Well, I might be (literally) limping across the Christmas decorating finish line, but I’ve made it. I added things this year and left other things out, making decisions based on how I felt at any given moment. Sometimes I had a spurt of energy and was really excited about what I was doing and then other times I thought I might be finished. In the end, nothing in life hinges on Christmas decorations, so I did what felt fun and most important to me. While I do share my Christmas decorating online as a part of my job, I am woefully behind, weeks behind, for that to serve its intended purpose. I’m sure your decorating is done, so you probably don’t need to see mine to get ideas! But there isn’t a time limit on when ideas can be used or when inspiration will show up at just the right time.
So, this week, I’ll be sharing the main rooms in our home decorated for Christmas, starting with the living room. This year, I decided not to hang the stockings and I had to think longer about that decision than reasonable! I pinged the idea back and forth, wondering if not hanging stockings was somehow “wrong.” After years of living in our PA home with a mantle, it felt like I might be wasting a prime stocking-hanging opportunity on a mantle we designed and built ourselves. (You can read about that HERE.) I had a vision, though, for a full, swagged garland, and it felt like stockings would get in the way. So, I didn’t hang them and the world is still turning.
I twisted my favorite Norfolk Pine garland with seeded eucalyptus and that is now my favorite artificial greens combo. It looks very realistic and I love the color and textures. To me, it looks timeless and beautiful.
I added a couple of Norfolk Stems with a partial Eucalyptus garland over the portrait. I had to attached them to the hanging wire on the back to hold them (sort of) in place. It’s drooping a little bit on the left side, but I didn’t want to mess with it anymore. I like how the greens frame out the portrait, making it festive for the holidays and in January.
Once the greens were up, I played around with the mantle. Even though nothing used on the mantle is specific to Christmas, I tried to create something that “felt” like Christmas to me—books, brass, natural elements, collected antiques, and blue & white.
The vintage brass candle holder and round brass trinket box are both from My White Porch Shoppe. I bought the books at antique stores and markets over the years. The ginger jars are from HomeGoods.
And I added my brass “hearth cricket” I bought at the Lucketts Fall Market. It seemed appropriate to make him a feature since it’s a Dickens thing.
Our sofa isn’t typically so “pillowed-up”, but I gave it a fluff and added some pillows from another room for the pictures. If I have too many pillows, they just end up on the floor. Teenage boys and decorative pillows do not seem to understand each other.
sofa | olive green velvet pillow | curtain details | wall color | jute rug
My pointer painting above the sofa gets a little Norfolk sprig, too.
antique European stag antlers | wall sconces | pointer painting FrameTV download
The antique German wardrobe in the corner gets some garlands as well.
We set up the tree in the same corner this year as the two previous Christmases. I keep thinking about setting it up in front of the fireplace, but I enjoy seeing it from the kitchen, so we kept it here.
Tree skirt | crochet pom-pom garland | orange slice garland | Wallace Bells
You can see my decorating process for the garlands and lights HERE and I added my Wallace Bell collection, clip-on LED candles, and a few other ornaments. I kept it simple this year. I did add one big thing, though – a star. I haven’t had a topper for a couple of years because we have an 8′ tree with 8′ ceilings. I even have to bend the top branch over to make it fit. But, I decided I could nestle a star in the top branches, so I ordered THIS ONE when it was on sale. It’s perfect. I love that it lights up.
It’s ready for Christmas movies, games, and opening presents on Christmas morning…
You can find the Christmas Kitchen 2024 tour HERE.
23 Responses
Lovely and so glad you kept the tree where it can be seen from the kitchen — I love that view.
FWIW, I can’t help mentioning that I was taught by my mother to always burn the wick of display candles for a more welcoming, natural and finished home, and I’ve always lived by that. It truly does make a difference.
Yeah, I actually thought I should’ve burned the candles, but I was a little nervous about the artificial greens not too far above. I wish my LED candles fit in the holder, but I had to buy these little ones and still had to shave them down a bit.
Just burn the wick till it turns black, a few seconds, and blow it out. I was taught the same by my mum! In other words, no I burned wicks 😊
Exactly — blacken the wick all the way to where it reaches the candle and even slightly beyond if you like. Sometimes, depending on where I use them, I burn the wicks a little longer for drips down the candle before blowing them out. It creates the illusion that you burn them even if you’re not. (Also, once you start doing this, you start noticing candles with wicks that haven’t been burned!) Meantime, the candle holder is absolutely charming and compliments the cricket perfectly. Would
love to have both pieces!
Love that, never heard that before.
So cozy. It is enough to make it festive and not overdone. What is it with teenage boys and pillows? My youngest filed an official claim it was too much and I should have none. I sneaked in five pillows downstairs, and haven’t heard him. Yet.
Haha! My 70-year-old fiancé is the same way- a lot of these boys grow into men who don’t like decorative pillows! 😂
is your television in the living room?
Yes, it’s across from the sofa. I always crop it out of the photos.
Hope this isn’t too personal or weird but other than the pillow issue does your husband ever object to the amount of decorating you do? When my Fella and I moved to Az and combined homes 2019 I wasn’t prepared for the push back I got for having “too much stuff”.
I’ve really pared it down but I find myself being quite the minimalist with decorating🧐.
Oh, not at all. There are just a few areas where Jeff asks me not to decorate (his nightstand is one) and I respect that. He like my decorating style and knows it’s important to me, so he pretty much gives me free reign.
Just beautiful. So homey and cozy. Merry Christmas!
Can you please remind me where you got the natural fiber living room rug which is shown in the Christmas decoration photos? And what sort of fiber it is? Thank you.
It is a jute rug from Rugs USA and is linked under one of the photos.
Thank you!
Your post is very timely for me since your decorating for Christmas is always appropriate for all winter. Thank you.
l was waiting for the wallace silver bell collection to appear again this year. love them. love your personal style.
It’s beautiful, as always. You could still find a place for the stockings, maybe in the dining room or the kitchen hutch.
I love what you’ve done, especially the swag on the mantel! The greens on the portrait too, are just right for winter!
Cozy and festive is what I’d call your home!
Your mantle garland is so lovely and actually I think stockings would distract from the overall beauty of the garland! The great pillow war is something most all of us women fight with the male species in our households….lol! Also, just wondering if you kitties do much destruction to your tree since I spied one of them laying under it?
Everything is so lovely, Marion. I clicked on your favorite Norfolk Pine and it took me to Afloral with several garland options. Which one did you use? I’m determined to get this famous garland for next year, even if it’s in May!! So pretty, I must copy you.
I am so, even more, loving the “Oval Room Blue” walls and your living room wall color. …you know the feeling when your heart starts to race the instant you see something you love. If it had not been for Teresa’s post, I would have missed your cat (always a treat). My husband is not a fan of pillows either…declares it’s not practical. Lol! Did I miss the link to purchasing fabric or pillow cover in the green print that completes your living room sofa ensemble?
Merry Christmas Marian!!! 🙂 Everything looks so stunning, cozy, and inviting!! Thanks for sharing your home with us!!! I maybe missed this, but how do you actually hang the garland up? I have the same one I believe (from Afloral) and it’s quite heavy and hard to get to do anything besides lay flat on a table. Thanks so much for any advice or tips!