“Work smarter, not harder” isn’t just our mantra for the office (or the gym). We’re constantly on the hunt for life hacks to make every aspect of our day-to-days a little less difficult. While decking the halls can sometimes feel like a chore, leave it to an interior designer to find ways to make great-looking holiday style a cinch. With the help of Emily Hewett of A Well Dressed Home—and some smart planning and simple switches—we’re sharing five ways to streamline your seasonal decorating routine.
Space-plan for your tree.
When designing her house, Hewett created a cove for her Christmas tree but made sure the area was pretty in the offseason, too. “I didn’t want a corner of the room to sit empty 10 months out of the year,” she says. “So I designed a bench on casters, and it rolls out to the garage to make room for the tree.”
Keep extra fabric to use as tree skirts.
For the primary bedroom’s Christmas tree, Hewett saved scraps of fabric from Supply Showroom that were used for an upholstered chair and draped them around the base for a coordinating tree skirt.
Get the most out of your tree.
Hewett commissioned a custom tree riser from Scout Design Studio to prop up her tree. “It gives additional height and room for gifts,” she says. She also recommends a spinning stand: “You can have a full display of all of your ornaments, not just the ones on the front of the tree.”
Use hair clips as easy-to-hang ornaments.
Hewett found velvet hair-bow clips on Etsy and affixed them to her tree branches. “Instead of tying bows to your branches, clip hair ribbons that coordinate with your color scheme,” she says. “They are pre-tied and easy to remove.”
Layer in fresh florals.
Even if you don’t use real greenery in your holiday decor, you can still have the fresh smells of holly and pine. “Put real florals and stems in your faux greenery for a punch of color and fragrance,” says Hewett.
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