Podcast Summary: "How Soon is Too Soon for Holiday Decor?"

Podcast: All Of It with Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Episode Date: November 21, 2023
Guest: Danielle Blundell, Executive Home Editor, Apartment Therapy

Episode Overview

This lively episode explores the perennial debate: When is the right time to put up holiday decor? Host Alison Stewart and guest Danielle Blundell discuss the ever-earlier advent of holiday decorating, creative strategies for small spaces, upcycling, emerging trends, and the personal and cultural meanings behind these festive traditions. Listeners call and text in with their own tips, memories, and strong opinions, making for a communal, spirited conversation perfect for the season.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Retail Rush: Holiday Creep

• Increasingly Early Decor

  • Retailers push holiday decor earlier each year, sometimes right after Halloween.
  • Danielle notes this creates pressure, especially with social media’s influence:

    “Retail pushes it earlier and earlier… you’re not really enjoying all of the other seasons… It just feels like it sooner and sooner this year.” (04:28)

  • However, an earlier start can give DIY decorators more time for their projects (06:04).

• Personal Preference & Seasonal Joy

  • Both Danielle and Alison stress that decorating should be about personal joy, not consumer pressure.

    “Decorations should be about creating an environment in your home, not about spending a whole ton of money right away.” – Alison Stewart (05:55)

Small Space Solutions

• Garlands as Alternatives:
  • Garlands are recommended for apartments and small homes, usable on bookshelves, mantels, headboards, or mirrors:

    “We love them on a bookshelf… or over the headboard, bringing a little festive touch into your bedroom area.” – Danielle (07:12)

  • Removable hooks (like Command strips) safeguard walls for renters.
• Unexpected Festive Touches:
  • Get creative by decorating mirrors (with wreaths), light fixtures (ribbons and ornaments), entryway racks, or even a coat rack instead of a tree (15:06, 15:18).
  • Listener story: Using a found Christmas tree bough nailed to the wall as a “tree” (12:24).

Vintage, Upcycling & Sustainable Trends

• Vintage Mania:

  • Vintage and secondhand decor are trending for sustainability and unique flair:

    “Our Apartment Therapy audience can’t get enough vintage shopping... check out your thrift store, secondhand shopping sites like Cherish, First Dibs, even eBay or Amazon…” – Danielle (08:55)

  • Alison notes vintage ornaments’ beauty and fragility (09:37).

• Nature-Inspired & DIY:

  • Upcycling natural materials, like neighborhood evergreen branches, is embraced, especially on a budget (12:24).
  • Dried/faux flowers are popular as tree “filler” (16:25).

Hot Trends for 2023

• Disco Glam & Mushrooms:

  • “Glitzy glam disco” decor is huge, with disco balls even on trees.
  • Mushrooms—both glitzy and velvet, “cottagecore” style—are everywhere:

    “Maybe that’s why people can’t get enough of it. They can kind of do their own thing, put their own spin on it.” – Danielle (10:42)

  • Listeners clarify that mushroom ornaments have Scandinavian roots (17:39).

• Bows & TikTok/Instagram Influence:

  • Bows are trending thanks to online “romanticization” trends; easy and affordable (16:25).

• Themed Decorating:

  • Non-traditional color themes like Barbiecore (hot pinks), black or red trees, movie themes, and travel-themed trees are growing in popularity:

    “Barbiecore trees…get ready for hot pink...movie themed trees…a travel tree…mermaid tree…something fun and whimsical.” – Danielle (21:39)

Advent Calendars & Tech

• Advent Calendar Explosion:
  • Advent calendars now cater to every interest (coffee, beauty, desk organizers, candles, puzzles):

    “Any niche interest… there’s one for you.” – Danielle (18:21)

• Color-changing LED Lights:
  • Listeners love programmable LEDs that adapt for different holidays and moods (19:28).

Listener Stories & Traditions

• Outdoor vs. Indoor Timing:
  • Listener Michelle: Interior decor is personal, but exterior decor affects the whole neighborhood; wait until after Thanksgiving for outside (12:38).
• Custom & Family Traditions:
  • Coat rack as a “tree”, a tree kept up for 11 years (!), decorating on Christmas Eve as in England, and hanging wreaths on the inside of doors for personal enjoyment (15:06, 20:13, 21:07, 21:26).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You don’t need all of that... they’re a small-space friendly alternative to even a tree.”
  – Danielle Blundell on garlands (07:12)
• “If you want to do whatever you want to the inside of your house, have a blast, go to town. But the exterior... impacts more than just themselves…”
  – Caller Michelle from Nyack (12:38)
• “It creates this pressure that makes the average person feel like they gotta do it right away or they’re not going to get that tree… It creates that kind of frenzy.”
  – Danielle Blundell, on social media’s influence (06:04)
• “Themes are a big thing. You said that people are decorating with themes. What are some of the big themes?”
  – Alison Stewart cues in on evolving decor trends (21:35)
• “The nostalgia is real, right? Unlocking core memories, creating core memories.”
  – Danielle Blundell (20:55)

Useful Timestamps

• 02:00 – Show overview and introduction to the holiday decor debate
• 04:28 – Danielle on retail’s early start and personal decorating timing
• 07:12 – Small space tips: garlands, hanging tricks
• 08:55 – Vintage, secondhand and sustainability in holiday decor
• 10:06 – Disco glam, mushrooms, and nature-inspired motifs
• 12:24 – Caller Anne’s upcycled, wall-mounted “tree”
• 12:38 – Caller Michelle’s argument for waiting on outdoor decor
• 15:06 – Decorating mirrors, light fixtures, and unusual surfaces
• 16:25 – Bows, dried flowers, and easy inexpensive trends
• 17:39 – Listener confirms mushroom motif’s Scandinavian origin
• 18:21 – Advent calendar trends
• 19:28 – Color-changing LED lights
• 20:13 – Listener Marie: a Christmas tree left up for 11 years
• 21:39 – Themed trees and non-traditional color palettes

Takeaways

• Decorate on your own timeline—do what sparks joy rather than caving to commercial and social pressures.
• There’s creativity and resourcefulness in small spaces; garlands, coat racks, mirrors, and upcycled finds abound.
• Vintage, sustainable, and nature-inspired elements are both stylish and meaningful.
• Today’s holiday decorating is more personalized than ever, with a variety of themes, tech-enhanced lights, and playful trends.
• Holiday traditions are personal, reflecting both culture and family—there’s no right or wrong way to decorate.

For the All Of It community, holiday decor isn’t just about lights and garland; it’s about joy, memory, creativity, and sharing your spirit with those around you, in whatever way resonates most.