The Christmas season is finally here again! I absolutely l o v e this time of year. Though I prefer to keep things very low-key in the decorating department during other holiday seasons, this is when I go all out. But making a big impact doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s all about choosing the right things for your space. Though there’s a certain appeal to stuffing rooms with festive things, we keep Christmas in our home simple but still very festive.
The unifying element to my entire design for the season is garlands. Since I love Scandinavian style, I wanted to have slightly Scandi-er feeling holiday, too. Plus, I wanted to keep all our rooms feeling unified, instead of picking a theme per room (though I did really enjoy that growing up: the red and white room; the Santa room; the gold and silver room…), so that it felt streamlined.
For our main floor, I have 7 garlands––5 with while berries, 2 with red berries and lamb’s ear, though they are the same pine needle base. Since the walkway is central to the house, I put them on both sides, so all sections of the house are equally festive and cozy. Last year, I used the garlands with red berries on the dining room table, and the tv. This year, I have one above the kitchen sink, and one for our stockings. I feel this better spreads out the greenery, and makes a larger impact in each space.
If you do garlands, there are a couple of things to keep in mind, to help you make the biggest impact:
- find a space—like my walkway—where you can put them that is well-traveled, where everyone will be able to enjoy it
- spread them out. I’ve got the walkway on both sides, so the dining room doesn’t really need more. But the kitchen could use a little festive cheer
- get a matching set. A bunch of similar, but still different garlands won’t lend itself to the same unifying feel. Garlands pack such big punch, it’s worth getting enough to decorate your space
However, if your’e not into greenery, it’s not quite your style, or you just don’t want to store a bunch of garlands, you can apply these same concepts (spreading out, being unified, putting decor in noticeable spots) to other design elements.
With small children, any kind of garland works well, because they aren’t early damaged. If you’re home situation is different, you could certainly do a collection of Santas, or christmas villages; maybe even just nature (like orange or cranberry garlands, and bowls of pinecones). The main goal is just to repeat the design throughout the whole space.
I love the result in my home, but I was so incredibly chuffed when my husband told me that my decor choices reminded him of Christmases as a kid! He loves decorating for all the holidays, and has very fond memories of childhood, so I’m pleased as punch that the simplicity can bring that feeling for him during the Christmas season.
Good luck!
