Home Inspection Insights

Lawrence M. Watkins, Specsure Property Inspections

Change things up with winter home decor

home decorPerk up Your Yard with Creative Winter Décor

Just because the weather is cold and dismal doesn’t mean your Western New York yard has to be. You can easily perk up your surroundings well before spring with a few inexpensive and creative winter yard décor ideas.

Alluring Lights

There’s no Western New York style rule that says you can’t keep white or gold lights as part of your landscape all winter – or even all year long. You can try battery-powered hanging bulbs, stake lights or decorative lanterns. Add them along your pathways and other strategic areas to warm up an otherwise frigid environment. Opt for battery lights with a timer so you don’t have to trudge outside to turn them on or off.

Weatherproof Yard Art

Winter can be the ideal time to invest in any yard art you’ve been eyeing, with a number of options that can withstand the cold and snow. Concrete statues can work, as can ceramic statues and rustic metal or iron décor. Keep it on a smaller scale with steel gazing balls or small, colorful picks you can arrange along walkways or in empty flower beds.

Porch and Planter Perks

Survey your existing planters, empty flower boxes and vacant urns and then instantly perk them up with winter filler. Use the same tactic to perk up birdbaths and fountains that are down for the season. They key here is to choose generic winter décor you can keep it in place until spring.

Berry branches are a good choice, as are boughs of pine and other winter greenery. Stark, dark sticks adorned with bright red berries can provide a striking contrast against a snowy backdrop.

Give your arrangements an extra boost by adding a small statue, light or lantern to the mix, or use a larger lantern as its own display case. Simply fill the area surrounding the light with items such as small pieces of greenery, pinecones and a tiny bird’s nest or two to create a miniature landscape scene.

Door Adornment

Give your door an instant makeover with an eye-catching wreath. Options include a traditional pinecone wreath or those made of winter greens or decorative sticks boasting pops of color with faux birds, fake leaves and other accents.

Add a wintery vibe to the wreath by lightly spraying it with fake snow. Another option is to pick a standard wreath made of twigs you can outfit with small accents throughout the year to match your mood, upcoming holidays or the season.

As a leading home inspection company in Western New York, we’ve seen plenty of yards that continue to give off a warm and welcoming vibe no matter how low the temperatures dip. These quick and easy fixes can help you do the same.