What is Transitional Decorating?

In a nutshell, transitional decorating is the decor you put out in your home in between holidays that gives just a nod to the current season. It’s decor that isn’t related to a specific holiday like Christmas, Thanksgiving or Easter. It’s decor that evokes a feeling of the current season. Not in an overt, over the top kind of way; but with more subtle touches; with a subdued nod towards the season.

Let me ask you a question. How do you decorate your home after the Christmas decorations are put away? Are you suffering through the emptiness after having put up all the Christmas decorations? Does your house feel cold, bare and empty? Or maybe you have already started putting out Valentines decorations? Having Valentine’s decorations out right after Christmas just doesn’t feel right, it’s just too soon. Resist the urge…don’t do it, yet.

That’s when transitional decor is the answer. It lets you breath a little in between holidays and gives your eye a break. It’s a simple and laid back approach to decorating your home. It’s the opposite of the intense, over the top abundance of Christmas and it’s not themed like holiday decor is.

The more I learn about interior decorating the more I am drawn to transitional decor and it’s quickly becoming my favorite way to decorate my home. Transitional decor isn’t tied to any holiday, it’s decor that is more seasonally inspired. It’s decor that reflects what is going on outside with Mother Nature.

Incorporating transitional decor in your home will alleviate that disjointed, empty feeling in your home when it’s too early to start putting out holiday decor for the next upcoming holiday that is still weeks and weeks away. If your home feels bare and empty, incorporating transitional decor may be just what you have been looking for to fill the gap.

Transitional decorating moves your decor from one season into the next. It fills in the space between holidays. Moving from Halloween to Thanksgiving and then Christmas is a no brainer. They happen one right after the other so it’s easy to take down and put up decor in your home to reflect the upcoming holiday.

Today I want to give you some decor ideas to address the long winter weeks after Christmas before it’s time to pull out the decor for Spring and Easter. These long winter months aren’t the only time to consider transitional decor. Think about that long stretch of time from summer into fall. Those dog days of summer will be back and you will be glad to have some transitional decor ideas to help you bridge the gap from summer into fall. Transitional decor will help you move effortlessly from one season to the next bridging the long gaps from one holiday to the next.

One of the best things about transitional decor? It works with any design style you have going on in your home too! So what exactly are transitional decor items?

Here are a few items you can easily incorporate into your decor that will work any time of the year.

• Pinecones
• Branches
• Greenery, plants
• Acorns
• Corks
• Balls of yarn
• Candles
• Baskets
• Willow balls
• Moss balls
• Seasonal fresh flowers
• Citrus fruit
• Throw pillows

Do you knit or crochet? Don’t hide your yarn in the closet, bring it out and display it. Adding a transitional decor item can be as simple as filling a large bowl with balls of yarn. It gives a gentle nod to winter without feeling contrived; plus it adds color and texture to your decor. Not only is it pretty to look at, it’s also practical at the same time.

This simple transitional vignette on the kitchen table gives a nod to our lakefront location. The binoculars at the ready for watching the constant parade of birds right outside our windows. A Turkish towel adds a little softness to this simple transitional vignette that will look appropriate for several weeks.

If you would like to add a Turkish towel to your decor like the one I used, I found a beautiful one here on Amazon.

The next time I am at the grocery store I will pick up some seasonal fresh flowers and pop them into the white pitchers. It will keep this vignette looking seasonally appropriate well into summer.

Do you live in the mountains? Collect some pinecones, add a few candles and a bit of greenery to create a vignette for your coffee table. Look around you for inspiration and use what you have on hand. Using items that reflect your surroundings not only makes it easy to create transitional vignettes they will also feel more appropriate in your home and won’t look forced or contrived.

If you need to brush up on the fundamentals of creating vignettes you can read all about what goes into creating them here.

If you are at a loss, you can never go wrong with using candles and greenery to create transitional vignettes. There really isn’t a need to fill your spaces with tchotchkes covering every horizontal surface. A few strategically placed, curated vignettes will give your home a designer look and get rid of that empty, bare, post holiday feeling.

Did I get your creative juices flowing? Are you ready to create something beautiful in your home today? Please share your favorite transitional decor items! I’m always looking for new ideas to incorporate in my decor. Have fun with this and play around with it. I’m betting you will be really pleased with what you come up with. I think transitional decorating may become your favorite way to decorate your house too!

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