Home Improvement

Holiday decorating tips that continue to look good way past the holiday season.

Festive decorations remain one of the best ways to celebrate the holiday season. And San Francisco design icon Suzanne Tucker has some thoughts about decor that will still look good — and what will look tacky — after the holiday season is over.

The celebrated interior designer and partner at the San Francisco firm Tucker & Marks recently launched a new textiles collection that includes a multitude of patterns and color schemes. She offered to the San Francisco Chronicle the following insights about decorations that can help celebrate the holidays and ring in the new year with style: Get rid of the Christmas tree. A home can feel a little empty and sad once the Christmas tree, lights and garlands come down, but do toss them out as they can become a fire hazard. Reimagine the wreath. Wreaths can be left up on doors and gates but consider changing the red and green theme — a fresh ribbon, spring berries, add kumquats for color, the symbol of abundance for the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Repurpose Christmas tree branches. Keep a few of the tree branches cut up for fire kindling. Add a mix of dried orange ( or lemon) peels into the kindling and the released oil in the skins gives your home a lovely fragrance of pine or spruce and roasted oranges — delicious, well after the holidays. Brighten up the night. Colored lights have to go but this year I’m keeping my outside sparkling white lights up longer as I find them uplifting and festive, signaling brighter days ahead which we could all use.

Get the garden going. As soon as the festivities are over, I plant up more narcissus bulbs. I keep them outside to slow their growth and water them with their special “cocktail” so they’ll grow straight and stronger ( One part gin or vodka to 10 parts water). I bring them inside when they start to open. Prepare for spring. I always do a clean sweep of the house — readjust the lighting and start to fill in with a lighter mood — blossoming branches instead of holiday colors.

Keep using the “good stuff.” Any and all heirlooms should not just be for special occasions — linens, family silver, best dishes. Why have it if you don’t use it? They will make those long winter nights so much more enjoyable.

Shutterstock

Shutterstock Colored lights have to go but this year, let’s keep the sparkling white lights up longer as they feel uplifting and festive, signaling brighter days ahead.