Since a lot of us are prepping for Thanksgiving, we thought we’d write an easy post that’s here to help once the leftovers are securely in the refrigerator. If you use Black Friday weekend to buy all of your holiday gifts but still need some suggestions on what those gifts should be, just below are all of the gift guides we’ve posted so far. Easy peasy. We truly work so hard on them and the recommendations are wholeheartedly endorsed.
HOWEVER, we also wanted to give you a little Christmas decorating inspo since we know that decorating will be starting big time this weekend. This way you can get inspired and even more prepared. So check out the gift guides first and then head to all of the inspiration we’ve pulled together!
Emily’s Guide | Brian’s Guide
Emily really wanted to hone in on gifts that most anyone would LOVE to receive. Most are her tried and trues but she added in a good amount that’s new and exciting:)
Brian’s Guide is definitely giving you a ton of great ideas that are perfect for the cool dad/modern casual man in your life. I actually got these sweatpants for my dad from Brian’s gift guide last year and he asked for a link to get more. THE BIGGEST WIN! Basically, trust Brian’s recs.
Boomer Mom Guide
Suz (Emily’s MIL for those who don’t know) did it again with a list of amazing gift ideas for the Boomer gal in your life. She and her friends all contributed so don’t go for the standard gift again this year. Get her something that’s exciting for her!
Kid’s Gift Guide | Gen Z/Teen Gift Guide
Emily really took the time to talk with her kids and go through all of their favorite toys over the years. The last thing we all want are toys that are headed for a landfill in under a year. This will hopefully help avoid that possibility. She also goes over what she’s planning to buy them this year too! I think that’s always fun to see.
Since Em’s kids aren’t teens yet and there is a lack of them in our lives in general, we took to Instagram and asked you what they wanted. The answers were awesome, funny, and SO helpful. If you have a teen in your life please go check out this very thorough and comprehensive gift guide.
Ok, enough with gifts and onto decorating!
Color Palette Ideas
While there is the traditional color palette, we believe you can do whatever you want! It’s your Christmas, decorate how you see fit:)
Classic Reds
It makes the most sense to start with a classic palette and move our way to the least (?) traditional. Red is kinda THE Christmas color and Em has used it in a few different ways.
Last year she went red and green but in a sweet vintage style. The tone and patterns you use for your colors are very important. For the farmhouse, Em used vintage soft red quilts and forest green on knitted pillows and plaid fabric-wrapped presents. The colors weren’t light but they weren’t highly bold and saturated. Then in 2018, Emily decorated the Portland project for Christmas but went “luxe refined traditional”. The reds looked ruby, the greens were dark and in nice materials, and black was a major accent color. Both spaces are red and green but due to color tone (and home style), they look and feel different.
Red was also a big player in the Mountain House family room and LA living room years back. But in these spaces, Emily used dark blue as a third accent color (very EHD of her:)). It made sense given the room’s already established decor.
But sometimes red can be used as more of an accent color rather than the star of the show like in the Mountain house’s living room a few years ago. Cream and light wood tones were the main characters and it was a Scandinavian dream:)
Baby Blues
Ok, maybe red really isn’t your thing. That’s ok! Are cool tones more of your style? Lean into blues, rose golds, and whites. So pretty and very wintery!
Very Berry
Maybe you still want warm tones but it’s just that traditional red that isn’t your style. Try a berry! This was my last apartment and I loved using that deep juicy color. Plus I added some navy and gold to match the decor of the space. Such a fun year!
Ochre And Green Gathering
Arlyn leaned much more into the ochre, gold, and green vibe. So chic and unexpected while still having a classic feel.
Soft Blush And Cream
This is where things get crazy! Blushes and mauves?! It may not be traditional but it is BEAUTIFUL. I love this soft, warm vibe. The key here is to use a lot of textiles to make it feel real cozy.
FUN Metallics
And this is where things get really fun. Why not have have much sparkle as possible?! Use hot pinks with bright whites or softer pinks with silver or truly go for the gold! That tree Orlando has was INCREDIBLE. I saw a similar one at Downtown Modernism this year and almost thought about snagging it because it was so awesome in person.
Stockings
Mantel Mania (But Simple)
Nothing too crazy here in terms of inspo but what I love is that all of these are fairly simple to achieve yet they make a statement. I love Arlyn’s mismatched stockings all on one side with mismatched stocking holders. Brady is the master at simple and chic and that is exactly what that extra-long garland over the fireplace is. Pair it with two neutral, matching stockings and you are set. Then finally on the far right, Ginny separated her stockings making the wood chip garland the center of attention.
Sara however, used her long mantel to create more of an elaborate scene! She mixed faux garland, bottle brush trees, house figurines with matching stocking holders, and a little Christmas car. Oh, and she also went for a slightly mismatched stocking look. It’s so cute and adds so much ambiance to the whole room!
No Mantel, No Problem
But not all of us have a mantel so you might need to improvise. No problem! Do you have a shelf? See how cute both of these photos are? Both living rooms had fireplaces but they didn’t have mantels. Using neighboring shelves is a great alternative. Or any shelves will do!
But maybe you don’t have any shelves. Also not a problem. Hang them from a console, a dresser, or even a bedframe if you live in a studio or just like the look:)
This hack is really great if you don’t have a mantel. Just wrap some presents (make sure they are weighted) then stack them high enough to throw some stocking holders and stockings on. DONE!
Vignettes
Now what Christmas home would be complete without a little vignette or two (or at least a little extra razzle dazzle)??
Happy Entry
If you have an entry bench and or cabinet, it’s nice to add a little holiday cheer to the first thing you and your guests see when they walk into the door. Pillows, some garland (ideally fabric or faux since they make less of a mess), or some sweet pictures from old Christmases. Holiday figurines are always a good idea as well.
Festive Surfaces
See? Whether the figurines are snowmen, bottle brush trees, little houses, or reindeer, just pair them in groups of two or three in different sizes, and add some garland (real or fake it doesn’t matter here!).
Greenery Accents
A little greenery will go a long way. I love real cedar that you can get from places like Trader Joe’s. It’s delicate enough to put on shelves or even picture frames for some Christmas visual drama:)
House Party
But the real MVP of Christmas vignettes are little houses. You don’t have to create a whole little village but a few scattered around in little duos or trios (especially if they light up) will add the sweetest Christmas feeling to your home. Take these two examples above as proof and feel free to copy them:)
Hope this was fun and helpful! See you Friday for our annual Black Friday Sale round-up post and then a VERY special reveal on Saturday:)
Love you, mean it.
Opening Photo Credit: Photo by Kaitlin Green
