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While green garlands and red baubles will always be the timeless motifs of the holiday season, there may come a point when you want to switch it up a little. Maybe you want your interior decor to have a theme. Maybe you want something more cozy, or more festive, or more personalized to your family.
Here, we show you four different styles of holiday decorating that are beyond the usual red, green, and gold. They're fresh and deliberate, but still filled with that wonderful yuletide ambiance. You can easily copy any of these decor tips for your own home, or just use them as inspiration for your own style.
"Cabincore" is a recent term referring to that warm, cozy feeling of being in a log cabin or winter lodge. Think family gatherings around the fireplace, or cushy reading nooks with hot cocoa. To bring this ambiance into your home for Christmas, incorporate these decor elements:
A huge part of log cabins' coziness are their pine, cypress, or cedar interiors. While it's not easy to fill your house with these lovely materials, you can emulate the atmosphere with wooden decor, wood-stained furniture, and (our favorite) wood-like wall art. At Gear Den, we have affordable canvas prints that look just like real wood -- check them out!
Wall art pictured above: Personalized Rustic "Family Name" Premium Canvas
A fireplace is a central feature that not only warms the cabin but also gives it a nice glow. But even if your house doesn't have a working hearth, you can still achieve that rustic wintertime light by adding inexpensive lighting elements in your space. How about an industrial-chic pendant light over your dining table, or an antique-looking lamp on your sideboard?
If nothing else, just punctuate your space with candle centerpieces on a tray of forest finds like pinecones and pine cuttings! The charming DIY centerpiece above is by blogger Polly.
Speaking of pinecones, a lush woodland vibe is essential to cabin coziness. Bring in this lovely atmosphere through ornaments that you can forage outside (or make yourself). Pine branches, leaves, dried winter flowers, cute twigs, berries, eucalyptus sprigs... the list goes on! Use these natural materials to decorate your table setting, create your wreaths, complete your Christmas tree, and even accentuate your gift-wrapping.
Of course, it won't be a cozy cabin without warm blankets to snuggle in. Fill your holiday home with extra throw blankets and coverlets made of chunky knitted textiles, soft fleece, and woven plaid. Remember to keep them all within the same color palette for a cohesive look around your space.
Blanket pictured above: "Best Seat In The House - Move The Dog" Premium Fleece Blanket
Farmhouse style is a favorite of American homes because it's casual, practical, and homey. But just because it's "rustic" doesn't mean it's shabby. This season, be intentional in your farmhouse decorating. Focus on your gathering spaces such as your dining room and living room, adding sweet, nostalgic elements from Christmases of childhood past. Some examples:
Whether it's a garland of felt holiday shapes, or some salt-dough Christmas tree ornaments, you probably have a holiday craft or two that you can use as decor. These handicrafts are the epitome of farmhouse living: simple, charming, and made with love. If you have kids, let them join your crafting for some fun family quality time.
Wall art pictured above: "Joy, Love... Christmas" Premium Canvas
Farmhouse homes love wall signs -- and we bet you do, too! For the holidays, feature a special wall art that celebrates the togetherness of your loved ones. Hang it up over your dining room table for the perfect backdrop to your Christmas dinner. You can even add simple ornamentation around it such as a spruce garland.
Wall art pictured above: Personalized "Family Is Everything" Names On Background Premium Canvas
No need for pricey glass balls and brand-name ornaments when you can use the fabric skills that grandma taught you! You can decorate your Christmas tree with pretty bows, stitch up a lovely table runner, and even make a tree-topper angel out of lace doilies (the one above was crafted by Team SPO).
Vintage heirloom pieces complete the farmhouse vibe of your home. Check your attic or family boxes for holiday accents you can restore: maybe it's a Nativity scene, a nutcracker doll, tree ornaments, candy tins, or the like. If you have a few odd figurines, try putting them together to create a little Christmas village on your mantle or console.
Scandi style, sometimes referred to as Nordic style, is all about that calm winter coziness called hygge. It's the balance of clean and comfortable, minimal and personal. You'll see lots of bright whites and streamlined furniture, balanced with effortless cushions and light wood accents. For this interior style, start with a crisp color palette (white or neutral), then decorate with the following elements:
For a Christmas tree with a Nordic vibe, keep ornamentation minimal in terms of amount and color. In fact, some Scandi-inspired homes forgo the actual tree and just display an elegant tree silhouette table-topper or minimalistic mantel decor, like the ones above crafted by Lia Griffith.
Throw pillows and blankets are a staple in Scandinavian homes, especially as their winters call for extra layers of warmth. But besides function, these throws add to the aesthetic, too. Arrange a set of neutral-colored throw pillows on your couch, then stylishly drape a complementing throw blanket on one end of the seat. Effortless and elegant!
Blanket pictured above: Personalized "We Should Probably Cuddle" Premium Fleece Blanket
Whether it's a string of buntings over your fireplace, or a pendant star accent on your window, go for a hanging display in black, white, or both. If you like, pair it with a string of yellow fairy lights to make it more dimensional and interesting. No need for flashy garlands here!
Woven furniture like rattan or wicker chairs go beautifully with the clean, airy palette of Scandi interiors. If you want to decorate with woven items without committing to new furniture, we got one word for you: baskets! Use oversized baskets as accents beside your hearth, under the tree, at the foot of your bed, or elsewhere. Just use a few to keep your home minimal and spacious.
Wall art pictured above: Personalized Family "Home Sweet Home" Rustic Premium Canvas
Nothing spells winter warmth like a nice white shaggy rug. But don't worry, you don't need to spend $$$ on some new plush carpeting! Just one shaggy element is enough to make this look -- even if it's a small area rug, chair coverlet, or pillow. Make sure your shaggy textile is visible in the overall look!
If Christmas is a holiday for all ages, then it's great to decorate with child-like wonder! For this interior style, think of anything magical about Christmas: Santa, presents, reindeer, snowmen, golden bells, and of course, sparkling lights. You (and your child) can probably think of many ways to decorate this way, but here are our must-have magical holiday decor pieces:
The image of a deer signals innocence and woodland whimsy, that's why it's perfect for child-friendly holiday decor. Incorporate this motif in your tree ornaments, garlands, centerpieces, mantel decor, and more. And if you're baking cookies, make some in reindeer shapes for a delightful dinner display!
The "elf on the shelf" is a modern tradition where a 'scout elf' stays in your home to see if the children have been naughty or nice. It's like Santa monitoring, but in a cute, playful way! Place a colorful elf figurine or elf artwork somewhere your kids 'wouldn't' find it (wink!). It'll be a fun discovery for them when they do.
Wall art pictured above: "Buddy The Elf" Premium Christmas Canvas
Nothing like some pretty snowflakes to turn your home into a winter wonderland! Sprinkle some snowflake ornaments on your tree and some on your wall, too. If you want to make it more kid-oriented, add a snowman figure in there! Bonus tip: to make your snowflakes really visible, display them against a darker, solid background, like in the artwork above.
Wall art pictured above: "There's Snowplace Like Home" Premium Christmas Canvas
A wholesome, glowing Christmas village diorama is perhaps the most wondrous decor for kids and kids-at-heart. You can buy a whole set or assemble your own using various figurines and toys. Or, if you have some time and energy, you can make your own Christmas village display! The one above was cut completely from paper by The DIY Mommy.
So which one of these Christmas styles appeal to you most? Tell us in a comment!
Or, if you're leaning more towards the "quick and easy" decorating style, we got you! Check our blog post on quick, easy, and affordable holiday decor.
From all of us here at Gear Den, happy holidays to you and yours!
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Film sets are a fantastic source of interior design inspiration. Here are standout film sets from the last decade and corresponding decor tips we can use in our own homes. Don't worry, we've picked just affordable, doable design ideas!
