| pennlive.com
Pennsylvanians are right at the top in planning for over-the-top, Clark Griswold, anti-Scrooge decorations this Christmas season.
According to the 2020 Holiday Home Trends Report from online interior design company Modsy, 69% of Pennsylvanians say they will welcome Santa with a fully decked-out holiday display.
That ties Pennsylvania with Washington state at third among most Christmas-cheerful states, behind Illinois at 71% and Texas at 70%, and ahead of Ohio at 67%.
“It makes sense many people are putting extra effort into their holiday decor this year so they can make their homes a place of joy and delight since they’ll be spending so much time there this season,” said Alessandra Wood, vice president of style at Modsy, which surveyed 2,000 people across the country to develop the trends report.
About 93% of respondents said it’s important to them that everyone is comfy, warm, cozy and together at their house.
Modsy noted that this year folks are placing a major emphasis on ensuring their home is a relaxing, comfortable space for everyone to spend time together. In decor, a Hygge design style is all about coziness, comfort and warmth. And this year ’tis the season to get your Hygge on.
The kitchen was ranked as the most important room to keep the holidays running smoothly by 84%, while the family room ranked second.
The coronavirus pandemic is playing heavily into holiday infrastructure planning, according to the survey: Thirty-one percent of respondents said they’d be open to having a COVID-themed Christmas tree or holiday decor, while 59% plan to place an increased emphasis on their house’s entryway to help maintain sanitary areas and act as a barrier between outside germs and the clean inside.
Modsy also offered some pandemic-centered decorating tips:
• Make it uniquely yours this year. Try picking a new, unique theme for your tree or decor this year. If you use the same traditional decorations every year, perhaps consider embellishing them with a new color, theme or out-of-the-box material, such as tulle or tinsel, to add a pop. Or maybe this is the year to make a classic popcorn garland. Plus, it will give you something fun to do with all that extra time spent at home due to COVID.
• Work with what you’ve got. If space is too tight for a tree, get crafty and try hanging some ornaments in the living room windows using different length ribbons. Placing a wreath on your front door and stringing garland up around the entryway, arches, staircases or mantles can also inspire your home’s festive atmosphere without using valuable space.
• Create a focal holiday decor display the family can gather around. For many people, the focal decor point is the Christmas tree or fireplace mantle. But there are plenty of other creative places to design your main eye-catching holiday display. Make sure it’s somewhere with space for people to gather around, such as an amazing tablescape or tiny house village, since it will naturally draw the family together. You can create these moments in any multi-purpose space that’s highly visible, but the living room usually tends to be the best place.
Contact Marcus Schneck at [email protected].