Right at the corner of Halloween and November 1st, I start daydreaming of Christmas. Yes, I am one of those. Cue some old holiday jazz, pour the mulled red wine and enjoy this sleigh ride down memory lane — aka, to last Christmas’ decor!
I’m a classic-without-being-formal, nostalgic-without-being-theme-y, beautiful-without-becoming-precious kind of person. I like a warm, collected, family Christmas, but I make traditional Christmas mine.
Deep reds, burgundy velvet, evergreen, brass, candlelight, tartan and stripes, bows, nutcrackers, natural greenery — it’s all part of my decor, so there is definitely a classic foundation. But then I layer in some fun and whimsy: handmade touches like orange garlands for my kitchen tree, piles of holiday books & movies near the fireplace for my son to enjoy, oversized velvet bows and stockings adorning my living room, a puzzle and Charlie Brown Christmas Family Bingo at our breakfast nook table, and an overall sense of childhood magic woven through it all.
Just like any other seasonal decor, I like my Christmas to have soul — to feel accumulated over time rather than purchased as one “collection.” And that, to me, is classic.
And I don’t keep Christmas to just one or two rooms. I like little whispers of it throughout the entire house — never so much that it feels like Christmas exploded everywhere, but enough that you can feel a little magic wherever you wander. Bowls filled with fresh citrus and pomegranates, warm seasonal sheets on our beds, wreaths hung on doors… My son’s room gets its own kind of magic, with his tree covered in the childhood ornaments he’s collected over the years (some from my own childhood!), a few snowballs and his beloved nutcrackers.
I think we had nine trees in the house last Christmas — three decorated and six little frosted ones scattered here and there — which sounds decidedly not like a whisper when I say it out loud. But somehow, it is.
I love that every year the house smells like warm sugar cookies and feels like a cozy evening by the fireplace. It tastes like Campari or an espresso martini, sounds like soulful holiday jazz in the background while Home Alone is playing (again!), and looks like an invitation to hang around a little longer.
I want us to enjoy Christmas, to actually feel merry & bright. Nothing too precious or perfectly coordinated; just warm, welcoming and full of a little childhood magic.
…And who knows what layers I’ll be adding to my decor this season! I’ve been secretly collecting little treasures all year and hiding them away in my Martha Room until it’s time to bring them out! Hush, don’t tell my hubs…
IN THIS POST
