How to Decorate After Christmas
Sharing Simple, Designer-Approved Tips for Transitioning from Christmas to Winter Decor
Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. As much as I’m always a little sad to see it end, there’s something incredibly refreshing about the start of a new year. It’s the perfect time for reflection, fresh goals, and resetting our space. It’s also the ideal moment to pack away the Christmas decor and embrace a cozy winter home.
After we put all of our Christmas decorations away, our house instantly felt a little empty, and those post-holiday winter blues started to creep in. After all the magic of the season, it’s easy to think, “What’s next?” If you’ve ever felt that way, you’re not alone. Today, I’m sharing my simple approach to decorating after Christmas, so you can refresh your space while still enjoying some of your favorite cozy décor pieces.
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4 Steps to Transition from Christmas to Winter Decor
1. Remove all the Red
Removing the red is the most impactful first step in transitioning from Christmas to winter decor. Red is visually and emotionally tied to the holidays, so removing it immediately signals a seasonal shift.
As designers, we think in terms of color stories, and once red is gone, the space instantly feels calmer, more refined, and intentionally styled for winter rather than the holidays.
Because I lean heavily into a neutral palette year-round, Christmas is the only time red makes an appearance in my home. Taking it away allows my foundational tones, woods, creams, soft blacks, and muted metals to shine again, creating a cozy but elevated winter look.
2. Purge / Organize / Simplify
After Christmas, I always shift into editing mode, because winter styling is all about restraint. Less truly is more this time of year. Once all the red is removed, I go a step further and pull out anything that clearly reads as “Christmas-only.” This includes signage, ornaments, nativity scenes, and novelty holiday pieces that don’t translate into winter styling.
This seasonal reset is the perfect opportunity to organize and declutter with intention. If an item didn’t get used this year or no longer fits your current style, it’s time to let it go. Sell it, donate it, or gift it, but don’t store it out of habit. A fresh edit creates visual calm, makes room for what you truly love, and sets the foundation for a clean, intentional start to the new year.
3. Leave out the Winter Greens
Evergreens are one of my favorite decor elements to carry through the winter season. Pine sprigs, garlands, wreaths, and even small trees add life, texture, and a natural softness to a space, without feeling tied to Christmas when styled intentionally.
The key is keeping greens out is no lights, no ornaments, no overt holiday styling, just clean, natural texture. This allows them to read as seasonal rather than festive. Flocked trees can be trickier; they tend to lean more Christmas-specific, so I personally prefer to pack those away and save them for next year.
4. Keep it Neutral and Cozy
Winter is the perfect season to lean into texture, and this is where knit pillows, faux fur, and chunky woven throws truly shine. These softer layers instantly warm up a space visually and physically, adding depth, comfort, and that inviting “stay awhile” feeling. Cozy is always my favorite design direction, and winter gives us full permission to embrace it.
To keep things elevated and not overly monochromatic, I like to introduce subtle color through textiles. Adding green can give you that pop of color. Green acts as a winter neutral in my book; it adds richness without overpowering the space. Paired with a soft neutral foundation, it keeps the room feeling fresh, clean, and intentionally styled all season long.
As much as I love Christmas, it always feels good to get back to a normal routine and get the house back in order. I hope these simple tips make it easy for you to transition your own home from Christmas to winter. I would love to hear when you’re taking your decor down or if you have any tips on making the transition. Let me know in the comments.
You can shop this Winter Living Room by clicking the links below!
What to Read Next:
15 Cozy Winter Living Room Ideas
10 Ways to Make Your Home Cozy for Winter
DIY Farmhouse Style Drop Cloth Curtains- 2 Ways
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I love this!!! I always feel sad with the lack of decor after the holidays as well. Could you please let me know what species your mini tree is? I’ve been considering adding one to my decor.
Hi Stacey!
Thank you for stopping by my blog. This is actually a 3 ft artificial pine tree. I got it at Walmart for $15.
Love the rug. Can you tell me where to find one too?
Love this rug could you please share where it’s from !
Hi Abbie, this rug is from https://shop.wellwoven.com/
What is the name of the well woven rug?
Hi Michaela,
I love your cozy space! I’m currently decluttering and repainting my home to reflect a similar look. I’m on the hunt for oversized chairs and these look amazing. Are they from Pottery Barn?
Thank You so much! This chair is from Ikea, its the Ektorp Chair and very inexpensive!
Hi Michael, Love this space, its so inviting and calming. I see I am late to the party, but just found you. What did you cover the chair in. I see the Ektorp chair at IKEA, but it black. Yours looks so pleasing with the white.
Thank you, your style is awesome.
Laine
Ikea just discontinued the Ektorp, that is why you are not seeing the white. They replaced it with the UPPLAND series, I believe they have a white option.
I love this neutral palette for de stressing after Christmas and relaxing into the new year.
I’m looking for the beaded strand you have displayed on the dresser. Where did you find it? Thanks!
Thank You Susan! These are from the Hearth and Hand line at Target. I have a link to them in this post https://michealadianedesigns.com/rustic-christmas-antique-mantle/
Loving these ideas! I love the look of clean and crisp decor. It’s bittersweet after Christmas but definitely helps me to move on to the rest of the season! Great job Micheala.
Thank you Alex!
Your space is beautiful and cozy. Quick question…we are getting our hardwood floors redone and I love the color of yours. Do you know what finish they are? Thanks 🙂
I’d love to know the same! Just sent screenshots to my brother about it.
I do not know the exact stain color as they were done when we moved in, but when we color-matched dark walnut was a good match.
What is the name of the well woven rug so I can find it on their site? Thanks. Would love to see more sourcing from you, love your style!
Here is the link https://shop.wellwoven.com/products/maxwell-vintage-modern-blue-rug. Thank you so much for the feedback!
I love your space all around!! What is the name of that wall paint color?????
Thank you Ashley! The wall color is Sherwin Williams Sea Salt.
I love your style, your home is so gorgeous. I’m so glad to have found you an instagram.
Thank you so much Karen!
This is the perfect neutral tones but still warm and inviting! Where did you find those curtains? I am looking for a neutral color exactly like that for our bedroom that blocks out light. Those look like they would be perfect!
Thank you! The curtains were made from paint drop cloths. I actually have a tutorial here on the blog. https://michealadianedesigns.com/diy-drop-cloth-curtains/
Absolutely love this look!! So beautiful. I love the sign. My Happy Place. Where can I get it?
Thank You so much Debbie! This sign is from https://www.etsy.com/shop/palletsandpeonies. This is a custom sign so just let Christie know which sign you want and she can make it for you.
I love the dresser! Where is it from?
Thank You!! This is an antique find. I actually found it on the side of the road for free! 🙂
I absolutely love this look! Could you possibly tell me the name of this paint color and who makes it?
Hi Claire! This is Sherwin Williams Sea salt. You can find more details in this post https://michealadianedesigns.com/farmhouse-paint-colors/
I hope you had a lovely holiday. Enjoyed your tips and got some great ideas. Now, I am planing to after Christmas home ideas.
Thank you so much!
A year later and it’s still great and timeless advice. I needed that!
So happy it was helpful!
Love the clean look, your style is great.
Thank You!
What color did you use for the walls. I love it!!
Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams
Oh how I love this room. The colors, textures, and style. It’s such a welcoming, calming, and comforting look. Great tips, thank you.
Thank you for the sweet comment!
Everything is absolutely beautiful! I was actually looking to buy those chairs! Are they cozy!?
Hi Sarah! These chairs are super cozy and oversized. I think they are great for the price.
Thank you for sharing, I love all of this decor! So cozy! How do you like the Maxwell blue area rug in your living room? I have a large rug in my bedroom and always have to get a professional rug cleaning because it gets so dirty, so I’m looking for a better brand of rug… but I’m kind of nervous to order one off of Amazon.
We love this rug. The quality is great and the brand Well Woven is one of my favorites.
Wow, I didn’t realize how much difference red made in a space! As per your recommendation, I left only neutrals and greens in my home and I love it more already. We recently got our floors resurfaced and the dark stain with our neutrals really creates a cozy vibe, perfect for January! Thanks for the inspo!
Love your room and ideas for a cozy winter palette. The coffee table with the black turned wood leg base and wood boards for top, can you share where this is from? Thank you!
Im an glad you enjoyed the post, unfortunately I don’t have a source for that coffee table.