Jane Lockhart is an award-winning designer, TV personality and author. She is also the principal designer of the Toronto firm she founded in 1997, Jane Lockhart Interior Design.

Here come the holidays, and this year there will be some changes. The Elf on the Shelf is in a mason jar — in quarantine — plans for a large family gathering have gone bye-bye, and you may be asking yourself why you should bother to decorate at all.

Instead, this is the year to fill your home to the brim with holiday decor. Don’t put a limit on joy or deprive the family of the holiday spirit. We all need it this year. So here are my tips on how to inject some trendy and fun holiday decor into every room.

Do you follow trends or are you a free spirit when it comes to holiday decor? There is no right or wrong choice. That’s the best part of decorating. In regard to trends, curated collections are offered at many big box stores, but feel free to step outside the collections and mix it up. Matte finishes and glossy metal surfaces are still on trend in great colours like navy, rose-gold and copper. Try adding new colours to your existing decor and see how they work together.

To me, the key to stylish decorating is variety. Mix glossy and matte finishes, use more than one colour and add ornaments in a variety of sizes — and not just to the tree, everywhere. I also love using natural elements like greenery and mixing in homemade decor.

Battery-operated string lights in tall glass jars and vases still give you the best decorating bang for your buck.

As the saying goes, dance like nobody’s watching, decorate your home even if no one else will see it. Decorate beyond the public areas of your home and find ways to add decor to all your rooms.

Mini trees, real or otherwise, can be placed in every room. This way, everyone has an opportunity to decorate a tree and add their personal touches. A tree in every bedroom can also act as your seasonal night lights.

This year even the home office will benefit from a chic and stylish holiday makeover. To make sure it’s video-ready for work calls, add seasonal decor to your backdrop. Keep it understated here, though, as this is a professional space.

Mixed greenery lining a bookshelf with a few small pine cones is an elegant touch that won’t interfere with the business at hand. No gloss, bright colours or flashing lights, please! Save that for the family and friends video backdrop.

Are you ready to try something new? The colour theme I’m choosing this year is black and white, gold and silver, and orange. I love the idea of adding an unconventional colour to the mix, hence the orange.

I also like to plant my artificial tree in a lovely planter to make it look great from top to bottom.

There are no rules, no one is judging, so make this the year you try something new. Because we will be social distancing, how about holding a virtual tree-decorating party with family and friends? Or kick off the festive season with a virtual holiday tree reveal? Everyone gets to show off their holiday decor together. You may even want to make it a friendly competition.

You can also do an ornament exchange or send a favourite family ornament to the relatives who won’t be able to visit.