Our Christmas Living & Dining Room Tour

I’ve posted an annual holiday décor home tour on my blog for as long as I can remember, but I think this year’s might be the most “me” ever. There’s just something about the non-traditional color palette I ended up with and the subtly of everything that speaks to me so much right now, and I feel really “at home.” Keep scrolling for the full tour and story behind the accents I incorporated into the space, and don’t miss the resource links throughout in case something speaks to you as you decorate your own home for the holidays.

Resources: Faux pre-lit Christmas tree, assorted metallic ornaments, kraft paper gift wrap, vintage ceramic sleigh (similar), green sofa, area rug, faux wooden beams

I decided from the start that I didn’t want to go overboard (anyone else feeling mentally exhausted from 2021?!), and I stuck to that goal by peppering just a few holiday accents throughout our living and dining rooms. I used what we had to decorate these two spaces, with just a couple of exceptions—the pair of layered faux garlands I added over the door to our kitchen and the skinny faux Christmas trees I bought for our dining room buffet (which are, sadly, already out of stock at Target). Otherwise, I used pieces from our existing collection.

Resources: Wooden houses (similar), ceramic Christmas tree, wooden Christmas tree (similar), deer figurine (similar), floating shelves, amber curtain panels, floor lamp

I often get questions on social media wondering if I purchase all new Christmas decor from year to year, and the answer is definitely no! Our house isn’t nearly big enough (nor is our budget) to store multiple collections of holiday accents and trees, so I just use what we have. I like to treat myself to a couple of new pieces each year, but they’re always small. Our main pieces, like the big pre-lit tree and our ornaments, always stay the same.

One trick I like to use is this: I don’t use every single piece of our Christmas décor every year. Some years I’ll pull out all of our colorful, nostalgic childhood ornaments to create a more eclectic look on our tree, whereas other years I’ll pull out nothing but the round gold and silver ornaments to achieve a more uniform aesthetic. This year I did sort of a mix by incorporating the round gold and silver ornaments alongside our more neutral-colored childhood ornaments. By mixing things up and pulling just certain things from our collection each year, I’m able to get a different vibe without having to buy a whole new set of accents.

Resources: Faux evergreen garland, ornaments, string lights, painted wooden trees (another option), Frame TV, media cabinet, bead garland, woven stand

Point being, don’t feel like you have to use every single bit of your Christmas collection every year! I sometimes feel a little guilty about not finding a spot for the retro light-up Christmas tree that John’s parents handed down to us, or the big faux tabletop tree I invested in last year as my one “new” item, but I know it’ll be extra special when I do find spots of those things in future years. It makes everything feel brand new to me, and also more intentional. It’s not about obligation, it’s about intuition! Choose pieces from your collection that make you feel good in that moment, even if it doesn’t involve that set of ceramic houses you bought last year, or Grandma’s nativity set. There’s always next year for those…

Resources: faux garland, flameless candles (similar), tabletop Christmas trees (similar), cordless diffuser, area rug, record player (similar), pendant light

This year, I decided to keep things low key by focusing just on our dining room and living room. Our main pre-lit Christmas tree got set up in the living room, this year right in front of the windows (it looks so pretty from outside!), and I also restyled our floating bookshelves with a few favorites from our collection, like ceramic trees, wooden houses, a retro hand-me-down ceramic deer, and the “Merry Christmas Darling” cross-stitch my sister made for me that I framed. I placed a stack of Christmas books on our coffee table, and also topped our media cabinet with Christmas trees and a bead garland.

Speaking of garland, I also made sure to hang an evergreen version over the doorway to our kitchen where we’ll clip Christmas cards as they come in the mail. This has become a standing tradition every year, and it’s one of John’s favorites. This year he requested lights on the garland, so I found a battery-operated strand in our dining room cabinet to weave in and out of the garland to give it extra festive flair. More garland, and a couple of Christmasy accents on our dining room buffet finished things off perfectly!

I’ll be honest. A lot of times around mid-December I get really sick of Christmas décor. There’s just a feeling of excess that pushes my OCD over the edge, and I end up taking everything down as soon as the holiday is over (I tend to get more excited for the activities of Christmas rather than the décor!). That said, I don’t think I’ll be feeling that way about our holiday accents this year. Everything feels understated enough to bring me joy without making me feel overwhelmed. I guess my style is “minimalist Christmas” after all! How would you describe your holiday style at home?

P.S. My holiday home tour just went live over on YouTube! Click here if you’d like to take a virtual walk through our Christmasy living and dining rooms.

*I earn a small percentage from purchases made using the affiliate links above. Affiliate links are not sponsored. Rest assured that I never recommend products we wouldn’t use or don’t already love ourselves.