After more than two years living in a pandemic world, we all got used to spending more time at home, many times surrounded by our family, so how can we make this day special? Especially when sharing tight living quarters.

There are, of course, financial and ecological perks to shrinking the square footage of your home, but what do you do when you can’t shrink the number of occupants?

Juggling multiple schedules, maintaining well-treaded, multi-use spaces, and organizing become top-tier tasks for families. Having well-delimited areas became essential during the pandemic. A home office to work quietly and an entertainment room where you can have fun with your family can make spending so much time together easier. So that is why we prepared a few tips to complete this daunting task quickly and without additional stress.

Everything has a home. This tried-and-true tip has been mentioned time and time again, but it is especially important in a smaller space. Make sure that every item in your home serves its purpose and has a place to live where it can be tucked away when it’s not in use. Channel your inner HGTV guru and hit up Home Depot, Home Sense, Ikea or Home Outfitters and find some cute — and practical — storage units that will work in your space, and don’t be afraid to make labels!

The hardest part about this tip — and I think we all know it well — is to actually follow through and put things away when we’re done using them. When living in a small space, especially with other people, things hanging out on surfaces will instantly make your home look more cramped and more cluttered. Tucking them away into their respective drawers or cupboards after use will have the place looking more put-together and reduce some of those stress levels, making clean ups more efficient.

When eyeing up your space, it’s important to ask yourself if all of the items in your home serve a purpose and if not, ditch the clutter and consider downsizing. Listen to Marie Kondo and her art of Tidying Up. If the item does not bring you joy or serve any real purpose in your space, it may be time to part ways with it. 

Use space wisely. Families living in smaller spaces may have to break away from the intended design of the space and get a bit creative. What I mean is who says that the master suite has to be for the adults? Why not put the kids in there? They can share the space, plus it can double as a playroom and keep their toys from spilling out into the rest of the living space.

You can also think of how you can use curtains and bookshelves as room dividers to better create designated spaces to serve specific purposes. Don’t have a closet, for instance? Use a cube shelf from Ikea as a divider and use a few free-standing rolling racks behind to create a makeshift wardrobe. Those cube shelves work wonderfully because you can store items on both sides.

One way to create the illusion of more space is to paint your walls white. Not only is this currently in fashion but it allows the light to add extra square footage to your space, well at least make it look like that. Colour has a tendency to overwhelm a space, so when creating your decor palette, stick to about four colours that can be used throughout the home with one contrasting “pop” colour. The nice thing about colouring your home with decor is that it can easily be replaced when you want to redesign or create a new atmosphere.

Do your kids love to make crafts? Real Simple offers this tip and I couldn’t help myself but include it in this list: throw out the glitter. Glitter is notorious for being the most impossible crafting supply to be cleaned up. Now, imagine what happens when you let this abomination loose in a small space? You’ve seen those glitter bombs? But picture it in your home, where your clothes live and your food! Glitter NEVER really goes away. It hides — lurks in the shadows, in the corners of your cupboard, only resurfacing its sparkly face in the most inopportune moments.

This tip ties in with Real Simple’s point of ditching the sentimental mentality. When living in a small space, you will really have to make some decisions on which meaningful items you keep and which you part with.

For instance, not every single piece of your child’s art collection can earn its spot on the fridge simultaneously. But, what you could do is bring in the tech. Take a digital photograph of your children’s masterpieces and put them on a rotating digital picture frame. That way you don’t have to keep all of the hard copies, but rather select a few of their favourites to store for when they’re older. Plus, they’ll have a digital copy of everything they’ve done on a USB fob when they turn 18 and move out!

Getting outside is one of the best ways to “add more space” to a small home. And now seems to be a good time to get out there as COVID-19 restrictions are being eased up in many provinces. Take advantage of the neighbourhood around you and enjoy quality time with your family as you take a nightly stroll, plan a tobogganing day with hot chocolate or a quick play at the park. Don’t forget to keep yourself and your loved ones safe!

Living in a small space with lots of people and children can be loud, busy and crowded, but by escaping into the wilderness, or even into our own communities, we can take more of that personal time and space while still enjoying the company of our loved ones.

Parents raising their children in smaller residences are becoming a more common occurrence as the housing market is still hard to break into in Canada’s big cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal and Calgary. But with some creativity, planning, organization and absolutely no glitter, you and yours can make it work.

From everyone at RMA, we hope you have a fantastic and fun Family Day with your loved ones.

The post How to live small with a big family in 2023 first appeared on RankMyAgent - Trusted resource about Buying, Selling and Renting.

But with COVID-19 and a migration to the digital world, staging your home isn’t only for showings and open houses. Staging your home is also crucial for the photos and videos used to sell your home. These marketing assets will make the first impression on potential buyers.

In this article, we discuss how to stage your home for the virtual world and how COVID-19 may change how you should stage your home in 2021.

The home staging basics

Decluttering and cleaning are still important

Decluttering and deep cleaning your home is an effective way to stage your home. This remains true for staging in the virtual world. Decluttering can make your home seem more elegant and help potential buyers imagine themselves moving in.

Although people won’t be visiting your home in person (just yet), it’s still essential to deep clean your rooms. Often, the dirt, dust, and grim around your home can add up and provide a sense that your house isn’t for the person looking at the photos of your rooms. Unclean windows, a fine layer of dust on your furniture, or a stain on the rug can quickly put someone off.

Small renovations can help you shine

Painting your rooms can be one of the easiest ways to freshen things up. It can turn an old room into a new one. A fresh coat of paint removes any stains, marks, or scratches—no matter how small—from being noticed. This can also reduce the cost of virtually staging your home as the photo editor will have fewer details to clean up (more about virtual staging later in this article).

Enlist small decorations

Commonly, what sets apart a fancy home from a regular one are the details and minor decorations that add up to a certain suave in a room. For example, hardcover books, throw pillows and blankets, potted plants, and artwork can add a lot to a room and jazz it up. The best part is that these items are usually easily accessible from places such as Amazon, so you don’t even need to leave the comfort of your own home.

Consider how COVID-19 trends have changed home staging

Home offices and gyms are now in-demand spaces

COVID-19 has changed what buyers look for in a home. People are moving to the suburbs and to larger homes as they envision a home gym or office to compensate for their inability to have a gym or office like before.

Instead of staging an area as a second dining or living room or as a storage closet, these places could be better set as a home office. You could further stage an empty basement with a set of dumbbells or even a squat rack to expand a potential buyer’s imagination. Other possibilities could include a home classroom, media room (to replace movie theatres), or spa area.

Create an outdoor retreat

The pandemic has also driven demand for private outdoor space. People, more than ever, want fresh air without being in public. Staging your outdoor patio with excellent patio furniture or even a fire pit can create a sense of an “outdoor retreat” that buyers are willing to line up for. It creates an opportunity to entertain guests when the weather is warmer while reducing the fear of COVID-19 transmission.

DIY or professional stager?

This generally centres around declutter and trying your best to make everything appear fresh and pretty for the pictures that’ll sell your property.

However, stagers have also adapted to COVID-19. Some stagers are now offering their services virtually. You can take them around your home via FaceTime or Zoom as they provide suggestions on how you can spruce the place up. Another alternative is to find a real estate agent who also provides home staging services.

A stager can be expensive. Especially with furniture rentals, it can amount to thousands of dollars. However, it’s commonly worth the cost. A well-staged home can help your property stand apart from others in the market and ultimately increase the final selling price.

If you do look for a professional home stager, you want to look out for the following:

• Portfolio: What was their past work like? What do their prior clients say about them?
• Professionalism: Do they act professional when they communicate with you? Do they get deliverables to you when they say they will?
• Real estate knowledge: A stager who understands the real estate market understands what’s in demand and can orient your home to fulfill such market demands.

What about virtual staging?

Virtual staging beings with a photographer taking photos of your rooms. The photos are then sent to a virtual stager who uses software to achieve a particular look akin to a staged home. This effectively removes the need to rent furniture when staging your home (an enormous cost and hassle).

Virtual stagers can remove or add in pieces of furniture, change a room’s colour schemes, or even change whole areas of your home. This type of service is more important than ever as demand for staging has increased due to an increased dependency on real estate photography to drive sales. At the same time, traditional home staging has become more complex with COVID-19.

This method of staging is also more cost-efficient. Virtual staging services can cost anywhere between $16-$100 per photo. Although it’s common to have 20 pictures for a single home listing, rooms such as washrooms and closets likely won’t require this treatment. As a result, you’re probably not looking at thousands of dollars to virtually stage your home.

Staging your home is a great way to make it stand out from other properties in your area. It can ultimately help you sell your home for a better price at a faster rate. There are many options to stage your home, such as DIY, a professional stager, or doing it virtually. Whichever option you choose, you can be sure that it’ll likely add value to your selling process.

The post How to stage your home to sell in the virtual world first appeared on RankMyAgent - Trusted resource about Buying, Selling and Renting.

Small spaces typically deter those with green thumbs. Where am I going to put everything? What can I grow in this tight space? What if there isn’t enough light? What if there is crowding?

Sometimes, unfortunately, these potential green thumbs turn an ick-ish shade of grey and they settle for pre-cut flowers. Boo. I’m here to tell you to pursue your green dreams and grow! Grow anything and everything!

Here are a few tips on how to create an elegant garden, even in a tight space.

Grow up

A vertical orientation to your nature escape is one answer to your space issue. This can be done indoors or outdoors.

Constructing a living wall, for instance, is not only a space saver, but it is an absolutely stunning way to display all of your plants and herbs.

One way to do this is to get your hands on an old pallet and with a few minor tweaks and adjustments, you can create a home for all of your leafy friends.

This trendy living wall can be mounted indoors — in your pallet surgery, you will add a plastic backing to ensure the wall is safe from moisture — or you can keep it outside and save some of that valuable square footage for more gardening goodies.

Another super inexpensive way to grow indoors or out is to grab one of those storage hangers that hold shoes. You know? The plastic sheets with lots of pockets? Poke some drainage holes in the bottom, fill each pocket up with soil and plant away. These are especially handy for growing herbs.

Do you have an old ladder around that you would like to repurpose? These vintage beauties are another excellent choice to use for vertical growing. You can purchase a variety of cute planters and arrange them on the ladder rungs. Use the low rungs for plants that need the least amount of sunlight.

Step it up

Don’t forget your front steps — use ‘em if you’ve got ‘em!

The front steps can be used to house a number of potted plants. Try mixing in some edible plants with ornamental that way you’re not only getting the beautiful perks, but you’re also scratching some dollars off that weekly grocery bill. Just remember to pay attention to which direction your stairs face so your plants don’t get too much, or too little sun.

Let your creativity flow freely!

Do you have a railing near your front stairs?

Try hanging some small planters on the railing. There is a myriad of examples on Pinterest and Instagram that show people hanging little decorative teapots from their handrail with small flowers and herbs growing out of them. So cute. And a good way to take advantage of all of that available space.

Growing indoors

With winter at our backs, take some of that glorious spring green indoors.

Let’s take a peek at some indoor nooks and crannies that are ready to be transformed into an indoor-outdoor space.

Growing herbs on the window sill or hanging plants near natural light are ways to keep those thumbs green all year round without taking up too much usable space.

Stacking containers is another option. Do you have a corner in a room somewhere that isn’t being currently? Try tiering some planters up to create a unique structure that is as tall or short as you’d like it to be.

Tiered container gardens allow for a variety of plants to be grown in one structure. This falls in line with a vertical garden, but it doesn’t have to be mounted to a wall. You can construct on yourself with some pots of different sizes — I have even seen coffee mugs incorporated into tiered gardens.

Hang ‘em high

Hanging planters are always a viable option to save square footage. Hanging planters can also be used indoors or out  — just be sure that if you are hanging inside you consider the possibility of overwatering and potential spilling. What I mean is, maybe think again before hanging over a crisp white carpet.

Boston Fern, Devil’s ivy and String of Pearls are all fantastic hanging plant options that will add some green into any room. Plus, they’re tough as nails so if you forget to water once in a while, like this girl — with her brown thumbs — you won’t have to worry about planning a plant funeral.

Hanging options are endless now, it seems. You can take an old coat rack and repurpose that to hang a variety of plants from all at once. Or you could create a floating shelf to hang from the ceiling near a window that can be the new home for a few different pots at once. Of course, you could go classic and use some woven basket options that hang from the ceiling from stylish hooks.

Hanging accessories have also expanded and there appears to be endless availability of stylish options that will go with any decor.

Terrariums are so stylish

These enclosed mini-gardens are so cute! You can buy these pre-made or try your hand at creating your own. They can be stacked, they can be hung, heck, they can just be placed on a table. But these tiny tanks of greenery are the perfect way to bring the outdoors inside on a small scale.

Suck at gardening? Get succulents

Succulents come in such a wide variety of shapes and styles and they are pretty low maintenance. So, if you are away from home a lot, or you are just forgetful, like me, try your hand with some succulents.

There are even some that are planted in fridge magnets! How easy is that! These things are so multifunctional — holding up your electric bill and boosting moods!

In Calgary, there is an amazing local shop in the Inglewood district called Plant that has all the knick-knacks and accessories needed to get a small garden started in any season. All we are left with to do now is pick a few of our favourites, hit up our local flower shops and get gardening.

The post Small space garden ideas for urbanites first appeared on RankMyAgent - Trusted resource about Buying, Selling and Renting.

Ah, love is in the air. Little pink, red and white Valentine’s Day decorations adorn every window of every store and heart-shaped candy is aplenty — and tempting. Couples are oversharing their affection in public and bombarding you with cutesy images on Instagram and Facebook.
Yes, Valentine’s Day is a macro lens on all romantic cliches, but what about when you zoom out? Enter today’s topic: Couples living.

Whether renting or purchasing a home, moving in with a partner is a significant moment in any relationship and there are a lot of moving parts we have to consider in this decision-making process: What happens if we break up? Are we ready yet? Is it better to move into a rental unit or buy our own place? Our incomes are very different, how do we strike a balance? Do we need to be married first? Our styles are very different, how do we decide how to decorate?

There is a seemingly endless stream of questions that you and your partner should discuss. And yes, unfortunately, some of these questions are going to bring about tough and uncomfortable conversations about finances and debt, future financial and life goals and more. But, it has got to be done if you are to gain a realistic picture of what your future with your partner entails.

Buying with your boo:

Buying a home with your partner is pretty scary — especially when you’re not married. It’s still less common to purchase a home with your boyfriend or girlfriend, so you may experience some stigma and backlash from friends and family. They may tell you that buying a home with someone you’re not married to is a deathwish. This is simply not true.

Although divorce rates have dropped slightly from their peak of 41% during the mid-’80s, CBC reported that four in 10 first marriages end in divorce — of course, this information was based on a 2006 census, but StatsCan has since stopped collecting divorce data. With that — somewhat tragic — info being said, it’s important to realize that these couples will also have to go through the break-up processes that unmarried common-law couples will endure. So, really, it’s essentially the same product with different labels.

Buying a lovenest with your honey is a great idea, especially if the market is leaning in your favour. Take advantage of that. Again, be sure to discuss debt and finances as your partner’s debt could influence the outcome of your mortgage approval.

The debt talk matters, Realtor.com says, because it will uncover your debt-to-income ratio, the “number your lender will look at to decide if you can pay back a loan.” This number can’t be higher than 43% and lenders will figure it out by adding up all monthly debts and dividing it by monthly income.

The down payment is another big-ticket item you’ll have to discuss with your partner. How will you afford this, plus closing costs? Realtor.com says this can be acquired through savings, a gift from a family member, or it can come from an RRSP. 

But who will pay for what? And how will the costs be divided? Realtor.com says this discussion is necessary before any paperwork is finalized. Some couples are fine merging all of their funds together in one giant pot and tackling everything together, but some find this can lead to a “yours and mine” mentality that can be detrimental to a relationship.

One way to conquer this is to keep things separate — to an extent — and based on income. It’s rare that couples earn the same amount of money so it doesn’t make a whole whack of sense to split the costs of a new home down the middle, 50-50. Instead, break it down.

One technique to do this involves opening a joint “house account” that both you and your partner will contribute to while keeping your other finances separate. Together, you can decide what you will pay together and what you will keep separate, such as student loans, or that travel debt you acquired in your gap year.

“Make a list of all your combined expenses: housing, taxes, insurance, utilities. Then talk salary,” Cynthia Ramnarace from HerMoney says. “If you make $60,000 and your partner makes $40,000, then you should pay 60 per cent of that total toward shared expenses and your partner 40 per cent.”

To make this fair and equal, set up a direct deposit from individual accounts to a shared-joint account. Be honest and keep that line of communication open. But, Ramnarace says, keep some emergency funds tucked aside in your personal account in case of unexpected changes in the bills department.

But what if we break up?

Breakups can happen whether your married or not, so Realtor.com suggests establishing a contract that defines what happens to the equity in such a case. This contract could give partners a limited time-frame of 30-60 days to buy the other out, or you can agree to sell the home and split the proceeds.

Having this contract in place, although bleak, can save you a lot of hardship if this situation ever arises. It’s best to think ahead and protect yourself.

Even if you’re renting, a contract like this isn’t a terrible idea. It could protect both of you and the financial contributions you invested in the relationship, like furniture and expensive housewares. Perhaps a deal can be made to buy out the other instead of feeling ripped off — on top of having a broken heart.

On a lighter note…

Now that all the serious talk is winding down, let’s discuss something a little more fun. DECORATING! You two have moved into your new home — rented or purchased, either way, congratulations! And it’s time to start decorating!

First things first, you’re going to have a lot of duplicates of things so it’s best to purge the doubles. This will save you space in your new home. No one needs four spatulas — you’re not running a Wendy’s out of your home.

Next, keep your all your sentimental things and mix your styles. The home should represent both of you and your individual styles, interests and flair.

Compromise, compromise, compromise. You will not be on the same page about every little detail, so really try to emphasize what is really important to you and what you are OK on budging on a bit. Again, you want the space to reflect both of your personalities while highlighting what makes you two work well together.

My only real big suggestion on this topic is to avoid conflict be sure to check in with each other a lot. Be sure to check in before making any crucial purchases and be sure to check in before you start randomly tossing things that may contain your partner’s personal belongings.

Enjoy this time. It can be really fun and you can really get to know each other on a whole new level.

To all you lovebirds out there, cohabitating or thinking about it, we at RMA wish you good luck and a very happy Valentine’s Day.

The post Moving in together: A big step first appeared on RankMyAgent - Trusted resource about Buying, Selling and Renting.

But, I also understand that living in a place with little natural light can be had to deal with. Little natural light leads to lowered mood levels and productivity. That’s why we find ourselves drawn to those bright and airy rooms — they make us feel awake, vibrant and happy. Gotta love that vitamin D!

In my time, I’ve lived in numerous basement suites and small apartments with only one window. So, without tooting my own horn, I’m kind of a pro at managing the little light I have to illuminate my space. Fake it until you make it, right!

Mirrors are your best friend

Hit up that awesome vintage store you’ve been eyeing on Instagram. Pick out a delicious large mirror in a gorgeous frame, and hang it in your dark space to bounce that natural sunlight around.

Similar to those projectors we used in grade school to study the sky, grab two mirrors! The second mirror can help bounce some of the rays collected in the first. Like actor Terry Crews so eloquently said in those Old Spice commercials “Double sun power!”

You can even find mirrors that are made to look like windows. These are so cute. There are even options that are sold with shutters.

Not your thing?

It’s a good thing metallic decor is in! These achieve the same result, although, on a much smaller scale.

Silver vases, rose gold trinkets, or little gold geometric fox sculptures — whatever it is you fancy, you can use these shiny objects in a display on a central table, or mantelpiece to help bounce some of those luxurious rays around any room.

Ditch those heavy window treatments

I know thick, heavy window treatments are nice to look at. They just ooze sophistication. But, they often come in darker colours or are treated to keep rooms temperature-controlled. This means they are double-panelled and absorb the little light we have to work with.

Instead, choose something light, airy, and translucent. Not only do these treatments allow all of the natural light to pour in without jeopardizing privacy, but they also create a romantic, sort of exotic atmosphere.

Invite more light in

Windowed doors are something I’ve been seeing more and more in decorating and home design magazines.

Frosted windows in doors allow a room with a large window allow the natural light to pour through into the next room creating a nice flow.

Front doors with windows are popping up more and more in neighbourhoods. The doors typically boast frosted glass, once again, to maintain privacy. But, do opt for a double-layered glass to boost security.

See-through furniture is key

Another hack to continue the flow of natural light through any space is to use glass furniture throughout.

Whether it’s an end table or coffee table, glass furniture will allow light to continue on its journey throughout your home rather than stopping it abruptly in its tracks like thick wood furniture, or darker, heavier pieces.

Consider colour

Those darker rooms don’t need any more help, so avoid dark palettes and keep to airy whites, greys, and lighter shades.

Not only will this help illuminate the space, but it will also make the room look more spacious. And, this tip won’t hit you where it hurts — the wallet.

Principal of the daylighting consulting firm, Tanteri & Associates, told the New York Times that light colours used on floors, ceilings and walls can really optimize natural light in the space.

“You want to maximize the amount of time that daylight bounces inside the room,” Matthew Tanteri said, adding glossy paint should be avoided as it can create a targeted glare.

“The safest finishes are matte finishes, because they reflect light in all directions.”

Use the power

Don’t be afraid to plug in some cute lamps and install light fixtures to be used during the daytime to complement that natural light. I know it seems like it may be cheating, but it’s a cost-effective fix adds mood and atmosphere to any space.

Target lighting is something you could consider when you look to update your space. Do you only use your dinner table for eating? Maybe add some hanging light fixtures that illuminate that area.

Even a simple row of LED stripping can really boost the light in any space for next to nothing. Use it under cabinets to add light to darker countertops, or on bookshelves to showcase some of your favourite titles.

Watch where you step

The floor is an excellent, and oft-forgotten part of a home that can be taken advantage of in this exact situation!

Do you have dark flooring, whether it’s wood or tile? Throw down a large light-coloured area rug. By using something cream, light grey or white (eek, dangerous!), you can use the floor to help bounce around some of those precious rays of light.

Greenery is good

Not all plants need a lot of sunlight, but most plants will make our brains think of sunlight which in turn will add some psychological sun to the party.

This one is definitely a cheat, but who doesn’t love having a space loaded with plants and flowers!

Opt for some Dracaena or Maidenhair Fern, even Peace Lilies don’t need too much light, but they will help bolster morale on those darker days.

Clean your windows

I know, I know. This one seems obvious. But, it’s amazing the difference it makes. When your windows are sparkling clean, the light just floods through completely unadulterated.

Make this chore a part of your spring cleaning to-do list. And maybe hit it again in fall after all of those summer rainstorms that left undesirable streaks all over your windows.

Adding natural light, or utilizing the little that you do have doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, but if you really want to go big, you can always get a skylight!

The post Reflecting on Natural Light: Brightening up Dark Spaces first appeared on RankMyAgent - Trusted resource about Buying, Selling and Renting.

This is the most beautiful season of the year. The pristine white snow, the sparkling twinkle lights, the bows, glitter and greenery marrying to create the magical winter wonderland that makes us all forget about the unpleasantly frigid air and, instead, makes us recall priceless moments with our loved ones.

Yes, the holidays are here. And so are the new 2018 Christmas decorating trends. Secret: that’s my other favourite part of the season. Every year, mall displays and downtown cores showcase a new colour palette or a new unique way to decorate the same ol’ evergreen.

So, let’s take a winter walk together through the holiday decorating trends of 2018.

Maximalist decorating: Yep, you heard me. This might strike you as a surprise, but it’s true. More and more trees are saying “nope” to the popular minimalist trend that has taken the world by storm through the power of social media over the past couple of years. These rebellious trees are calling to wear every decoration and ornament you own.

The trick while experimenting with the maximalist trend is to keep your colours consistent and limited to a complementary palette of four to six — this way, you won’t overwhelm the eye with too many combating colours that will distract from each individual ornament that you have hung with care.

Glitter: Everything, literally everything, is doused in glitter. These Christmas balls catch, reflect and refract the light in such a magical way that — there’s no doubt in my mind — that this is the year where the more glitter there is, the better.

A helpful tip to utilize this hot ticket item in your holiday decorating is to mix and match these glittery gems with some rich matte pieces in blues, whites, or even blacks to really make these pieces pop.

Matte: On the flip side of the coin, matte ornaments are really trending this season. There are matte Christmas balls, animal figurines and decor items to adorn your walls and mantles, all in the spirit of the season. Interestingly enough, these matte colours are straying from the traditional red and green colours of the holiday. Now, we can welcome matte whites, golds, navy blues, bottle greens and blacks to make your tree stand out from the rest.

Minimalist wreaths: Typically, I am used to seeing busy wreaths hanging from all of the doors in my neighbourhood. This year, however, I’ve noticed a new kind of wreath — and I have to admit, I am loving them. Wreaths have lost a lot of weight. In fact, they are now about a third of the size that they used to be… quite literally. There are two-thirds of the stylish golden ring left exposed! Sometimes they are adorned with a pair of bells, or perhaps a ribbon. But, this minimalist take on the traditional decoration is refreshing and absolutely stunning.

Tree collar: Need to hide the unsightly base of your faux-slash-real Christmas tree? Tired of looking at that basic tree stand your evergreen is screwed into? Tired of having to rearrange the tree skirt to rid it of wrinkles? Have no fear! Tree collars are in. Easy-to-use rings in all sorts of finishes — metal, wood, even concrete — cover it all up with no effort. Bonus: tree collars make it a bit more difficult for the cats to attack the tree!

Ribbon, baby: Ribbon is back in. Tie those trees up with delicate golds and stunning silvers that will shimmer alongside the hundreds of twinkle lights marking the holidays.

Snow dusting: Snow-dusted elements such as pinecones, ornaments and trees are trending this season! Combined with strong colourful pops of red and splashes of blue the frosted look is bound to stand out. Or, embrace the crisp whites paired with a neutral palette to create a minimalist winter paradise indoors.

Flower power: Mix the seasons up a bit by adding some silk flowers to your Christmas tree. Try a floral garland, or place them throughout the tree in a more natural, haphazard way. The addition of florals will soften up the evergreens while adding new texture to your decorations.

Make it shine: Are you short on ornaments? Try layering up the lights. Rows upon rows of twinkle lights shining in the dark winter night. Now, that is sure to make any spirit bright. Add lights to the garland on the mantle and incorporate lights around the kitchen and dining areas.

Go big: Time to pack up those tiny ornaments of yesteryear because 2018 is the year of oversized ornaments. Mix-and-match textures, finishes and colours to whip up a stylish look. Ornaments don’t have to be hanging on a tree either! You can put some in a dish on your coffee table or dining table, or you could layer some ornaments in and oversized vase for and interesting visual piece.

Go small: On the flip side of the coin, miniature Christmas trees are really stylish this season. Potted Christmas plants in lieu of, or in addition to the giant fir is a new way to celebrate. They fit into that minimalist aesthetic while saving plenty of space for more holiday-inspired decor. Mini Christmas trees are also a perfect addition to any little one’s bedroom. Their own personal tree will keep the excitement high as they count the days down until Santa visits.

Charlie Brown tree: The classic holiday special has definitely left its mark. This year, especially, you can see these little scrounge-y trees are doing the best they can to hold up your ornaments. So keep them simple — and light, so not to weigh the branches down too badly.

There are so many ways to decorate to embrace the holidays this season, but ultimately, that’s not what it’s about. ‘Tis the season for fun, family and festivities! Let’s keep that in mind and enjoy some quality time with our friends and loved ones this season!

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