There’s a very specific kind of stillness that settles into a house once Christmas is over. The magical glow is gone, there’s no more Christmas music in the background, and under the once filled tree is now empty. The race that has been the last month is finally over and the calendar insists it’s time to move on, but emotionally (and seasonally), I’m not quite there yet.

This stretch between Christmas and the beginning of the new year is a limbo all its own. The holidays have wrapped, but spring is still a distant promise if you live somewhere with long harsh winters like us (hello Fargo, ND)! Most home influencers are already decorating their homes with fresh florals and spring themed throw pillows and blankets. But to me decorating for the next season feels premature, and not in sync to the cold, dark days we’re still very much living in. And so we hover. We take things down slowly. The Christmas village today. The tree tomorrow. Maybe the wreath and garland in the entryway lingers just a little longer.

And honestly? I think that’s exactly how it should be! We just spent the last 2 months rushing between two major holidays and all of the extra activities that come with them. This time to just sit and “be” feels like a breath of fresh air. So as I slowly move into the new year here’s how I’m going about transitioning my home. 

Letting the House Breathe Again

When the last decorations come down, the house feels almost unfamiliar to me. Walls that were layered full of Christmas art and garland suddenly look bare. Corners that held trees seem strangely empty. At first, the instinct is to fill those spaces immediately; to fix or fill the “unfinished” feeling. But I’m here to tell you this is actually one of the most valuable moments in a home! Before rushing to decorate for the next season, there’s something powerful about letting your house sit in its undone state. Letting it breathe. Letting YOURSELF breathe. Letting yourself see it clearly again!

The empty spaces invite you to notice things you might have been glossing over such as a corner that always feels awkward no matter how you style it. A piece of furniture that looks beautiful but never quite functions the way you need it to in the space. A wall that feels too bare without anything on it. Without the magical holiday decor being the star of every room, the house sits as it truly is bringing light to spaces that might need a little refresh.

Taking Inventory: Function First

This quiet season is the perfect time to take inventory, not just aesthetically, but functionally. How are you actually living in your spaces? Your home should make your life easier, not harder!

Ask yourself:

• Where do things pile up naturally?
  
• Which rooms feel effortless to use, and which feel frustrating?
  
• What spaces/pieces do you avoid without realizing it?
  

Maybe the entryway needs better storage. Maybe the living room layout works beautifully for entertaining but not for your everyday life. Maybe the dining room finally feels peaceful now that it’s not competing with a Christmas tree. All of which tells us something important!

Winter keeps us home. It slows us down. It gives us the rare gift of increased time inside our own walls. Instead of immediately running to the store to fill all of the voids taking down Christmas may have created, this is the moment to observe and take note on how your home is serving you.

Seeing Your Home With Fresh Eyes

Aesthetically, these undecorated weeks are revealing. You start to see proportions more clearly. Balance. Color. Light.

That empty wall? Maybe it doesn’t need art! Maybe it needs nothing because your home is begging for some blank space. That corner you’ve always decorated out of obligation? Maybe it needs a chair to better serve your family needs instead of another faux plant. That shelf you’ve restyled a hundred times and never feels quite right? Maybe it’s telling you it’s in the wrong place altogether.

Living with less visual noise, even just temporarily helps clarify what truly adds value to a space and what’s just unnecessary filler.

Decorating From Intention, Not Habit

When spring eventually does arrive (because it will even if for some of us that won’t be until May), decorating feels more intentional when it’s preceded by this pause. You’re no longer styling out of habit or rushed seasonal expectations set by influencers on the internet. Instead you’re responding to what your home actually needs. What feels right to you.

The in-between season reminds us that decorating isn’t about constant change. It’s about alignment. It’s about creating spaces that support the way we live, rest, and gather. It’s about shifting things around your home, adding, or subtracting so your home best serves you and your families needs.

So if your house feels a little bare right now, let it.
If you’re not ready for fresh florals or pastel tones, don’t force it.
If you’re slowly packing things away instead of clearing them all at once, trust that rhythm.

This quiet limbo isn’t wasted time at all, it’s a reset. And often, it’s where the best ideas begin.