A HUGE thank you to Ashley Bell Interiors for sharing her thoughts on how to decorate your home for the holidays with us! Ashley may now live in Colorado, but her tips are timeless and work wherever you call home!
We’re already a week into December (I know…where does the month go?!?) and if the idea of decorating your whole home for the holidays is a bit overwhelming, you’re in good company. Just like anything else that seems daunting, start by honing in on that one thing that can be your catalyst for all your holiday décor.
It could be a color, an ornament you saw in a store, a certain heirloom piece, a Chip and Joanna Gaines episode (although please don’t try to put shiplap on your tree) ;), art the kids brought home from school…there is inspiration EVERYWHERE. I’m not a big fan of design “rules” as it is but I feel like especially with Christmas décor, anything goes. Perhaps that’s why it can be so overwhelming. Choosing to start with one thing and then bringing whatever that is in various ways throughout your house is a much easier strategy that will hopefully leave you feeling the spirit of this glorious season and not pulling your hair out (that’s for when the in-laws come).
What do I mean? Ok. For example, I found these cone trees a couple of years ago and fell in love.
Instead of buying a few and adding to all the other random Christmas décor I had in boxes…I waited for them to go on major sale and bought more than I care to admit. However, what that did was give me a common theme to bring throughout our home. I have them in every single main living space (and kitchen, bedrooms, etc.) but decorated them with the colors I wanted to bring into each of those rooms. In the living, dining and kitchen I added turquoise and rose gold accents to match the color scheme in those rooms. In the den, I kept them more neutral and in the playroom, I surrounded them with lots of fun colors for the kids.
What I did with the cone trees can apply to anything. Say you want a more natural approach. How about something as simple as greenery? Greenery that you bring throughout your home by placing some on each mantle, some in a big vase on the kitchen counter, along the banister, a wreath hanging on your backsplash or on your shelves, little sprigs in small bud vases on a stack of books and so on.
To me, one of the easiest and budget friendly ways to spread Christmas cheer throughout the home is ornaments. You can buy boxes of them in colors that match each room, a few colors that you carry all throughout the home or even just one single color. You can use ornaments in so many ways, a quick Pinterest search will have your head spinning. The simplest way is to get a large bowl and just pour them in. If you want to be more festive, add a small string of those tiny LED lights or some magnolia leaves/greenery. I had votive holders on my mantle that are there year round and they were the perfect “perch” for an ornament in each. Candlesticks are another great place for ornaments to hangout.
Even those succulent arrangements (inside and out) that we all have can be a great opportunity for a little holiday pizazz. I’m going to have to copy that first pic on the top left from Debra Lee Baldwin – talk about a great décor project for the kids to jump in and help with!
In the end of course, there is no right or wrong way to decorate for Christmas. If you pulled it all down from the attic and are looking at the pile with a thousand yard stare, one of the best things to do is to lay out everything you have and edit. EDIT. Cut out anything you haven’t used in the last 5 years (other than family keepsakes of course) and donate it. Less is more. What a great thought to end this post with during the season of packed schedules and endless Amazon purchases. Less is more. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Cheers,
Ashley
Follow Ashley and all of her decorating genius online http://www.ashleybellinteriors.com/