Holiday House 2025
The Christmas countdown is on and it seems like yesterday that I was planning my Thanksgiving menu! I think because Thanksgiving was late this year, everything seemed more rushed! However, I rallied and even though it feels like I’m sliding in at the last minute, I think I’m almost finished with the exception of a grocery store run and a few more packages to wrap. Baldy’s 60th birthday is on December 28 and we’re having a party for him on the 27th, so the madness will be extended just a bit this year! I know it will all be so much fun (and very chaotic) because the whole family will be here!
Today’s post is my annual Christmas decor post! I tried to mix things up this year, so there are a few new additions and some things are the same as last year. I honestly didn’t have time to do two trees, but I’m determined to start earlier next year because I do love a little pencil tree in our sunroom.
The biggest thing I did differently this year was to purchase an artificial tree from Balsam Hill. I got a 9 foot flip tree and love it! It was so easy to put together (I did it myself) and no one would know that it wasn’t a real tree unless they touched it. It’s so pretty and I haven’t turned it off since it went up beforeThanksgiving! I have no earthly idea where I’m going to store it, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it! The only thing I don’t love about the tree is that it’s rough on the hands when trying to decorate it. It comes with gloves but I couldn’t decorate wearing both gloves so I wore one and alternated. It took a little longer to decorate this year than it probably will next year because of the time it took to fluff every branch. All in all, I would say I’m totally sold on an artificial tree and I’m so happy we got it! I hid a holiday scented diffuser in the room so it would still smell like Christmas!
I haven’t ever done a themed tree although I think they’re beautiful…I always use the same ornaments on our tree because we’ve been collecting them since the girls were little and I just love pulling out the ornaments and the memories that come with each one! It’s something I look forward to every year! This year, I did add tinsel to the tree for the first time and it made the whole tree sparkle even more! I did think about the clean up as I was adding the tinsel, but it’s just so pretty!
FOYER
I hung a gorgeous wreath with gold magnolia leaves (similar here) and ;ine cones on the mirror in the foyer and just love the way it looks. It’s an artificial wreath but looks so real. Another thing to store…I may have to get a storage unit for the Christmas decorations…wouldn’t that be crazy but I’m honestly worried about it!
LIVING ROOM
Our home is what I like to call traditional with a twist. It’s filled with traditional furniture, but I like to add light fixtures, fabric and accessories that feel more modern…like the little lucite table in the picture above. I think it makes things more interesting and a bit unexpected.
I started collecting Murano glass bowls (Etsy has a great selection) about two years ago and love to add them in everywhere! In my opinion, you can never have too many because they add a touch of color and interest where ever you place one! You can see one on top of a stack of books (this one is very similar) on the left and a very interesting red and white one (similar here) on the right.
For the first time ever, I added a wreath to the mirrored screen pictured above. I was a little worried about the weight of the wreath hanging there, but so far so good and it’s so pretty! I also have another French glass bowl holding Christmas cards on the side table by the sofa…I am not a minimalist by any stretch!
Can you spot Archie running by in the picture? Both of our dogs stay under my feet when I’m home…they are my constant companions and I love it!
My friend Kim surprised me with this gorgeous Christmas cloche pictured above. She made it for me and it’s perfect on the table in front of the sofa! She’s so talented and it’s such a special gift that I’ll treasure forever!
A Murano glass vase is the main attraction on the demilune table above. It’s one of my most treasured pieces and I’ve surrounded it with huge mercury glass acorn ornaments and assorted Christmas trees. The little tree in the front is filled with lamp oil and looks like a candle when it’s lit.
DINING ROOM
Several years ago, I bought the huge and very beautiful peacock on the chest above. When we were in New York at Bergdorf Goodman this year, they had a large peacock on display on a dining table and I knew I would figure out a way to use mine when we got home! One reason I love to travel is that I find so much decor inspiration! Any hoo, I had arranged amaryllis bulbs in my silver punch bowl before we left and played around with the punch bowl and peacock until I came up with this. The greenery is a bit of fresh roping that fit just perfectly! I added gold fabric underneath the greenery to protect the chest and gold pears and acorns for a bit more sparkle!
The little tree on the table above is vintage and I love how much sparkle it adds to the dining room because it’s so dark in that corner.
As I was perusing Instagram one day, I saw some gorgeous arrangements and had them replicated! I decided to add red ranunculus and winterberry holly and they couldn’t be any prettier. These arrangements should last through Baldy’s birthday although I might have to replace some of the ranunculus. My daughter is hosting Christmas Eve this year so I don’t have to worry about setting the table and these make such a beautiful statement! We’ll all have breakfast in the breakfast room on Christmas morning. I never would have used arrangements this large if I were serving a meal in this room!
PARLOR
Our parlor is probably my favorite winter room. It’s cozy and intimate with only four chairs that surround a large coffee table! The coffee table is piled with my favorite coffee table books and I love to turn on the fire and sit with a glass of wine. It’s also a perfect place to sit with friends and visit. I wish I could say that I’ve had lots of time to do these things, but I suppose that’s what January is for!
This year, the mantle looks a bit different. I wanted it to feel whimsical and I think it does. I always add artificial gold branches and flowers to the vases on either side and that anchors the mantle. I love how there are so many things to look at like the new little pearl Christmas trees I ordered from Terrain and a few special ornaments. I also added votive candles that sparkle at night and give the room a nice glow!
I’m constantly changing things in our home because I look at it like a living thing and don’t want it to ever feel static or boring. I’m sure when the Christmas decorations go down, I’ll change things up again!
The stockings were hung! We now have 13 stockings to hang so it’s a good thing there are three fireplaces!
Last year, I filled this huge acid yellow glass bowl with ornaments and it was one of my favorite things! It will be a tradition that I bring back every year!
I stay true to the pink and orange color theme in this room…it really is one of my favorite color combinations! Adding coffee table books in colors that match your room is a good way to add color and interest! I recently added the pink Ibiza Bohemia book but haven’t had time to pour over it yet…January!
BREAKFAST ROOM
Can you ever really have too many bowls filled with ornaments at Christmas time? This large green bowl is on the glass table in the breakfast room.
For many years, I’ve hung ornaments from this large chandelier, but this year I wanted to do something different. I (very carefully) added pine roping and then tied purple wired velvet ribbon. I love how it turned out…we’ll see what next year brings!
The sideboard decor was inspired by a combination of pictures from Pinterest. I lined a large oval silver platter with moss and nestled in waxed amaryllis bulbs (they are taking their time to bloom). It was pretty with just the bulbs, but a little ribbon and some pinecones made it even prettier. I surrounded the tray with a gold champagne bucket (for Mimosas), champagne flutes, candles (here and here) and a large mercury glass Christmas tree.
I’m love our front porch! It’s a deep porch and gets used so often in the spring, summer and fall…but I’ll have to confess that I’m not a fan of the broken tile and we’re looking into changing it to slate this year. I’ve done everything I could think of to make it look better, but nothing seems to make me happy. I do love the huge terra cotta planters that were added in the spring and…we finally got a new front door that made the biggest difference in the look of the front of the house! After 21 years of living in this house, we still have things to do!
The gorgeous magnolia wreath is from Weston Farm and I absolutely love it along with the pink and orange ribbon! Next year, I’ve decided that I’m also ordering the magnolia garland to go around the front door! This year, I added a garland of olive leaves to the traditional Christmas garland to make it thicker…it’s really so pretty and has stayed green! I’m planning to leave the greenery without the ribbon into January this year! All of my new ideas are going into a notebook for next year so I don’t forget about them and can get started early!
I had an extra wreath and it was the perfect size to hold this pretty globe candle holder. I light it when we have people coming so it’s the first thing they’re greeted with!
GAZEBO
And last but not least, we added a pretty garland with lights around the gazebo this year. We’ve done a lot of work in the courtyard recently but I’m keeping that a secret for now and plan to do a blog post this spring. It’s looking so good and I can’t wait to share!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post! I’m off to finish wrapping the presents and do one last trip (hopefully) to the grocery store!
Thanks so much for reading today@
~XOXO Suzanne