What Designers Do Differently After the Holidays

Styling for Calm, Continuity, and Visual Rest

After the holidays, most people assume styling means “putting things away.”

What designers actually focus on is visual recovery.

December is visually loud: layers, sparkle, contrast, abundance. January requires something else entirely: restraint, continuity, and softness that still feels intentional.

When I style spaces after the holidays, I’m not creating emptiness. I’m restoring visual rhythm.

The Difference Between Decorating and Styling

Decorating adds.
Styling edits.

In January, styling is about deciding:

• What stays visible

• What becomes textural background

• What deserves to anchor the room

• What needs to disappear to let the space breathe again

This is where many homes feel “off.” People remove décor but don’t rebalance what remains, leaving rooms feeling unfinished instead of calm.

The Role of Soft Materials in January Styling

Textiles do heavy lifting in January.

Throws, pillows, and layered fabrics are what carry warmth forward once holiday décor exits. But how they’re handled matters.

Which brings me to something that surprised even me last year:
One of my most viewed pieces of content, across Chicago and Dallas, was about how to fold an RH throw.

Not because it was trendy.
Because it demonstrated restraint.