The house is decorated for the holidays!
Fun (super grinchy) fact: I haven’t decorated my house for the holidays in years. Crazy, right? I just wasn’t in the mood for all the work, to be honest. It wasn’t like we hosted family or any big holiday events, so pulling out all the festive home decor stops seemed silly.
However…
After moving into our new house last year, I’ve discovered easy + affordable ways to update our living room decor as the seasons change. (Hint: pillowcases and throw blankets make a world of difference!) Once I got in the habit of refreshing things throughout the year, decorating for Christmas didn’t seem so daunting.
I started with my usual: pillowcases and a new throw blanket. H&M was the place (once again!) with the best quality + best deals. I was shooting for a rich burgundy and hunter green theme (especially because I already have this velvet chair out all year long).
Once I had those easy updates out of the way, I focused on the fireplace + mantle. I had been seeing so many gorgeous fireplaces decorated for the holidays in my Instagram and Pinterest feeds, I figured our fireplace deserved the same festive treatment. These flocked trees (typically reserved for an outdoor display; see more here and here) were perfect to flank the fireplace. A gold glitter garland and green faux fir garland glammed up the mantle, and then I found some berry garland to make our marquee sign really pop.
I added a red candle (cinnamon apple, totally found it at my grocery store) and some tiny pine trees to my mirrored tray. Easy, low level of effort, but a definite festive spin.
Somewhere along the way, that “light holiday update” turned into me hauling out my old tree from storage and shopping for new ornaments online. Christmas decorating bug? Something like that.
I wanted to put the tree in my office, which sits at the front of the house. I figured it would pull double duty: it would add some holiday cheer to my office, and it would show the neighbors we’re not total Bah Humbugs when they saw it through the window. And because the tree was in my office (where everything is white, marble, and pink), I went with a blush theme.
I also gave the entryway a little holiday refresh by adding some garland and a glittery gold tree. Easy, peasy, but a really chic way to get festive.
And there you have it! I’m quite pleased with the result: festive, but not too much and not too terribly expensive. I also love that much of the decor (Christmas tree aside) is more of a general winter vibe than a Christmas-only motif, so I can leave it up through February.
