The most wonderful time of the year is here, and that means it’s time to bust out those boxes in the attic, untangle the light strands and inject sprinkles of cheer throughout your home. When it comes to holiday home decor, there’s no one right way. However, no matter the holidays you and your family celebrate, a little inspiration is sometimes helpful.
Terrie Moore, owner of the home and garden shop Wildflowers, Jo Anne Howell, stylist and owner of Oh Goodie Designs + Events, along with interior designers Kim Hewerdine and Buck Matthews of Chic to Chic are here to assist. Consider this feature your own personal Pinterest board for the season’s festive flair.
A Grand Staircase
Styled by Jo Anne Howell
The stairs have a sentimental place in the home come the holidays. There’s something so sweet about the sound of children pitter-pattering down the steps on Christmas morning. With many staircases located near the front door, this is the perfect space to welcome friends and family into your home with holiday cheer.
Make sure to measure your stairs before getting started. You’ll want to keep three things in mind: the length of the banister, the length of the garland and whether you want swag in the garland’s drape design.
Tip One: Add decorative elements to the steps or a table near the staircase. This is an easy way to enhance the railing’s decor while utilizing your favorite holiday items that don’t seem to have a designated home.
Tip Two: Don’t stop with just garland! Your tree isn’t the only greenery in the home deserving of accessories. Intertwine ribbon, pine cones, ornaments or lights within your garland strands to add visual interest.
Tip Three: Hold your garland in place with zip ties. Starting at one end of the banister, use zip ties to hold your preferred pattern. Then, work towards the opposite end of the garland and space zip ties about 3-4″ apart. Choose a zip tie that will blend into the garland and cut off the ends.
Get the Look: Metal deer statues, ornaments and light starbursts are from Park Seven. Garland and Crystal Garland is from Always in Bloom.
A Festive Front Door
Styled by Terrie Moore
Setting a welcoming tone to all who visit during the holiday season, the front door serves as the first impression of decorations waiting inside. There are so many different ways to adorn the exterior of your home–beautifully styled wreaths, twinkling lights, yards of garland, an inflatable Santa…the list goes on. Sometimes, though, less really is more, and a striking impact is still achievable.
Work with the architecture and let it guide your decor design. By keeping the scene minimalistic, draped garland plays into this home’s beautiful symmetry and sleek, simple lines. With this pared-down approach, the fact you’ll only have a handful of items to take down and store once the holidays are over is a welcomed bonus.
Tip One: While real garland looks and smells beautiful, with the South Texas heat and unpredictable weather this time of year, using artificial garland and wreaths guarantees your greenery will look fresh all season long.
Tip Two: Go beyond the traditional trope of red and green. When it comes to selecting a color palette, let the hues of your home guide you. Anything goes!
Tip Three: For a perfectly framed door, place a nail on the far left, right and center parts of the door. Then, drape your garland over the nails and secure it by warping a pipe cleaner or florist tie around the garland and nail. Make sure to secure any added embellishments to your garland strands before hanging.
Get the Look: Find Garlands and wreaths locally at Decor Furniture, Gatherings, Bleu Frog Mercantile & Cottage Inspired.
A Fresh Take on Trees
Styled by Terrie Moore
A Christmas tree is typically the focal point of any home’s holiday decor. Although decorating the tree as a family can create meaningful memories, some years, you just might not feel up to digging through all those ornaments. Think outside the box and allow yourself permission to shake things up year to year.
Rather than the tedious task of decorating the entire tree, perhaps you solely focus on the topper by selecting a statement-making piece and, aside from lights, keep the rest of the tree bare. Another creative idea is to switch things up by creating a Christmas tree forest. Find a corner big enough to fit three to five smaller trees in varying sizes and textures and group them together.
Tip One: Holiday trees don’t need to represent the typical pine, spruce or fir. Find trees made of unconventional materials like punched tin trees, or get crafty and create a one-of-a-kind tree for yourself.
Tip Two: Layering the trees by height and width is key to creating a visual impact. Keep taller trees in the back and flanking the sides, short, wide trees layered in the center.
Tip Three: To make a cohesive scene, share materials throughout. Think tree toppers, tree skirts and significant accent pieces.
Get the Look: Punched tin trees are from La Casita de Barro. The artwork is from Karen Dellinger. Punched tin stars, Mother Mary statue and upholstered bench are from Pilar.
A Cozy Fireplace
Styled by Chic to Chic
Even with the absence of a snow-blanketed landscape, South Texans can still appreciate a cozy fireplace vignette. And what’s a fireplace come Christmas time without a garland or two and stockings hung with care? The options for decor items in this space are endless, and mixing colors, patterns and textures creates added visual intrigue. While you can take the decor in any direction, you’ll want to keep the style of the fireplace in mind. Take note of this before heading out to shop for new pieces. By utilizing oversized ornaments, decorative trees and a variety of garlands, this simple yet effective result contrasts nicely with the stone fireplace.
Tip One: To achieve a fuller look, layer a variety of garland styles around the fireplace and mantle. When utilizing an assortment of garlands, choose a variety of textures to add dimension to an otherwise flat appearance.
Tip Two: South Texas isn’t known for fireplace weather, so opt for decorative branches such as birch to add warmth and aid in creating an ambiance that stands out without having to start an actual fire.
Tip Three: Why let the tree have all the fun? Oversized ornaments placed around the fireplace can create colorful, visual wow moments.
Get the Look: Garland, ornaments, art and Christmas tree are from Chic to Chic Furniture.