Timeless Winter Decor Is Simpler Than You Think

Hear from MartinPatrick3’s interior design team on how they curated The Four Seasons Nordic Village and their tips to liven up your home during the colder months.

Bye-bye pumpkin spice and hello to sugar plums, peppermint and sugar cookie delights. As we approach our everlasting winter here in the Midwest, and fight to maintain our energy as the days grow shorter, spice up your life and your space with a lively winter feel.

Redecorating for winter doesn’t need to be daunting; it doesn’t even need to be redecorating at all. Keep an eye out for some fall decorations that can be repurposed or altered to fit the winter season.

With the rest of the pieces, find inspiration to use them in a different way, such as adding an embellishment or placing something in a different location, MartinPatrick3’s interior design team says.

That’s what they did with this year’s Lodge design at The Four Seasons’ Nordic Village. The team has worked with Four Seasons on the village for the last three years, from designing its debut to revamping it each year. The cozy Scandinavian-inspired rooftop village experience contains eight cabins, all designed based on each of their unique names, and The Lodge, a cabin-style bar.

The bar is open to everyone, whether they’re waiting for their cabin dinner, a guest at the hotel or just looking for a cozy place to have a drink. And this year, the interior design team aimed to add a luxurious feel to the snug, cheerful environment, Studio Manager Greta Anderson says.

“One thing that we wanted the space to feel was a little different than all of the other cabin experiences, so we came up with the idea of staining the interior of it, just really create this warm, cozy feeling in there,” Senior Interior Designer Leigh Hull says. “And we took some of the existing things from the previous year and added a little something to them.”

They dressed up the curtains with plaid trim, added art and a vintage Lutsen map, draped the door with a velvet red curtain, dimmed the lighting with lampshades and added a photo op with a floor-length mirror. 

“It runs from November to March, so really the goal is for it to be able to live past that holiday time period and truly lead into just a winter feel,” Anderson says. “We wanted people to be able to experience it in February and not feel like they’re looking at Christmas decor, but rather they’re just looking at something that’s comforting and warm to be in during all the winter months.”

Winter decor doesn’t need to be equivalent to holiday decor. While red and green can be tempting and flood the stores once Halloween passes, don’t be afraid to mix in some color, says Hull. Blues, camels and metallics can help contrast the dull greys that come with winter.

You can also explore different themes and color palettes within each room of your home, such as giving each room a different look by adding embellishments in small places like the bathroom mirror, a scented hand soap, a candle or adding some vintage pieces, says the design team.

“I remember growing up, my grandma always had her pink room, which had a pink Christmas tree in it, which was a totally different look from her living room and dining room space, which is more reds and greens, but all of the girls love to go into the pink Christmas room,” Anderson says. “I feel like there’s part of it where you can make your winter decor almost like an experience as you walk through the house, and have each room really feel like its own moment and make those memories, kind of like we used to when I was little.”

Invest in quality pieces that will last through the years, Senior Interior Designer Arielle Slobotski says. Add some throw blankets for the season, revamp your coffee table books and restock your drink cart. 

Additionally, bring some nature into your home by adding plants, natural elements such as wood in a fireplace or garlands, and add the natural smell to liven up the space while it’s too cold to be outside, says Interior Designer Caitlin Drew.

While this all may seem overwhelming or intimidating, keep in mind that this team redesigned the Lodge in about six weeks and installed it on their own in one day. 

“We installed all of it, so if we can do it, you can do it,” Anderson says. “We weren’t paying anybody to hang anything, so you’re able to do that in your home too; you really can make it your own and do the work yourself.”

Don’t be afraid to get creative, find inspiration in other spaces or through Pinterest and implement it in your home. What may seem challenging might be as simple as adding a trim to a curtain or adding a festive throw to your couch. 

Visit the Nordic Village at The Four Seasons through March to experience the decor by MartinPatrick3’s interior design team and find inspiration to bring a timeless winter feel to your spaces.