To think decorating your home for different seasons is silly

[harrisaar]

I LOVE autumn, and Christmas. So much. I understand decorating for Halloween maybe a couple of weeks before it if you’ve got kids and they’re excited to Trick or treat or they’re having parties etc. And Christmas decorations through December, fair enough

What I’ve been noticing is most homeware shops and supermarkets alike are full to the brim of autumn decor. Cushions, throws, pumpkin bedding, wall art, Halloween bath mats… the list goes on. If you were to kit your home out and make it autumnal, as pretty as it would look that’s a huge expense for items you won’t really want on display after October. Not great for the environment either. AIBU to think why??

Oh my... Heaven forbid people spend money on things that bring them joy.

I decorate seasonally. It's not plastic tat, frankly I have excellent taste and my home always looks beautiful.

I reuse the decor each year.

I love to decorate, and design is a passion of mine.

I'd love to see what all the judgy people spend money on in their minimalist homes, and capsule wardrobes.

Sadly I cannot for love nor money but happy to purchase a home knitted little pumpkin from a small business somewhere! 💕

I always associate it with bored, rich American soccer moms with too much time on their hands (which is honestly no criticism, if I didn’t work and my kids were in high school I’d probably do it too as it gives you a project).

We do have some Halloween decorations, but mostly because DS had a Halloween party last year (it fell on a weekend) so we bough a lot of stuff for that.

I wouldn’t buy stuff especially for autumn or spring decorations. But I have just put up a string of lights, put Michaelmas daisies in vases in all the rooms and put blankets around for autumn. Just to be nice and cosy. Does that count?

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing yes that counts 🙂

I wouldn't do it if I was a millionaire - it's wasteful and tricky. I'd buy art instead.

@Bouledeneige but how does something become "art"? - by starting out as something creative that someone has designed and created....like a lot of the decor people are talking about here.
Why is it wasteful?

I don't decorate except for around Christmas when I do quite a bit. Its not because IU don't want to but I don't have much imagination when it comes to decorating and I never wanted to spend the money. I always love it when I go to somewhere and their space is decorated for the seasons. I have a dear friend, who almost never has company at her house who decorates beautifully every season. Just for her pleasure. I admire her for that.

Of course it's subjective. But anything Halliweeny is a long way from art to me. It's a decoration.

We have stuff for every season. I grew up in America and seasonal decorating was very much a thing, even down to different mail box flags for each holiday.

I’m not 100% certain why it has to be dreadful for the environment. Nothing is plastic tat, we use it for years! My ceramic pumpkin collection is at least ten years old! Bedding in autumnal colours is used every year.

Lots of nice ones here on Etsy and all much more professional than my home-spun efforts!

https://www.etsy.com/uk/search?q=knitted%20pumpkin&ref=search_bar

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@Bouledeneige there is a difference between autumn decor and Halloween (the same as winter vs Christmas).
You can decorate for the seasons without having to do anything connected to a religious or cultural celebration.

I was nodding in agreement with you until I remembered that I must get the felt autumn leaves bunting down, and tastefully drape it around the fireplace. And then after that the Halloween decs for DS. And then the Christmas crap comes out. And then some indoor bulbs for spring, and cut flowers from the garden in summer.

But yeah, aside from that I'm totally with you OP!

There are some good tutorials on YouTube for making fabric / knitted pumpkins out of old jumpers - I’ve been making specifically Gothy ones because, well, I’m a Goth …. Minimal sewing, bit of rice to weight them down and some stuffing - nice bow around the stalk and voila!

I try to avoid plastic tat but like tasteful Halloween stuff as it’s my taste all year round - I don’t swap out seasonally but tend to add another layer on - if there’s a thing called “Bohemian Gothic Maximalist” that’s probably me 😹

I’m also a bit crafty and like to upcycle - anything vintage and a bit battered gets my vote…..

I do have a bit of envy when I see some of the stuff that the US comes out with for Halloween- some of it is very classy…. don’t know why we only get a smattering in TK Maxx while Asda etc is flooded with the kids stuff …..

I think in the Winter it’s nice to have a comfortable and stimulating environment and cosiness when the weather restricts activity etc. I also like to see creativity encouraged but appreciate not everyone has the time etc ….

And I agree with others it’s a way to connect with nature, the seasons and various festivals/ rituals…. In the summer people like to go to big communal events like festivals, in the Winter it’s nice to create a festive atmosphere at home.

My sister in law in the States does this. Transforms the house (towels, bedding, mats, garlands, cushions, tea towels etc) for each season. She has a basement and an excellent organisation system with big clear boxes carefully labelled. I think it's a bit mad but it makes her happy.

Surely nobody buys EVERYTHING seasonal? I always thought people would buy one Halloween bath mat or one kitch ceramic pumpkin or something? I couldn't imagine living in a themed house!

Does it count that my DH and realized at a summer get together that we only have Christmas and Halloween themed serving platters 🤣

I like a deep clean and de-clutter at the start of every season to reset. This might make me realise we could do with some new summer bed linen or a new throw in the autumn. But I don’t buy the countless pumpkin ornaments in a “fall haul” - as they’re known on Instagram and YouTube etc. So I think the trend comes from influencers using new seasons as an opportunity to create new content.

I think it’s fine if the stuff is stored again for next year - whatever makes people happy. It’s shit not being able to afford to go out as much so perhaps people are making their homes a bit more pleasant since they’re spending more time at home? Don’t blame them.

Their money and their home. A total non-issue for me.

Also, plenty of people without kids love Halloween stuff all year round. You don't need to have a kid or party to have Halloween stuff out.

I love decorating for the seasons (and events like the World Cup!) - but I store the decorations and re-use them so it's not wasteful. To each his or her own!

😱😭😵‍💫

YABU to think decorating for Christmas throughout all of December is acceptable. IT’S ADVENT!!

And who does Hallowe’en decorations for weeks at all?

I've noticed this. Scores of Halloween bedding, cushions etc. we've bought a few Halloween decs but to redecorate the entire house for it seems an unnecessary expense not to mention having to store it all year!

I don't really understand. I change my house according to the season because the way I use my home changes according to the season. In the summer, my North-facing living room is a place to keep cool on hot days, but in the autumn and winter, it needs to be warmer and with more lighting, so I have blankets and cushions and lamps and candles that are intended to be used in autumn and winter. I have different bedding for warm and cold weather. I hang a curtain over the door for cold weather. My garden changes dramatically across the year, and I grow plants that look good for each season. At the moment, I have pots of bronze chrysanthemums outside my door. Soon, I'll move them to a more sheltered spot and take out my pots of spring bulbs with winter flowers on top.

My life and wardrobe and diet and household routines change according to the seasons, so why would my home look the same all year round?