Decorating for the season

Are you unsure about how you're going to decorate your house  for Chinese New Year? Well fret not because this year, PropertyGuru has some useful tips for you that is sure to help you welcome the new year in style.

Paint the walls red

What better way to decorate then to use auspicious colours like red and gold. Red signifies happiness and gold is associated with prosperity.

For starters, try applying a fresh coat of red paint to your partition walls and pair it with white or pastel coloured furniture. Alternatively, you can hang red drapes against white or pastel-coloured walls. This is sure to brighten up your living space. If you have matching upholstery, then voila, you're halfway done.

If you do not know where to get these items, you can head down to furniture shops like IKEA or Barang Barang for a wide selection at reasonable prices. They may even have a sale to encourage festive shopping.

Accessorise

Complement your décor with accessories. Hang red lanterns or couplets with good-will greetings and make cut-out figures of animals from the Chinese Zodias and use them to decorate your walls and windows. Be sure to sprinkle lots of gold glitter on the decorations. If you can afford to spend more money, why not buy traditional Chinese paintings or calligraphy that often contain words of wisdom or good-will.

Plants are an important addition to the New Year. Some ideal varieties include chrysanthemums, peach blossoms, and kumquat plants. These symbolize longevity, prosperity, and good luck respectively. They are also meant to "renew" life and welcome the coming of spring.

On the eve of Chinese New Year, families gather together to have a reunion dinner. This year, make things a little interesting by adding a table centerpiece. Be sure to include lots of red and gold items for the centerpiece. For example, fill a red or gold bowl with items such as oranges, tangerines or chocolate "gold coins". These are items traditionally associated with good luck and happiness. Alternatively, place some red and gold scented candles in your living and dining area to make your home appear more cosy and inviting. An assortment of scented candles are easily available at IKEA.  

You can also make a money tree by hanging chocolate "gold coins" on a houseplant. If possible, place a mini fountain made of bamboo in a prominent place. In Chinese custom, bamboo is a symbol of strength and luck.

Keep it coming

Well now that the house is all bright and cheery, here are a few more tips on what to do and what not to do on Chinese New Year.

Maintain a bright home by switching on all the lights and opening the doors and windows. The extra light is said to ward off evil spirits. It also allows good luck to find its way into your house.

Also, do not sweep your house on New Year's day itself. As mentioned earlier, good luck finds its way into your home so sweeping your house on New Year's Day means that you will be sweeping away the good luck.

Finally, forget the past and focus on the good things to come in the new year. Let bygones be bygones and look ahead with a positive mind. After all, happiness invites more happiness.

We hope you have enjoyed the tips that we have gathered for you and found it useful. PropertyGuru would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a Happy New Year!