Somewhere in the recesses of my brain, I had decided as a child that the beautiful decorative candle sconces that adorned the walls were only appropriate between the few preceding day to Thanksgiving and the first week of January, when the Christmas arrangements were taken down. Somehow I believed that decorative candle sconces were part of the holiday festivities and were not appropriate material for year round decorating. Of course, considering that I got this thought in my head as a young child, I was wrong. Sconces can make incredible decorations for a home all year long.

As I grew into an adult, over time I realized that I was not the only one with this odd little misconception. Looking carefully at decorative candle sconces, it becomes obvious why people begin to think this little myth as a decorating faux pas. When adorned with a bit of holly or mistletoe, and when there is obvious Holiday cheer going on, they seem like so many Holiday decorations out there. They are beautiful, they give off that same warm soft glow that Holiday candles give, and they seem to be perfect for such this time of year.

Often, it’s all in how you dress around it that determines how people see your decorative sconces. It could be said, most definitely, that adding a flowering plant or something along those lines during the warmer months will add to the sense that these beautiful artworks are appropriate all year long.

Ivy works well for this “changing of the seasons” decorating tip as well. However, one must be careful with ivy, making sure its little suction feet don’t damage the surrounding walls, the wall, or the sconces. This can be done with a combination of careful trimming and a growth directional aid, even something as thin as fishing twine. Some people will get past this little myth simply by installing their wall mounted candle holders mid-year, and avoiding their addition during the Holiday season. This small gesture can often clear the misconception that they are breaking some decorating rule simply because they won’t be associating their installation with that time of year. Others will simply need to read an article like this one, declaring it acceptable to use decorative candle sconces throughout the entire year, and they will feel cleansed of their misconstrued decorating faux pas.

In truth, the world of wall home decor is relaxing, allowing the professional and the novice decorator to experiment with what makes them happy, expresses themselves well, and of course, looks good. It wasn’t that long ago that there was a list of decorating no-nos miles long. Over the past decade, the majority of those decorating no-nos have been discarded in favor of personal creativity. Granted, it can be hard to get past a childhood belief, even one as simple as the appropriate timing of decorative candle sconces. Making only slight adjustments to the items that surround your sconces can create a scene rendering the most fabulous sconces for the Holidays, or rendering a scene that is perfect for year round enjoyment.