Done with spring cleaning? Excellent job! Now that your home is spotless, all that’s left to do is to make some final touches with festive decorations. You may ask: Why do we need to decorate our homes for Chinese New Year? Is it really necessary? The answer is yes! The reason why decorations play such a huge role this festive season is to ensure that your home attracts good energy and is filled with prosperity.
Chinese New Year is mainly about “symbolically doing away with the old (of last year) and beginning anew to usher in good health, fortune and prosperity”. We’ve gathered some simple ideas on how you can add a festive flair to your abode.
1. Embrace the timeless details
Start off by getting a pair of Spring Festival Couplets, also known as door couplets, made of large red paper with Chinese calligraphy written in black ink. They are placed at the side of the doors to express best wishes for the coming year. You can also decorate your home by hanging red lanterns. Believed to be lucky charms that ward off bad luck, they are usually hung at the front door. Last but not least, introduce a few upside-down Fu (fortune) characters to the mix as well. They are deliberately inverted, as though good fortune is being “poured out”.
2. Jazz it up with flower power
Flowers are a good choice of decoration, especially the blooming ones because there’s a Chinese proverb that says, “When the flowers bloom, you will get good fortune”. The popular ones are; orchids, peonies, pussy willows, peach blossoms, and plum blossoms. Always look for the bright coloured ones and avoid those that are cream and white as they are usually used for funerals. You can also add a touch of lush greenery in the form of a jade plant, lucky plant or lucky bamboo.
While getting new plants is always exciting, don’t forget to give your existing plants some love too! Remember to prune, trim and remove any dead leaves.
3. Go all out with red
We all know by now that the colour red is an extremely auspicious colour. If you don’t have the time or budget to paint or renovate your home, you can always revitalise your interior design by simply getting new curtains, bedsheets, tableware or even cushion covers in shades of red to complement your festive decorations.
4. Get creative with table arrangements
More often than not, table arrangements are always an afterthought, because let’s face it, the star of any CNY feast is always the mouthwatering, delicious food. However, if you have a table setting that’s nicely put together, your guests will not only be impressed but they will feel really appreciative that you took the time and effort to take care of the smaller details.
Instead of just placing store-bought plastic containers on your table, why not arrange your festive treats on beautiful plates and trays so they’ll look just as good as they taste?
5. Step into a new look
Painting your walls with new colours is a great way to give your home a fresh, new look. Be sure to choose your colours wisely because they can play a role in influencing your mood. For example, living rooms are most suited to warm colours as they can boost a room’s energy level which can “excite and stimulate us”. If you’re going for something calming instead, may we suggest switching up your wall colours with 2020’s Pantone colour of the year?
You’ll be amazed at how adding a few decorations here and there can make a drastic difference and delight your dinner guests. We hope that this article has sparked your interest in beautifying your space for the New Year!
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