Hello my decoristas! It is so hard to believe that December is here and Christmas is around the corner! While this year may be different than in years past, it may still mean having a few family members or close friends visit and celebrate. In either case you want to create a festive home that reflects this exciting and celebratory time of year and is also welcoming and cozy.
Christmas decor does not have to be elaborate or complicated to be beautiful. I believe simple decor is more elegant and creates a peaceful calm ambience in any space; busy, over done rooms have a frantic feel to them and do not provide a relaxed atmosphere. To help you create a comfortable, calm, festive home for the holidays, try one or more of the following quick and easy tips to bring a touch of Christmas to each of your rooms.
Bedrooms
A thick faux fur blanket draped over the foot of your bed together with coordinating faux fur toss pillows will add instant warmth, comfort and rich texture to any bedroom.
Christmas ornaments are not just for the tree! Casually set on a shelf or gathered in a bowl or on a small plate on a dresser, ornaments bring colour, texture and a touch of sparkle to any room. Using all of one colour is very striking and luxe or consider a mixture of 2 or more colours for an interesting contrast and informal vibe.
Bathrooms
I love the festive scents of hand soaps and coordinating hand creams available during the Christmas season! Many come with their own stand or tray so this is truly one of the easiest ways to add Christmas decor to the bathroom.
Want to go a step further? Your every day hand towels in the bathrooms can be easily swapped out for hand towels with in seasonal colours and with festive scenes or motifs on them. I love that they are available in colours beyond the traditional red and green and include motifs such as pine trees, snowflakes and snowmen so they can be enjoyed well into the new year. (I do love decor accessories that do double duty!)
Kitchen
While you want to ‘keep the decks cleared’ in the kitchen for the cooking and baking that you do during the festive season, a few touches of Christmas add a comfortable, homey vibe to this central hub. A jam or mason jar with a festive ribbon and cinnamon sticks not only looks lovely but smells terrific too! Equally festive and easy is a basket or bowl filled with nuts, clementines or pomegranates. Of course, who could resist a delightful colourful cookie jar that not only adds charm to your kitchen but holds some of those treats you have prepared!
Dining Room
The dining room will be the centre of many a meal and celebration over the holidays. Keep things simple with a centrepiece that is a focal point at each sitting and does not have to be removed to make way for the place settings and dishes of food. A wreath or stems of greenery, ornaments and candles (unscented) all set in a tray or on a platter make a simple but elegant display. Use colours that coordinate with your table linens and dishes and you will have a beautiful, cohesive look every time with minimal effort.
Living Room/Family Room
Next to the kitchen, the living room and/or family room are spaces that typically see the most use in our homes and Christmas is no exception. Traditionally the Christmas tree is located in these spaces, but whether you have a tree or not, there are simple ways to add some festive touches to these spaces.
You want to make these rooms welcoming and comfortable but keep them low maintenance as well so you can relax and enjoy the holiday season. A basket of blankets adds warmth and comfort as well as interesting texture and depth.
A simple display of candles of varying heights and sizes intermingled with a festive garland can be placed on a mantel, shelf or coffee table and this simple display works long into the new year. Using faux greenery is a low maintenance approach and the range and quality has dramatically improved over the past few years!
Entrance Way
The entrance way to our homes is where we set the stage and make guests at once feel welcome and comfortable. If you have a table in the entrance way, a jar of seasonal greens or dogwood branches makes a simple display and a ribbon wrapped around the vase makes it even more festive! And how about bringing a wreath indoors? Even the smallest of entrance ways can be made festive with a small wreath.
As we head into the busy holiday season I hope these ideas inspire you to add some seasonal touches to all the spaces in your home.
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