Spring forward with an easy home refresh

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News/USA Today Network

If you live in Southwest Florida, spring doesn’t arrive with a dramatic entrance. There’s no snow melting or heavy coats to pack away. But there is a shift. The light lingers a little longer, the air feels softer, and everything seems to invite a fresh start.

And honestly? That’s what spring decorating is really about here. Not a full overhaul. Just a few thoughtful changes that make your home feel lighter, calmer, and more in tune with the season.

As a Bonita Springs-based interior decorator, I always like to share a few easy tips this time of year. Spring decorating isn’t about reinventing your home.

It’s about noticing what feels a little heavy, a little crowded, or a little tired. And gently refreshing it. It’s nothing complicated. Small things. But together, they make your home feel new again.

Start with your bed

One of the quickest ways to feel a seasonal shift is right in your bedroom. If you’re still holding onto anything heavy, it’s time to let it go.

Switch lighter bedding. Think breathable cotton or linen, soft whites or sandy neutrals. A simple quilt instead of a thick comforter can completely change how the room feels. It’s cooler, but also prettier for warmer months.

Lightweight bedding in soft coastal tones creates an airy, comfortable bedroom—an easy seasonal update for spring in Southwest Florida. Photo: Serena & Lily. Shown Ravello four-poster bed, Round Hill rattan chair.

And I think there’s something about climbing into a light, airy bed at the end of the day that just feels like spring.

Change the scents in your home

This is the quiet detail homeowners forget, but it makes such a difference.

Put away anything heavy or spicy and bring in fresh, clean scents like citrus, ocean breeze, a hint of coconut. Even a simple diffuser in the kitchen or living room can shift the entire mood of your space.

Faux mini sunflower bundle  with the Artisan Stidio Handcrafted Collection from Pottery Barn. Photo: Pottery Barn

It’s subtle, but you’ll notice it. Especially when you walk back in after being outside.

Clear some space

Spring decorating isn’t about adding more. It’s about taking a little away.

Look at your coffee table, your kitchen counters, your shelves. Then remove just a few things. Not everything. Just enough to give your space room to breathe.

It’s amazing how much lighter a room feels when there’s a bit of openness. Almost like your home is exhaling.

Switch out what’s already on your walls

You don’t need to buy new art. Just rotate what you already have. Maybe move a lighter, brighter piece from one room into another. Bring in something with soft color, a coastal feel, or even a simple botanical print. Put away anything that feels heavy or dark for now.

It’s a small change, but visually it can completely reset a space.

Lighten the fabrics you live with every day

This one is easy and fun. It’s from a decorator (me!) who believes that pillows can change everything.

Switch out your pillow covers. Trade deeper tones for softer ones. Think pale blues, seafoam, warm neutrals. Fold away heavier throws and replace them with something lighter, maybe a textured cotton or linen. You’re just shifting the tone.

Use what you already have as decor

One of my favorite tricks: stop thinking of décor as something separate from your daily life.

A bowl of lemons or apples on the counter. A glass pitcher with sliced citrus on the table. A small pot of fresh herbs near the window.

A simple arrangement of fresh flowers in a colorful or textured pot is an easy way to brighten a room for spring. Photo: Pottery Barn. Shown: Terracotta Amphora pots.

These are things you’d use anyway. But they also bring color, life, and a sense of ease into your home. Nothing complicated.

Fresh flowers and pretty pots

There’s something about fresh flowers that instantly makes a home feel fresh again. Skip anything too formal and keep it simple. A few stems in a small vase, clippings from the yard, or even grocery store blooms loosely arranged on the kitchen counter, all work beautifully. Nothing fussy.

Swap plain pots or vases for something with a little personality. Soft pastels, sun-washed terracotta, or even a pop of coral or aqua can add just enough color without overwhelming the space. It’s an easy way to bring that spring energy indoors without changing anything else.

Give Your Entryway a Quick Refresh

This is the first thing you see when you walk in, so it sets the tone. Shake out the doormat or swap it for something lighter. Clear away anything that’s collected there over time. Maybe add a small plant or a simple basket for everyday things.

It doesn’t need to be over styled. Just needs to feel clean and welcoming.

A Final Thought

Spring decorating isn’t about reinventing your home. It’s about noticing what feels a little heavy, a little crowded, or a little tired. And gently refreshing it.

A lighter bed. A fresher scent. A cleared surface. A bowl of citrus catching the afternoon light.

And really, that’s what spring is all about.

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate. As a writer, blogger, stylist and color expert, she has helped homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless ways to create beautiful spaces and to solve decorating problems. Her articles appear the first Saturday of each month. For more information visit spectacularspaces.com. Call 239-850-5800 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog

Fall into a new season at home

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press/USA Today Network

In Southwest Florida, fall is mostly unnoticed except the days slowly begin to get shorter. I think of fall as a season of hope and good things to come. It’s the hope that cooler weather is on the way in another month or so as we anxiously await that first cool evening that makes us look through our closet for a jacket and that first day when we can open all the windows.

Pick your fall color palette of yellows, oranges, greens with Pottery Barn’s faux yellow beech leaf branch. Photo: Pottery Barn

But until then, we dream of fall. And look for ways to make a few subtle changes in our homes to acknowledge the season. If you have shopped lately, you have noticed that yellow is having a moment. In fashion. Home décor. Nature.

Why?

Pretty entry brings the sunshine inside with Chestertown Buff paired with Atrium White wainscoting. Photo: Benjamin Moore

• It boosts our mood. Think about sunflowers. They are happy, warm, and optimistic.

• Muted shades of yellow are an alternative to traditional whites.

• Major fashion brands are showing a lot of yellow on runways.

• It pairs well with other colors. More on that below.

Tips for using yellow this fall

Say hello to fall with a beautiful bouquet of happy sunflowers and greens. Photo: Pottery Barn.

I always tell my Southwest Florida home interiors clients that a little yellow goes a long way. My own experience was a yellow bathroom that I loved and a beautiful muted yellow in a primary bedroom that I paired with greens and whites.

• Start small. Try yellow in accessories (lamps, mirror frame, artwork, rug, pillows, bath towels, ceramics) before repainting a room.

• Painting a room yellow. Go with a bathroom or powder room and use with a beautiful wallcovering.

• Paint the front door Benjamin Moore’s Sunny Days.

The sun is always shining with this front door in Benjamin Moore’s Sunny Days.

• Layer yellow with stronger contrasts such as dark woods to create interest.

• Go with softer, muted shades of yellows.

• My favorite Benjamin Moore yellows:

Barely Yellow, a soft, subtle. Barely-there shade with green undertones. Works well in minimalist interiors.

Man on the Moon, a pale and luminous yellow that adds a touch of sunshine to dimly lit rooms.

• And if you want to ease your way into using yellow, think about the 60-30-10 rule:

60% for the neutral color; 30% for a secondary shade and the final 10% as a pop of color such as yellow.

How to pair yellow with other colors

• Deep earth tones. Pair yellow tones with rich, grounding hues and contrasting accents to create a balanced fall palette. Warm and earthy combinations make yellow look sophisticated and seasonal.

Feel the sunshine with this HAND-PAINTED, sunflower wallcovering from Serena & Lily. Photo: Serena & Lily

• Jewel tones. Combine yellow with eggplant, burgundy or emerald to add richness to an interior.

• Neutrals. Balance yellow with soft whites, beiges, taupes and grays to let the yellow “pop.”

• Contrasts. Pair yellows with slate blue, navy or black for a modern, dramatic feel.

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate. As a writer, blogger, stylist and color expert, she has helped homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless ways to create beautiful spaces and to solve decorating problems. Her articles appear the first Saturday of each month. For more information visit spectacularspaces.com. Call 239-850-5800 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog

Splish Splash: it’s time to update the bath!

Photo: Pottery Barn Kids.

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press/USA Today Network-Florida

We’ve all had one. A bathroom in our home that we try to ignore.

It’s the one that was left until last to renovate and the day never came. Or you moved into a home that had builder grade everything and you just never got around to ripping out that huge mirror and long bar of big glass lightbulbs that top it off. Or maybe you moved into a new home years ago and it’s time for a major bathroom refresh.

What I’ve learned from helping interior decorating clients in the Southwest Florida area for the last 20 years, is that bathrooms are often the last in line for attention. Like laundry rooms. But the truth is this: if you aren’t ready for a complete top to bottom renovation, there is a lot you can do to give this (important) room a mini redo. Whether it’s a primary bath, kid’s bath, guest bath or powder room. Here are a few of my tips from the small-on-a-budget bathroom refresh to more of an investment, depending on your time and budget.

Bathroom redux: from drab to fabulous

There was a time when the bathroom was the most unmentioned room in the home. No longer. Today, bathrooms, as much as any room in house, reflect the style of the owners. It’s the most personal space in your home. It’s typically the smallest room and yet you begin and end your day in your bathroom. Next to the kitchen, it’s the most important room in the home.

Have some fun with your bath makeover with this jelly fish bloom wall covering from Thibaut Design’s summer house collection. Photo: Thibaut Design.

And honestly, it’s the most fun room to redo and with a little creativity, it can be spectacular!

Come up with a plan

If you have a bath that you’ve been thinking about redoing, you first need to come up with a plan and answer a few questions.

How long do you plan to stay in your home?

Are you planning to sell soon?

Will you be in your home for 10 years or more?

These are important questions and will help you decide the following:

What is your budget?

Does your bathroom need a little refreshing? Maybe just new hardware? Or a complete makeover?

Think about these questions and consider the following tips for your own personal situation.

Quick refresh

This is a quick mini redo and can be done on a weekend. It will make the room pretty and you will be much happier with the space.

Wall treatments and accessories play a huge part in a bath refresh. From Serena and Lily, Sealife wallpaper sets a coastal tone in blue and white with a Larchmont rattan mirror. The look is comp-leted with two raffia wave sconces. Photo: Serena and Lily.

What to do: Paint the room or wallpaper. This is a game changer that will transform your bath. For something different, paint the walls a bright white, paint the ceiling a blue and accessorize with sea glass colors. Recommendation: Benjamin Moore’s Aura® Bath & Spa paint. It’s mildew-resistant and is Low VOC/ low odor so you can return to using your room quickly.

But there’s more: If you have a large (outdated) mirror across the vanity, remove it and hang a single mirror (or mirrors, depending upon the size). If it’s not possible to remove the mirror, frame it. My favorite go-to source to make a large mirror look better is mirrormate.com. Simply measure, order a custom frame and install it over the mirror. Easy.

Finishing touches: New rug, yes a rug, not the small bath mats, new shower curtain, new piece of artwork, update accessories on countertops (but not too many), repair caulking and have tile and caulking cleaned. Purchase a set of hotel-style bath towels. Add candles or aromatherapy and you are all set to enjoy. Welcome to your new bathroom.

Bathroom makeover

Beautiful Pottery Barn Miller double sink vanity made of mango wood with shaker fronts gives the look of a custom built-in. Accented with pops of matte black in drawer pulls, widespread faucets and mirrors for a modern edge. Top is white quartz. Photo: Pottery Barn

Maybe you have builder’s grade finishes and fixtures. Or perhaps you are planning to sell your home in a couple of years. You don’t want to go overboard but it’s time to spiff it up for eventual resale and for your enjoyment until that time comes. Remember: When it comes to resale, a bathroom gives a potential seller a hint about the condition of the rest of the home.

What to do: Depending upon budget, replace flooring, vanity, lighting, countertops, mirror, hardware, faucets, showerheads, hand shower (kids and pets, not to mention cleaning) light fixtures, tile around tub and shower. Paint walls and trim or add wallpaper. Replace showerhead. Replace toilets if needed. If possible, leave all plumbing in place to avoid additional expense. You are replacing what currently exists with all new and upgraded.

Extras: Again, depending upon budget. Floor to ceiling glass-enclosed shower (makes the room look larger). Freestanding bathtub is an option is space permits. White quartz countertops. Shimmering tiles as accent around tub and shower. New sinks. Artwork. Fan or ceiling light fixture. Accessories. Plants.

Finishing touches: Incorporate a piece of furniture such as a chair, vintage cabinet for storage or basket of shells on the floor. There is no limit to what is available on the market and your decorator or designer can help you select every element for the style that you select.

Quick tips and trends

Take a photo of the room before you begin and look at it with an open mind.

Make a vision board as you decide on walls and sources.

Frameless mirrors are a huge trend and offer a minimalist look.

If vanity is still good, paint it a color.

Add feet to a basic vanity to update the look.

You don’t have to spend a fortune on vanity lighting.

Black fixtures are having a big moment. Proceed with caution. Will you love it in 10 years?

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. Based in Bonita Springs with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces and color palettes. Her articles appear the first Saturday of each month. For more information, visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 239-850-5800 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog

Love your home again: decorating ideas from the heart

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press/USA Today Network Feb. 4, 2024

There’s a pretty townhome in Notting Hill with a bright pink door and a window just above that says “Love.” I read about it in a travel article and on my last trip to London, tracked it down because I will do just about anything to see a home so loved that its owners would install this window. And there it was. Just a simple window with a huge message to anyone walking by.

In a time when we need more love more than ever, we find ourselves welcoming February, a month that’s all about hearts, love and showing a little extra kindness to others, ourselves and to our homes. With the holidays well behind us, it’s the perfect time to make a few changes to make you love your home again. And to do that by refreshing some spaces in your home.

Our homes are our sanctuary. A place that we return to shake off the day and find peace and comfort. It’s also a good time to think about what your home means to you. Is it a place to pass through and sleep with a busy schedule that keeps you on the run? Is it your happy place surrounded by things that you love? A place of love, warmth and happy memories?

As a Southwest Florida interior decorator, I help my clients decide what is most important and how to best create a space that makes them love their home the minute they open the door. No two homes are the same and the relationship with our homes can be complicated. With some thought and a solid plan, you can soon be on your way to creating a home that you love and one that’s in step with your lifestyle.

Throw a teddy faux fur heart-shaped pillow on Pottery Barn’s curved silhouette swivel to round out any space. Photo: Pottery Barn

Love really is the operative word when you refresh. Love what you surround yourself with. Love it or don’t buy it. If you don’t love it, donate it.

Four rules to keep in mind to love your home again

Find your inspiration. Is it a new color, light, mirror, piece of furniture? If you need a change but don’t know where to begin, it may be time to call a professional to help.

Classics never go out of style. Trends some and go and can be fun to sprinkle here and there but you can’t go wrong with the classics.

Stop scrolling. I call this one “facebook envy.” We are bombarded daily with the latest and greatest, most gorgeous ideas for our homes. Before you go off the deep end making a pile of changes, take a deep breath and think about what really matters. To you. No one else.

Purchase mindfully. Before you buy, think carefully about what would make you love your space. Do your research, go on a few shopping trips to look. Take your time. And take photos.

Refresh old pendants with something fresh and new. Shown: Scallop rattan suspended from an antique bracelet chain. Photo: Serena and Lily

A few ways to give your home a loving refresh!

• Make home repairs that you have been putting off.

• Set a pretty table.

• Give your entry a new look with a dramatic color.

• Paint your front door.

• Wallpaper a powder room. Something outrageously beautiful.

• Add some sparkle: a chandelier in the living room or bedroom (you really don’t need a ceiling fan in every room in the house). Or hang one in the master closet. It will make you happy every time you walk in.

• Soften the harsh, recessed lighting in the kitchen with a lamp on the counter or island. You won’t believe the change.

February, a month that’s all about hearts, love and showing a little extra kindness to others, ourselves and to our homes. Shown: Benjamin Moore’s Valentine color favorites. Photo: Benjamin Moore

• Hang something colorful in your laundry room.

• Change your drapes or drapery panels over the sliders. Make sure you hang them high: just below the ceiling or molding.

• Delete what is no longer working in your home. I do this seasonally as things do tend to accumulate no matter how hard we try.

• Add a little glam to each room: a tufted sofa or a chaise lounge. Pick a color that you love. Or a new mirror or a few glass accessories for some sparkle.

• Want color but afraid to commit to an entire room? Fine. Paint the ceiling that color that you have always wanted to try. Yes, the ceiling!

• Create a gallery-style wall with your favorite art.

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. She helps homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces, color palettes and solve decorating problems. Her articles appear the first Saturday of each month. For more information, visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 239-850-5800 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog

Selling a home? Design tips to close the deal

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press/USA Today Network August 5, 2023

The weather and real estate seem to be the current hot topics in Southwest Florida.

With many homeowners preparing to sell or buy, even in this uncertain market, everyone wants to sell fast and that means doing a little work to make homes attractive to buyers. And to get top dollar.

Candice Olson-designed living room is neutral, uncluttered and allows buyers to visualize living in the space. Shown: Denison chairs, Deal sofa, Cuddle Up ottomans, Jemson coffee table. Photo: Candice Olson for Kravet

As a Bonita Springs-based interior decorator, I work with sellers all over our area to prepare their homes for resale. This involves ensuring that from the moment a prospective buyer enters the front door, they can envision their life in your home. To say that you only get one chance to make a first impression is an understatement when it comes to capturing a buyer’s attention.

Whether you’re selling now or in the future. Or if you just want to refresh your home until you do sell it down the road, you may find a few of these tips useful.

My go-to real estate professional, Gina Goodrich with Cypress Realty, has 24 years of experience working with clients to get their homes ready to sell. And she has a unique approach. I asked her to share her thoughts from a realtor’s perspective.

Goodrich suggests that you tour your exterior and interior as a buyer would and ask yourself: If you were the buyer, what do you see? A few of her questions to ask yourself:

Make sure to style a beautiful and inviting entry that says “welcome home” to buyers who preview your home. Photo: Pottery Barn.

• Is it clean, maintained, updated, neutral and spacious?

• Make sure garbage, trash, pet foods and refrigerator are all free of odors. Don't mask odors with air fresheners. Buyers will notice. Clean with fresh scents.

• Is it tidy, organized and functional in all rooms and spaces? A buyer should easily be able to navigate through the home and evaluate their potential lifestyle becoming reality.

• Less is more. Clear counters and floors. Take up throw rugs, excess towels, furnishings, knick-knacks, photos, collections and any unnecessary items. Remove trash cans, pet bowls and waste receptacles.

• Clean the garage. Not fun but they will look.

• When they pull up to your home you want them to be excited versus hesitating with disappointment. This feeling should continue as they enter each room. The longer they linger, the more likely they are considering. And that’s the goal!

When helping a client prepare a home for resale, I use a checklist that includes the following:

• Clean the house like company is coming (it is). And wash the windows. Inside and out. As Gina Goodrich says, “Make it sparkle.”

• Declutter. You will be moving anyway. Do it now. Clear out as much space as possible. This includes closets and cabinets! And clear everything off the kitchen counters except for a bouquet of fresh flowers.

• Put the toilet seats down. This should not have to be said, but it happens all the time.

• Depersonalize the house. The animal heads hanging on the walls from a safari may have special meaning to a homeowner but may offend a possible buyer. Remember: the buyer wants to visualize their own stuff in your space and this is easier to do if yours is not taking up space.

• Remember how it feels to walk into a model home? You can visualize your furniture, in the space because it's not stuffed. If you have too much furniture or it is too heavy and bulky, you may want to put some in storage or even style the main living areas with pieces that show off the space.

• Lighten up. Say goodbye to the heavy window treatments. Let the buyer see your home by bringing in light. At the least, if your drapes are heavy and dated, just take them down.

• Paint baseboards and window sills. Get rid of scuff marks and give the room a fresh look. Something good to do even if you are staying in your home.

• Faux finishes and murals may be great for your tastes but the thought of redoing these may make the buyer run the other way.

• Make sure the baths are squeaky clean. There is nothing worse than looking at a home with dated bathrooms. And this is the room that you may need to repaint. If the tub and shower are looking a little dated, hang a bright new shower curtain and invest in new rugs and towels.

• Tuscan is out. It’s worth the investment to have a designer help you with ways to minimize this outdated look that is no longer popular.

• Remove all fake plants and replace with a few real ones. Or at least remove all fake plants. Please.

Wrenda Goodwyn is an ASID associate and gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. She helps homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces and solve decorating problems. Her articles appear the first Saturday of each month. For more information, visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 239-850-5800 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit her blog at spectacularspaces.com/blog

Tips for a joyful holiday home

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press/USA Today Network • Dec. 4, 2021

Don’t you love it when someone reminds you that Christmas is only 21 days away?

It’s true. And this year, from what I can tell, we are making our homes more festive than ever. Maybe trying to make up for the last two holiday seasons where we were all feeling less like celebrating.

Set a pretty table vignette that you can leave up during the holiday season. Keep it simple with fresh flowers, greenery and a few timeless table decorations that you will enjoy each Christmas for years to come. Photo: The Riviera Collection from Serena & Lily.

Decorating my home for the holidays is one of my favorite things. I think it really is the most wonderful time of year and that we should create an environment that brings us joy. And each year is different. And it should be less like work and more like fun.

As a Southwest Florida interior decorator, I tell my clients not to be pressured by magazine photos or Hallmark Christmas movies where homes are decked out from ceiling to floor with every square inch stuffed with something red and green. You will not be happy.

Instead, decorate mindfully. Try to find that perfect balance that is just enough and not too much.

My process for holiday decorating is to put something in each room. A small table tree. Wrapped presents. Fresh flowers. Ornaments in a glass bowl. Holiday music. Then I go back and see if I need or want more. Hardly ever.

A tray with greenery, candles and some favorite holiday ornaments makes a pretty vignette for dining or coffee table. Photo: Pottery Barn.

Keep it simple.

If it’s not too late, don’t go crazy with the decorating. Remember: it all has to come down and it gets stored in a few weeks.

Use what you have.

Skip a year of buying anything new and go with what you already have. Rearrange and find new ways of displaying your decorations. Put the tree in a different room. Use a different color for your lights. Decorate the kitchen pendants with greenery and ribbons. Mix real scented candles with faux.

Think timeless.

Just as with any purchase for your home, when adding new declarations go for items that are timeless that you will use for several years to come.

Start at the front door.

A new holiday welcome mat sets the tone. I have clients who paint their front door red for the holidays. Why not? Happy, easy and fun. A wreath for the door. Twinkling lights go a long way toward holiday happiness and they are inexpensive so use them generously. Potted plants at the door.

Set a pretty table.

Even if you’re not having guests this year. Create a beautiful vignette for the holidays. A few small trees down the center, garland garnished with your favorite ornaments. Colorful placemats and napkins. I like white plates that I can use all year with any color and at Christmas, I pull out the red napkins and runner. I try to change that color each year depending on my decorations.

Set a pretty table for the holidays with colorful placemats and napkins. Photo: Pottery Barn.

If you don’t have a fireplace mantle.

Create a similar vignette on a couple of bookshelves with items that you already have and a few lights. You can also hang stockings from a shelf.

If you don’t have plans for a tree this year.

No problem. Hang a few ornaments from mirrors, doorways, stair rails. Or arrange a collection of trees (bottle brush trees are popular this year in all colors) on a mantle or desk.

Chair wreaths for your dining chairs.

Or barstools. These are so much fun. You will need small wreathes, ribbon and a few ornaments that you already have on hand. OR you can hang stocking on the back of each chair. If you are like me, you have lots of those stored away.

A tree in every room.

This is my favorite and if this is all you do, it’s enough. Start with your entry table (collection of small trees and greenery), office (medium on desk), each bathroom (small), living room (large), bedrooms and kitchen (as space permits). You can coordinate colors and design with each room OR you can put a small, green tree with a bow in each room. Some can have lights, decorations, or not. Last year I discovered pencil trees and they allow for lights and decorations and also fit into space-saving corners. Don’t forget the lanai or porch.

Don’t forget yourself.

A little something in each room. For the bedroom, fresh greenery, a wreath and a wrapped package. And don’t forget fresh, new linens to sink into at the end of a long day. Easy and pretty. Décor and furnishing from Ballard Designs. Photo: Ballard Designs.

This is a perfect month to invest into new linens for your bed. Sheets, a few new pillows, a throw. Then enjoy relaxing into a blissful bed at the end of day of holiday fun.

However you decorate your home this holiday season, let it be enough and enjoy every moment. This is my last column for 2021. See you in 2022. Merry Christmas!

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. She helps homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces and solve decorating problems. Her articles appear the first Saturday of each month. For more information, visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 239-850-5800 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog