Holiday Décor by Room with Reason
Decorating for the holidays is a task that everyone tackles just a bit differently. While some have burgeoning totes, itemized lists, and plans at the ready by September, some are last-minute foragers who will be looking for where they stashed each item individually until January.
Whether you are the checklist type or an as-you-go discoverer, you’ll have plenty on your plate and your mind to worry about this season. We want to help decrease the stress of figuring out the what, where, and how of decorating and leave you instead with a list of ways to infuse a little holiday flavor.
Getting Started
Before you get started on any holiday decorating, it’s best to do a little decluttering and organizing to ensure that adding décor doesn’t further weigh down an already oversaturated aesthetic. Nothing screams “don’t stay too long” than a room that pushes cozy to claustrophobic heights. Don’t be afraid to put away your daily décor elements for the season to make room for your holiday collections. As you move from one space to another, envision the purpose you want the space to serve and the people that will be using it. Once that is done, you’re ready to move room by room to incorporate some festive flair.
The Living Room
Let’s start with the living room. The tree will likely be the centerpiece of the room but building an aesthetic of comfort around it will play it up tenfold. If you eliminate some of your day-to-day décor, you’ll find plenty of places here to fill with holiday-centric elements. You can start with swapping out the pillows and throws for cozy textiles with beautiful plaids, patterns, or colors. Put up some seasonal art, create cozy groupings of similar pieces on mantels or table tops, or opt for swags of garland that you can jazz up at will with velvet, wood elements, or sparkly lights. And it is completely okay to play neutral by blending holiday accents in with colors that compliment your current décor or to opt for a small base of neutral holiday pieces that you can play up when the feeling strikes.
Depending on how it is laid out, you can use a lot of the tips for living rooms to decorate your dining room. We’ve got tips for the table; where the true holiday magic happens. Incorporate natural accents that can add warmth and texture to your sophisticated spread. While evergreen is always a good choice for a supporting element, you can add any locally-sourced, green foliage to your table and put a unique twist on the old standard. Create coziness by adjusting the light source. Candles, whether the wax or battery variety, can add depth and warmth to your dining room. And with just a little bit of sparkle and some adornment such as sprigs of garland or berries on the chairs, you have a gorgeous, inviting dining room.
Bedrooms
Primary bedrooms and guest bedrooms will be equally festive by simply adding natural textures, layering up pillows and linens, and dotting the décor with metal accents. If you want to kick it up a notch, add a small tree to your room and load it with gorgeous golden twinkle lights.
Bathrooms
When it comes to bathrooms, don’t overdo it. You can easily exchange the regular linens for those with a more holiday feel, replace the normal hand soap with a holiday scent, and add a small grouping of festive floral or greenery on a shelf or counter. Keep things simple here and the space will remain open and cheerful.
Curb Appeal
Elevate your curb appeal by using adhesive (and removable) hooks to hang small wreaths in each window or brighten the sill with LED candles. Make arriving at and entering your home a welcome invitation by decorating your front door with swaths of garland, an oversized bow, or by hanging a festive wreath. Add string lights or a few LED lanterns to existing shrubs or trees to create a gorgeous landscape to look out upon.
Remember, you’re going to have to live here for the next month or so. Make sure it’s a space that works well with your day-to-day functionality, style, and comfort level or it won’t feel good until it’s all packed away again. If you put a room together and it doesn’t feel right to you, simply take away one element at a time until you find your sweet spot. Then sit back, have a hot cocoa, and peruse the remainder of your list.