After a wonderful time with your friends and family enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday and eating as much turkey and mashed potatoes as possible, it's officially time to begin the countdown to Christmas. This most wonderful time of the year is merely 26 days away! Turn up the carols and break out the Christmas decorations, John Elliott Interiors has the tips and inspiration you need this season for the perfect holiday ambiance in your home. Read on to learn more from the best interior design company at the Lake of the Ozarks!

Are you experiencing some winter blues now that the Christmas tree is down? It can be an easy for your home to feel pretty empty after just a few weeks of it being filled with Christmas cheer. The New Year may bring excitement for what’s happening in the future, but we think the excitement should be in the here and now, too. If you want to add wintery home decor that isn’t too Christmassy, here are a few ideas.



Frosty Florals
There’s nothing quite like adding a bright, bold bloom to your home that brightens it up. You can still use them, even in the dead of winter, so we highly recommend choosing the biggest and the brightest to liven up the place. At John Elliott Interiors, we have the best supply of silk plants at the Lake of the Ozarks. Beautiful arrangements in vibrant colors are just way your home needs to break through the bland shades of winter. If you want to bring a little more of a wintery theme with the florals, you can set vases of icicles, and frosty branches around your home to add a glittery and icy style. You can also set out bowls of pine cones or use pine cone wreaths to bring that wintery feel without being strictly Christmas.

Create a Wintery Menagerie
In the spring you may decorate with pretty little songbirds and in the summer you may incorporate tropical fish or flamingos. So in the winter, it only makes sense to choose animals that have a winery feel. Owls, moose or deer can add the feel that you’re looking for. They don’t have to be replicas, just accents that give the feel. Antlers in your coffee table arrangement and a small silver owl lamp can be the perfect touches to reflect the season.



Seasonal Scents
While you may just think of updating the decor in your home, don’t forget to update the scent as well. In the summer you may want your home to smell like beach waves or a rose garden, in the fall you want it to smell like pumpkin pie and falling leaves, so in the winter you can incorporate warm musky scents, as well as some spicy ones, like cinnamon or ginger. If you want to infuse some energy into your home, use citrus scents. They may be more summery, but they aren’t just a seasonal scent and they can lift the mood if you are experiencing some seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Light it Up
Don't just turn the lights on to make up for a dreary day, you can change out the lightbulbs to simulate a brighter, happier look. Blue and white lights are the closest to simulating the sunlight. Dawn simulator lights gradually get lighter over a period of 20 minutes to gradually wake you up similar to the sun (if it weren’t hiding behind the snow clouds).