) and get some seasonal childrens books as well as the rudy day pick. At Christmas time I tied a big Christmas ribbon around the book basket-maybe you could tie a spring type one a seasonal book basket.

 

[Holiday Joy]

I agree with the others, artichoke -- your place sounds lovely! I think jackfrosty's idea of heading to the library for a new crop of seasonal books is a wonderful idea! You could decorate your childrens' walls for the season by framing seasonal pictures from their favorite childrens' books.
You could replace your pine garlands and wreaths with ivy, either real or silk. You could change the flowers in a silk ivy wreath or garlands for the seasons. Here, I would do tulips in the spring, roses in summer, sunflowers in the fall, poinsettias in the winter. It would look great with the garden sculptures/terra cotta mentioned earlier.
The kids and toy theme: I also used to dress some small teddy bears and use them in a seasonal display on a table -- straw hat for spring, sunglasses for summer, etc. It was cute!

 

[crazymo]

I always have seasonal candy set out in a candy dish. Conversation hearts at Valentines, candy corn in the fall etc. I also change candles according to the seasons. Pumpkin scents in the fall, pine at Christmas, Jelly bean at Easter etc. Another easy seasonal decoration is window clings. They make them for all seasons and holidays. I love antiques so another thing I do is tuck antique postcards in frame of the glass of my china cabinet. I change the cards according to the holiday.

 

[chrisaholic]

I do seasonal changes over my fireplace mantel. I have a wreath and an arrangement of collector plates. I have different wreaths and different plate collections. Christmas, Winter, Easter, Summer and Fall. The plates I use for Christmas and Winter are the same (a little boy and his teddy bear in different witner activities). For spring and summer I also use the same plates (bird collection). But I have different wreaths for each season. I would like to add a Valentines wreath and a true spring wreath. I'm also getting tired of my summer wreath and would like to change it.

 

[Cathymac]

Good suggestions! I was thinking along the same lines as everyone else-seasonal silk flowers or even small pots of real plants in season...if you have a green thumb and won't kill them as I tend to do!

Grapevine wreaths are great for changing out-snowflakes in winter, pastel flowers and bunnies in spring, summer flowers, fall leaves...plus they have that "rustic" look that you want in your home. I also redo my mantle seasonally, as well as my year round tree.

I love the ideas about the garden sculptures inside...and it sounds perfect with your home. I'd suggest finding a year round style you love..maybe a rustic cottage style to match the style of your home? Then use seasonal accents, as mentioned above and in other posts to just have a little pop for that season.

My house is basically decorated in a country style...French country in the kitchen and master suite, cottagey country in the living room, western/cowboy country in the little boys' room, just plain junk in DS15's room...then I add in fall leaves and garlands, Christmas stuff, snowflakes, Easter eggs, American flags, whatever the season dictates.

Go with what you love and your home will reflect your interests and your families.

Good luck, and have fun!