{"id":1051,"date":"2026-01-12T11:00:30","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T09:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/?p=1051"},"modified":"2026-01-12T11:00:30","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T09:00:30","slug":"refresh-your-home-creative-tips-to-lighten-up-after-the-holidays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/?p=1051","title":{"rendered":"Refresh your home: Creative tips to lighten up after the holidays"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"cb-itemprop\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">With the holidays over, your home may <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">be left feeling<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> a little sparse or bleak. The tree is taken down, the decorations get packed up, out-of-town guests head home, and everything is a bit quieter. But a few thoughtful changes can make your home feel renewed after those holiday decorations are gone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Whether you\u2019re cleaning dust from corners or planning a major home makeover, it\u2019s beneficial to have a strategy and begin with small tasks.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Wipe down your surfaces<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">After you\u2019ve cleared out all the extra stuff from your space, it\u2019s time to start cleaning. The best approach is to check each surface for dust and wipe everything down. Use a non-toxic cleaner made from a mix of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Start with the walls and countertops, then move on to door frames and other hard-to-reach areas. Clean surfaces make a significant difference\u2014more than any new purchase\u2014and will help your home feel fres<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">h.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Add some natural elements<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Once you\u2019ve cleared the clutter, resist the urge <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">to immediately fill empty spaces<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. What feels bare at first is often just your eye adjusting to less visual noise. If you <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">feel<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> an area needs something, opt for natural elements that add life without contributing to clutter<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Small<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, colourful touches <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">like<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> fresh flowers<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">branches that<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> help <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">to<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> brighten up a table or countertop.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Get some fresh air <\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">As summer continues in the country, it\u2019s a great time to freshen up your space with some fresh air. To quickly revitalise a room, open the windows for just a few minutes to allow air to circulate. Even a brief airing out can help shift the energy in a stagnant room, making everyone feel more awake and alert.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52080\" class=\"wp-image-52080 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/pexels-ekaterina-bolovtsova-7445237-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"pexels-ekaterina-bolovtsova-7445237\" width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/pexels-ekaterina-bolovtsova-7445237-scaled.jpeg 1707w, https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/pexels-ekaterina-bolovtsova-7445237-200x300.jpeg 200w, https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/pexels-ekaterina-bolovtsova-7445237-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/pexels-ekaterina-bolovtsova-7445237-768x1152.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/pexels-ekaterina-bolovtsova-7445237-1024x1536.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/pexels-ekaterina-bolovtsova-7445237-1365x2048.jpeg 1365w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px\" \/>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Subtle changes can help shift the mood of your space and allow you to sit back and relax, and take in the new year.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/gardening\/unlock-secret-healthier-plants-rice-water\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>ALSO SEE: UNLOCK THE SECRET TO HEALTHIER PLANTS WITH RICE WATER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"o8k0DWurPm\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/gardening\/unlock-secret-healthier-plants-rice-water\/\">Unlock the secret to healthier plants with rice water<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Feature Image: Pexels<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/gardening\/refresh-home-creative-tips-lighten-holidays\/\">Refresh your home: Creative tips to lighten up after the holidays<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gardenandhome.co.za\/\">SA Garden and Home<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the holidays over, your home may be left feeling a little sparse or bleak. The tree is<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1052,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1051","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-1"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1051"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1051"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1051\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1052"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tapyom.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}