First Holidays in Florida? Try These Decorating Tips
If you’re preparing to celebrate one or more of those big end-of-year holidays in your new custom Florida home, you may be doing it as a first-time resident of the Sunshine State.
We at ICI Homes can attest to how magical the holiday season is here. We’re Florida residents too, having built new custom homes all over the state for more than 40 years. We work from regional divisions and our headquarters in Daytona Beach, and four decades means a lot of visits by Santa and New Year’s Eve countdowns!
But, if you’re new to Florida and its year-round temperate climate — especially if you arrived only a few weeks or months ahead of the holidays — those big celebrations may be the last thing on your to-do list. Even if they aren’t, that first holiday season in a new setting can be a conundrum. You may be contemplating whether to keep any beloved decorations you brought with you, or to start fresh.
We’re happy to offer some tips and tricks to maximize your Florida holiday decorating.
Keep holiday favorites (for now)
Moving to a new custom Florida home is a huge, strenuous and exhausting endeavor no matter how well planned or smoothly it goes. Unpacking — much less LOCATING — any ornaments and holiday dinnerware may feel like an obligation rather than a treat.
Sound accurate? Don’t bah-humbug just yet. The path of least resistance here takes two forms: decorating with your familiar holiday stash even thought it might look odd in your new abode (and enjoying it anyway), or donating that stuff and starting over with new basics you can build on over time.
Doing a Christmas tree? Try a new pre-lit artificial one that might be less mess and fuss at a time you need less mess and fuss. A live tree always is in style, but perhaps it works best outdoors this season, on a porch or your new lanai, where you can still enjoy it while digging through moving boxes.
Switch things up
Does a new custom Florida home mean you and your household are ready for change? Go for it!
Your first holiday season here is a perfect time to try new traditions, celebrations and decorating styles. Tired of snow, reindeer and other cold-weather holiday motifs? You’ll find plenty of sunshine, aquatic life and Santa-at-the-beach ornaments and colors.
Speaking of colors, consider giving traditional holiday colors a rest, unless red and green are a non-negotiable for you and your household. Pinks and mints might warm up your new interiors instead, while echoing those traditional color schemes.
If you’ve never tried a pre-lit artificial Christmas three, now’s the time to try one. But don’t automatically reach for a dark green one. A white, pink, blue or silver tree may inspire the new celebratory glow you’re after this season.
We’re Florida residents too, having built new custom homes all over the state for more than 40 years. We work from regional divisions and our headquarters in Daytona Beach, and four decades means a lot of visits by Santa and New Year’s Eve countdowns!
