Yes, I was incredibly relieved by the end to be able to get rid of the dried out wreath and the brittle garland and the prickly Christmas tree. In the cold clear light of January, the house feels cleansed, peaceful, and ... OK, a little lonely. Let's fix that.

It's easy to perk up the place with a house plant and some props, arranged on a side table or a shelf, to create a new story for a room. Here's how to recreate one vignette I particularly like:

Above: Start with a single, dramatic house plant and add a few accents—a collection of colored glass to reflect sunlight, say—as a backdrop. Limit the composition to a simple color palette (black, white, and green, for instance) and repeat textures and shapes. Photograph via Pejper.

Above: In wintertime, it's nice to have glossy, bright- green leaves in the house. A good choice: a potted Gardenia Jasminoides is $12.99 at Ikea stores.

Above: A light gray Grooved Concrete Pot, with a diameter of 12 centimeters, is 69 SEK (approximately $10.50 US) from Julia's Vita Drommar.

Above: Perched in the pot, a handmade glazed White Ceramic Bird is $24 from Pink Olive.

Above: Place green glass and the green leaves of a plant against a white backdrop, and you've done enough for one day. If this is as far as you go, you'll have a pleasing arrangement. For a large selection of vintage Green Glass Bottles, including this Dark Green Glass Bottle ($6.50), visit Etsy.

In addition, Recycled-Glass Jugs in two sizes and four watery colors are priced from $19 to $29 at West Elm.

Above: Prop up a black-and-white linoleum block print against the wall. A 10-by-6-inch Sparrow Linoleum Block Print on acid free paper, by Kate Nydam Meberg, is $15 via Etsy. Or make your own linocut prints; for a list of materials and step-by-step instructions, see Instructables.

N.B.: For more house plant ideas, see "5 Favorites: Plants for the Bath" and "5 Favorites: Vines as House Plants."