Decorating Tips for January

January will bring in the New Year and with it, will come a respite from the glimmer of the holidays. It’s the time to tone your décor down and take a breath from expansive tablescapes, twinkling lights and heavily laden trees. While settling in to the last winter months, decorate the home with a more casual, lighter hand.  Below are some decorating tips for January.Enchanting ExteriorsIf the Christmas wreath still has a little life left in it, change out the glitzy holiday bow with a more casual, lighter selection like burlap. Throwing a red tartan blanket over a white porch rocker will add a colorful accent as you invite guests to huddle up with hot chocolate. Position a folk art snowman next to the front door and pair it with a wreath that features snowmen.Inviting WallsAfter putting away holiday specific wall décor and art, hang a group of season-suitable framed photos or posters like kids sledding down a hill with vibrant-colored scarves flying within their wake or favorite hockey team that is celebrating a winning goal with their sticks held high. Don’t use heavily embellished frames. Instead, try simple metal or wooden ones for a cleaner, lighter touch. The New Year will bring calendars. Hang one up on a wall above the home's command center in order to keep commitments and appointments straight. Calendars that are crafted from muslin and exhibited on the wall add a primitive dash to a country-styled house, whereas the ones created with scrapbook materials and photos of the kids or pics reflecting family interests provide a personalized touch.Furniture FlourishesBegin the New Year by rearranging the furniture. Developing cozy conversation spaces is easy as you pull the furniture away from your walls and arrange it around a few focal points like windows or fireplaces with a view of nature. White cotton or cream throws lighten up a darker winter mood. As seasonal feasts give way to casual suppers, replace formal linens and dinnerware with informal objects like simplistic stoneware dishes and woven tablecloths.Finishing TouchesReplace old holiday greenery with curly, bare willow branches that are positioned in a tall basket or crock and put close to a clothes tree inside the foyer or fireplace within the family room. Offering the kitchen new life is simple as you line pots of fresh herbs up on your windowsill. Changing out dark-colored lampshades with the ones that sport lighter shades will lighten up a winter weary area. Allow the sun to shine in while substituting float sheers for heavier draperies. If privacy is a problem, tie back all existing window treatments with vibrantly colored scarves for a vibe that is more casual.