Embrace a greener gathering this holiday season with looks by kanju. We have included our top tips for sustainable styling, sure to make all of your seasons bright and your creativity shine!
Treasured heirlooms and a few seasonal decorations can enhance your holiday look, but simply rearranging pieces with seasonal themes in mind can do a lot to transform your home into a fresh, celebratory sanctuary!
"I love a neutral-themed tree and playing with the textures of the ornaments and decorations. Add in felt pieces or wooden ones, but keep the overall color-scheme natural and organic". - Kate Lester Interiors via Martastewart.com
Tips for Sustainable Holiday Styling
1. Select a color scheme and be consistent.
Whether you opt for traditional holiday hues, a neutral palette, or prefer to mix it up with a uniquely festive pop of color (like all pinks and reds, or a focus on blues and sparkles), a coherent color scheme will make your home feel polished and ready to host at any time.
The best part? Merely by arranging your primary entertaining spaces with existing pieces you love in new ways, your space will feel completely fresh and festive without needing to spend or waste, and your existing pieces are probably higher quality, which will shine through in your design.
Kanju product show above: mirage pillow, quartz cross lumbar pillow, bobble pillow, layered felt lumbar pillow, ineke pink striped basket, small linear pillow, red hand-felted nesting bowl, dusty rose ethiopian tray, african cork stool, white washed woven wall art
Kanju product show above: Fringed Skirt Charcoal Bowl, Nelisiwe Tray
2. Add flourishes of seasonal greenery and organic elements to highlight the holiday feeling.
By including seasonal greenery, such as fresh holly, pine, pine cones, and winter flowers, your existing décor will adapt the seasonal feel. Using natural elements to invoke the time of year not only pulls at our deepest sense of nostalgia, these elements can be discarded sustainably when the season is over. Including seasonal fruits and spices on display... you may even consume them along the way! A little bit goes a long way, and organic elements don't have to be over-embellished to shine and soothe.
Kanju product show above: swazi serving tray, ghana linear basket, baby buhera basket
Kanju product show above: white washed woven wall art, volta mats
3. Layer with lots of texture for that over-the-top luxurious and cozy feel, put neutrals to work!
In design, texture = warmth. This is true always, but you can really use it to your advantage during the holidays and throughout the winter season. A few extra pillows and throws not only create a cozier feeling, but during these colder months, it's practical as well! Investing in a few extra pillow covers and blankets in cozy winter fabrics like thick wools enables you to freshen up your look, and gives you a chance to have summer and spring pieces professionally cleaned and stored for a bit, keeping them in top shape for longer and keeping your home healthy year-round.
The concept of layering works to elevate your decorated spaces... extra neutral layers on the mantle, tucked amongst shelves, and stacked within tablescapes will help your seasonal pieces really pop, all while creating a more luxurious and cozy space.
Kanju product show above: mirage pillow, quartz cross lumbar pillow, bobble pillow, fine lines throw
Kanju product show above: red hand-felted nesting bowl, dusty rose ethiopian tray, african cork stool
4. Harness the power of scent.
Invest in a few sustainably made candles or incense that will infuse your home with the smells of the season. The natural firs and greenery you have out may do this as well, but a few well-placed scents will enhance the effect and make your entire space feel instantly special and seasonal. After all, smell is the sense that is linked more strongly to memory and emotion than any of our other senses, and can have a direct impact on making us feel calm, soothed and happy.
Kanju product show above: mirage pillow, fine line felt trivet, organic jacaranda wood bowl
Kanju product show above: Ndebele Forest Green Pillow
5. Make your personal and traditional family pieces the stars of the show.
Too much blatant seasonal décor causes your most special pieces to get lost in the holiday noise. Repurposing your already beloved home décor items with intention, and exercising a bit of restraint on store-bought and disposable decorations is not only more sustainable, it allows your heirloom décor and holiday treasures to shine.
In the end, what makes the holidays special is how you and your loved ones make and recreate beloved traditions. The cherished family pieces and gifts that invoke your unique holiday memories and style should always be centerstage so that the y-o-u shines through.
Kanju product show above: mirage pillow, fine line felt trivet, dusty rose ethiopian tray, organic jacaranda wood bowl, swazi serving tray, ghana, linear basket, baby buhera basket, nyami-nyami basket, phiri basket
Kanju product show above: layered felt lumbar pillow, ineke pink striped basket, small linear pillow, red hand-felted nesting bowl, dusty rose ethiopian tray, african cork stool
Kanju product show above: bobble pillow, layered felt lumbar pillow, small linear pillow, african cork stool, white washed woven wall art, volta mats, organic jacaranda wood bowl, fine lines throw, Siyanda Sun Tray, Berry Ombre Ukhamba Bowl, Giant Munyumbwe Laundry Basket
Shop new December arrivals to finalize your festive look.