Happy Holidays, everybody!
The holiday season can be overwhelming—but it doesn't have to be! This blog post is created to hopefully help you ease your stress and give you some tips to creating a stress-free & styled home just in time, since we only have 2 days until Christmas! So, grab a cup of coffee (or eggnog!) and learn some ways to creating a perfectly placed home to enjoy the holiday! Yes, you can spend less time stressing about styling your home, buying gifts and prepping your dinner menus and spending MORE time enjoying time with your family. Isn’t that what we want during the holidays anyway?
You have 2 days remaining until Christmas so I am here to give you my tips to create a warm and inviting home for the holidays without spending a ton of money or time.
With Christmas being at the end of this week, let's get to it! So where to begin? I'm glad you asked, let's begin at the place where guests and neighbors will see first. Ah yes! The front door is a wonderful way to make a first impression!
1. Decorate Your Front Door & Up Holiday Your Curb Appeal. Your front door is where it starts, so if this is the only space you have time to tackle, go on and get it done! The wreath is a good investment, making its presence felt year after year so get one that you love, made from fresh eucalyptus or one that is a DIY project!
Photo Credit: HGTV
This beautiful wreath is from Afloral and is faux. Buy it here.
2. Add a touch of GLITZ & GLAM. Now is the time of the year to add it if you haven't already! Glitter, glitz and all of the glam is what the holidays are about! There's never too much, so don't worry about really going for it. Adding various sizes, colors and shapes is the key. Find them at flea markets, Goodwill, your local antique stores, garage sales and shop throughout the year to create an assorted arrangement of colored glassware, mercury glass details, candleholders and cool accent pieces in an arrangement of varying heights for visual appeal. The more the merrier, people!
Photo: Jay Wilde, BH&G
3. Layer in Lighting with a strand of white or colored lights for instant holiday cheer! There are a ton of lighting options out there. Sconces flanking a piece of art, a picture light over a gallery wall, a floor lamp to a corner to create ambient lighting and amazing central lighting for a pop of style in the center of the room are all ways to bring a dynamic and dramatic style to a space. Natural lighting is best but make your space feel just as amazing with the addition of intentionally placed lighting!
Our bedroom has layered lighting with overhead, side table lamps and a floor lamp in the corner.
4. Make the Mantle a Focal Point! Now is the time to make your fireplace a visually stunning focal point to your living space. There is one time of year where your fireplace should be adorned with as much or as little stylings as you like, but make it a refreshed look with the addition of greenery, lights, candles and family trinkets that give you all the feels when you see it! Don't know where to begin?! Cozy vignettes on and around the fireplace during the holiday is the perfect place to create that warm, fuzzy feeling for guests and for you! Start with a piece of art, a mirror or a few family photographs to get the styling started. Add faux or real greenery/ garland to add warmth and a strand of lights. Add varying heights of candlesticks, ornate pieces of candles and glassware that creates more visual appeal.
Photo: Josh Young
Get some incredible styling tips to spruce up your fireplace situation here.
Style your mantle by adding an assortment of candlesticks, a cool collection of trinkets and lights and add garland (Real or Faux) for a warm addition to your mantle! Bringing in fresh flowers & greenery is a wonderful addition year round - shop your local supermarket floral department, Afloral.com has amazing faux flowers, too!)
5. Organize Away your Clutter & Chaos for a Calming Space
There's a direct correlation that maintaining a clean house is beneficial to your health. Read this study from the MayoClinic on how de-cluttering can grant you a better way of life. Reduce clutter and reduce your level of anxiety this holiday season. There are enough things to worry about, dealing with your "stuff" shouldn't be one of them! Add large baskets in a corner of your rooms for easy clean-up of blankets and toys through the holiday break that will keep your spaces clutter-free in a stylish and visually pleasing way. Set the timer and have your kids tackle the tasks after play time for a fun activity!
De-clutter for a space refresher that feels lighter, more airy and shows tidy and ready for the holidays. Divide & Conquer to get things in order in time for your house guests. Cleaning, adding organization and styling should be a FUN process that is both necessary and beneficial. Split tasks via chore chart to get the most tasks done in a tight timeframe.
Here are some baskets for storage ideas that I have used in past projects.
6. Add a Comforting & Calming Scent to create a sense of well-being and calm. Natural scents like eucalyptus, chamomile and geranium are a wonderful addition to a space.
Essential Oil Diffusers allow for an entire house to smell like one cohesive smell, making it feel more luxurious. No flame candles give the ambience without the open flame.
My favorite candles at the moment are below and will fill your home with an amazing scent!
Park Hill Collection: Tobacco Leaf Willow Candle (Sultry + Oh So Good!)
Goji Tarocco Orange by Voluspa (Rich + Floral)
Magnolia Bergamot by Red Leaf Home, found at Marshall's (oh so yummy!)
6. Involve all 5 Senses in your home- remember to include each of them for a full and complete experience. Think of each as you walk through your home, room by room, taking it all in, making a mental note of things to add, items that need refreshing or simple furniture rearrangements to create a more comfortable setting.
Here is a living room that we helped create that brought all of the senses together for a fresh and modern take that featured velvets, tons of color along with black shiplap and trim.
7. Prepare for your House Guests by thinking like a guest when it comes to ease and comfort! Anticipate what you need when checking into a hotel or AirBnB location and think of ways to create a memorable and comforting environment as soon as they arrive! Here's some ideas to think about prior to their arrival.
Make baked goods
Leave a handwritten note on a freshly made bed
Have fresh towels hung ready for use in a clean bathroom
Plan a movie night
Create a menu together
Have activities like printable coloring pages, a scavenger hunt or a board game ready for the kiddos!
BONUS: Style your House with Simple Items that- GET THIS...
SHOP what you already own! Truly, shop your drawers for decor you may have forgot about! Think outside of the decorative "holiday" box, using various textures, colors that can show as a holiday, such as burlap, cream, buffalo check and plaid. The Dollar Store has placemats that aren't half bad, along with Goodwill and other thrift stores that can always surprise you with their decor section and prices!
The BIG Takeaway: 'Tis the season to be merry. The stress of things that really don't matter in the grand scheme of things often times limits the amount of joy that we feel during this part of the year. This holiday, I hope that simply offering your home with a few intentional additions will make you feel more capable, secure and happy at hosting your friends and family. The holidays should be a time of gratitude, reflection and most of all, togetherness. Despite the past 18 months or so, we are able to collectively gather, vaccinated +boostered (hopefully), mindful of the state of the world and truly appreciate the time that we get to spend with each other.
Have a safe and Happy Holidays!
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