Don’t remove it. Reuse it! Here’s how to blend décor from previous seasons to refresh your living space.

Decorating for the season is a time-honored tradition for both professional designers and engaged amateurs. It’s fun and even therapeutic to give your home a new look that’s in sync with the calendar.

If you change your décor quarterly, you may be tempted to go full KonMari on all the previous seasons’ pieces. But that is definitely not necessary to spark joy!

Decluttering serves a function, of course. But we also believe in responsible, tasteful repurposing.

Don’t be so quick to retire your seasonal favorites or banish them to storage until next year. With a bit of creativity, even those seemingly seasonally specific pieces can be put to great use year round. Mixing it up can breathe new life into past favorites.

Chances are, the pieces you love share some characteristics that will make them play nicely together.

Here are some tips for combining décor that will take you through all four seasons.

Find a unifying theme

What do your favorite pieces have in common? Do any of the selected items give off a “collection” vibe? You can create interest in a room with a display of similar objects grouped creatively. Take these, for example:

• Lanterns and candleholders of all shapes and sizes can be combined dramatically to anchor a tablescape or light up a mantle. Use all the same color LED bulbs to make a safe and sophisticated statement.
• Both single- and double-tier trays can work together on a buffet table for entertaining or in the kitchen for everyday use. If they seem too mismatched for your comfort level, unify the look by lining them with matching cloth napkins.
• Frames of various finishes and sizes look interesting grouped together on a wall. The same applies to mirrors. And woven baskets!
• Have you collected many rustic or farmhouse pieces? How about pieces with a nautical theme? Maybe you’re fond of scripted messages, in print or in tabletop signs?

Choose a harmonious color scheme

Sometimes all your home needs for a quick seasonal update is a change of colors and, therefore mood. Light, bright colors feel like spring and summer, while darker earth tones and deep, cozy shades are associated with fall and winter.

• Your summer pieces can look ready for the cooler weather when paired with darker, heftier textiles. Mix a light pillow with a dark one, and layer a light area rug over a carpet.
• Arrange your art by choosing pieces with dominant darker tones; it’s fine to mix and match frame styles and materials.
• Reuse your summer planters, but exchange summer plants for deep-toned fall and winter varieties like mums, pumpkins and gourds and poinsettias. (Faux is fine!)

Play with functionality

You’ll get many more miles from your seasonal pieces if you repurpose – in every sense of the word:

• Reuse your summer beverage tray as storage for desktop items in your home office or towels in your guest room.
• Make what was once a planter into a candle holder and the centerpiece of a stunning tablescape.
• Use your wall-mounted woven basket to hold holiday cards.
• Use crates for almost anything. They are so versatile that you will find them welcome in your home all year long.

Loosen up

Remember, your home, your rules. If you are not ready to let go of summer, keep it around in spirit through your favorite seasonal pieces dressed for the transition. Because while it’s always fun to make room for the new, it’s good to reuse and recycle.

Celebrating every season

For help with everything you need to keep your home well-dressed throughout the year, look to Decocrated. Check us out on Facebook, become a subscriber, and join our member family for seasonal decorating tips.