Happy Holidays! Last week I wrote about our Holiday Table, and now I am so excited to show you the rest of our house all dressed up and decorated. Although this year is strange, it has felt so nice to spend time with my family and decorate for the holidays. My (almost) four year old is very into decorating (for any and every event so Christmas was the ultimate) and we had a blast pulling out all of the fun stuff and going to town. We made a deal that the rooms pictured below were for Mom to decorate and the rest of the house was his. He surprisingly stuck to our compromise (I'll keep showing snippets of his "decorating" in my stories).
For the last few years, I have gone with a more neutral color palette. I like how simple the neutral colors feel - we still get the warmth and coziness of Christmas, but it doesn't feel overwhelming.
Kitchen
Let's start in the kitchen since it's the heart of the home and where we spend the most time.
Garland
Our hood range was designed with Christmas garland in mind. We have a one story home and I knew I would never be able to drape gorgeous stair garland (like this beauty from Anastasia Casey) so this was the compromise I made with myself. The garland is real and a mixture of eucalyptus, olive branches, and winter greens. A local flower market made ours, but ProFlowers sells a great version online (linked here). Tip: if you're going with a real garland, be sure to give it a quick water spray daily to keep it looking fresh all month. The garland was finished off with Sandstone Silky Wired Ribbon from Brooke & Lou.
Countertops
On the countertops below the garland, I added in some small decorative trees. These bring simple touches of Christmas and work with our year-round decor. The green ceramic trees are from Studio Mcgee for Target and the velvet trees can be purchased here (I purchased ours at a small local shop).
Woodland Smoker
I must admit, I am absolutely obsessed with that little woodland smoker guy. When I first purchased him, I thought it would be the kids asking me to light the cedar incense over and over, but it's me! It smells so good and he's just so cute. This little guy will definitely stay up through January (female version also available). Also, he's made by a Vermont company and as a previous Vermonter, I feel nostalgic anytime I buy something from my home state.
Living Room
Across from the kitchen is our living room. We have a large sectional sofa so the whole family can cuddle in and watch movies together. If you know me, you know I have a throw pillow obsession. So our pillows are switched out frequently based on the season (or sometimes just because I fall in love with a new pillow). This year, I did not put any "Christmas" pillows out, instead I went with neutral pillows that felt a little more cozy. Like this Knitted Sweater Pillow Cover from Mcgee & Co.
Our coffee table decor is switched out frequently as well (so frequently in fact, in the pictures above it changes). At one point I had these Galvanized Folding Trees on the table, but decided they were too tall and switched to wooden trees from Target (unfortunately they sold out quick so I cannot link them, but here are some similar wooden trees from Crate & Barrel: link).
Also from target, is the beautiful skinny tree against the wall. I love skinny trees because they can be used in a variety of spaces (entryways, hallways, etc.) and add just the right amount of greenery and height. This 9ft Slim Alberta Spruce Tree was on sale when we picked it up and was a steal of a deal from target. I added a few woodland type ornaments that we've had for years, some dried flowers, and the same Sandstone Silky Wired Ribbon used on the garland in the kitchen (to help draw the color palette from the kitchen into the living room).
Sitting Room
This is the room with our "big tree." Where Santa will leave all the presents and fill the stockings. And for the first time ever, I went with not only a faux tree, but also a flocked tree, and I honestly couldn't be happier with the decision (tree link). This room continues with a neutral color palette, but I incorporated a little bit of a lighter Satin Ribbon. I also added all kinds of bells throughout to bring in that nostalgic Christmas charm (links below).
The Tree
Starting with the flocked tree as the base, I alternated in a whitewash bead garland and a vintage gold bead garland (unfortunately both are sold out). Then I hung consistent, similarly shaped ornaments all over the tree. I like to put ornaments in the middle of the tree, not just on the branches, so that it gives the tree more depth (also takes me triple the amount of time). To give the white tree a little color, I added in some richer brown colored ornaments with our normal white, glass, and bottlebrush style. Here are links to some of the new ornaments I used this year that are still available online: Wood and Jute Swag, Labradoodle Ornament, Espresso Glass Ornaments, Bottlebrush Dog Ornaments. Finally, I finished the tree off with tying a simple knot with the light berry ribbon linked above.
The Mantle
The same live eucalyptus garland from the Kitchen was used on the mantle in the Sitting Room. The bells and ribbon tied on each side of the garland gave it some extra character. While the Black Candle Tapers added some height and asymmetry. The Green Stockings are from target and added some color to the mantle instead of using all White Linen Stockings (which was the original plan).
Thank you so much for reading. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and enjoys time with loved ones.