Confession: as much as I adore the Christmas season, I have been dragging my feet to put up decorations this year.
For a while now, I have been craving less, simple, clean, bright (hence the all-white walls). Putting out more stuff just felt crazy. Plus, last year we went all out preparing for the Better Homes + Gardens magazine shoot and I feel like I used up all my good decorating ideas!
We finally added ornaments to the tree this past weekend and put out just a few of our favorite christmas things for a very simply decorated house. It still feels light and clean (at least while the kids are at school!) with a touch of cozy and sparkle. Enjoy a small peek!
ENTRY
We’re taping holiday cards to the wall for all to enjoy. Felt ball garland is from West Elm (which they don’t sell anymore, but this wreath is pretty darling), the mirror is from IKEA for just $49.
DINING ROOM
As a girl, I danced in Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Nutcracker. My parents gave me a special Nutcracker each year and so I have a small collection. The kids love them and since we don’t have a ton of decorations out, I figured grouping them all in a tray was a fun way to display them. (Tray is from Target).
LIVING ROOM
The stag always looks so handsome with a wreath around his neck (this pom pom one I made. Here is the tutorial). The garland is fresh and nearly dried out, but it still looks pretty. We get cedar garland at Costco each year and you can’t beat the price. This one is actually doubled up because it is so long and it fills in a bit more.
The stockings are from West Elm (on sale for $9 each right now!) and I like to embellish them with tags or numbers or ribbon. The snowflakes are also from West Elm as is our tree skirt – which you can’t really see in photos, but it is the same white felt with pom pom balls all the way around.
The couch is always piled with favorite pillows. The fuzzy pillow is a steal at $21, Noel pillow is a few years old from Target, graphic pillow is from Target and the ticking pillows I made. That buffalo check wool throw just makes me happy (you can find them all over or try school house electric). Lamp is IKEA.
We live near a tree farm and cut ours down on Thanksgiving weekend. This one is so pretty!
You may remember my rug debate in the living room. The first light one just wasn’t right for the room, so we bought this linen sisal rug from Crate and Barrel and it’s just what we were hoping for.
Grocery store flowers made to look fancy by cutting them way down (here’s more on that).
I found these brass deer at a vintage sale last christmas. I’m very in to mixing metals.
KITCHEN
One of the best things about open shelves is the ability to style them differently each season. My basic dishes stay in the same spot, but I like to add in a few items that speak to the time of year. A few things to note: the lampshade is old from Target (it could be a super easy DIY with a plain lampshade, painters tape and black paint), the ipad mounted to the wall was Ryan’s genius idea (more details here), the striped bowls are from IKEA.
The chalkboard (a great diy) reminds us of what this season is all about.
Bottle brush trees are from West Elm, cake plate is available on Amazon.
BEDROOM
Just this past weekend I finished painting our room. It previously had a pretty deep teal/blue wall and gray elsewhere (see it here). But like I said, we are craving light! bright! white! so I painted the walls and ceiling the same white as the rest of the house (White Heron by Sherwin Williams).
And look! We put the white rug in here. It’s maybe not quite in the same style as the bed (no longer available from Restoration Hardware), but we’ll live.
The lamps are nearly 10 years old from Restoration Hardware, duvet is Crane & Canopy, coverlet is Target, gray sweater pillow was made by my mom out of my dad’s old sweater (I love it) and the baby it’s cold outside pillow is from Northernly. We’re working on our nightstand situation.
Thanks for visiting today! As always, if you have any questions on sources I missed, I’m happy to share. Just leave a comment and I’ll comment back.
xoxo.
PS. Here are my House Tours from season’s past:
Christmas 2010 (so long ago! So much red and green! But a sweet message)
I ordered the west elm stockings, thanks!! How do you hang yours?
I usually use those clear 3m wire hooks and attach them to the mantle. This year, though, they wouldn’t stick! Not sure if they changed the sticker formula, or if I just bought a bad batch … So I wired them to the garland :)
You have a lovely style! Something caught my eye on your piano photo. There is a little paper copy of a book of Christmas Carols. I have one just like it that is very old and from my grandfather who owned a bakery in SE Idaho. He gave them out in the early 50’s and they had his bakery advertised on them. May I ask where you got yours? I have never seen them anywhere else.
Thanks and Merry Christmas to you!
My friend gave me that copy of christmas carols! I’m not sure where she found it …
Love it all! Where did you get the numbers hanging on your stockings?
and the carpet in your room? :)
The glitter numbers are from Wendy Addison. They are german glass glitter that start shiny silver and age over time. I love them! The carpet is from Rugs USA.
Love it. I have definitely simplified the last few years and just haven’t pulled it together this year :) And I hear you… I started systematically going through my house about 3 years ago painting my walls with SW paint in white. I felt the need for space and fresh and simple, too. It has taken a lot of coatsof paint to cover some of those walls but I love it.
Love the Lucite tray! Went today and bought 2 to give as gifts adding a vinyl monogram to them. I might have to go back and get one for me! I put up less decor this year too.
I just found your blog and LOVE your gorgeous home! But I got a little giddy when I read you used to be in the PNW Ballet Nutcracker!! I used to go every year as a kid, and one year my brother was even recruited to play Fritz! I was SO jealous because I was the one in ballet class, not him! Ha. I always dreamed of being one of the reindeer, because they didn’t have to dance! (I wasn’t very good.) Anyway, I saw a Nutcracker production in Olympia last night, and the whole I was comparing it to my memories of the Edmonds version. Fun to read you were in it when it was on my mind! Glad to have found your blog!
Your house looks great! I love that you have greenery throughout your home. It looks so fresh – I bet it smells amazing! :-)
I especially love the last lines of your 2010 Christmas post. So easy to forget. I know as your blog has grown you’ve had to refocus a bit, but I would love to see more of those touches of truth.
Merry Christmas Emily!
I enjoyed seeing the progression in your decorating the past 5 years. The kitchen shelves this year are my fave, everything goes together nicely without looking cluttered, great job!
The brass deer are killing me, and everything else is so lovely, too. Every time you do a house post I get itchy to paint all my walls white. Wishing you a very merry Christmas!
Love your home, as always, it’s so beautiful and so well curated!
I honestly can’t imagine a better christmas decorations, absolutely love it!
Very satisfying to know someone else is miinimalizing this season! I put some decorations back in the box and am going for cream and red this year. A lot of white and cream with touches of green. I used to dance as well and one of my former students is a soloist with PNB!
Happy Holidays~
Sarah
http://www.theaccidentalartis.me
That sounds pretty!
WHERE do you keep all these pillows during the different seasons? you must have a HUGE storage closet dedicated to nothing but decorations. lucky!
I do have too many pillows :) They are all crammed into a closet in our bonus room.
lovely Christmas home. Will you ever post last years christmas home? I wasn’t able to find a copy of the magazine in the stores. I would love to see how you decorated your home.
Merry Christmas!!
I wish I had the photos! I have a few that I snapped before they came, so I’ll see if I can add those to a post.
Your bedroom is so smart for holidays, the good choices !
I love your house !
It looks very pretty! I did the same thing this year. I’m keeping it very simple with mostly greenery and a few pops of red with h&m pillow covers, a poinsettia planted in a white vintage soup urn etc. We moved in our new house in August and baby #5 is expected in 4 wks so I am all about simple this year!
I love the simplicity of your Christmas decorations. It’s like a breath of fresh, snowy air. I get so overwhelmed when I see blogs where every single space is stuffed and staged. Decor is more meaningful when it’s simple. Merry Christmas!
Where did you get that little gold tray on your coffee table? The one that you put the vase of flowers on top of? Thanks, and love the house decor!!
The gold try is from Target
I love seeing a peek into your home decorated for Christmas. Everything looks beautiful!
I love the simplicity of your Christmas decorations. It’s a breath of fresh air. I get so overwhelmed when I see blogs where every single space is decorated. This is perfect and just enough, which is the message of the season. Merry Christmas!
I really enjoy your home tours Emily! Thank you for being brave enough and for going to all the trouble to let others take a peak into your haven.
Would you list the source for the snowflake pillow? Snowflakes are my ‘Christmas thing’ – some people like snowmen, some like Santas, I like snowflakes ;) !
Soli Deo Gloria!
-Kyrie<
Kyrie December 16, 2015 at 1:46 pm #
Also love the vintage brass deer couple!!
-K<
The snowflake pillow was from Target last year.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE your simple, understated style! I did do the overt Christmas decorating in the past, now that I’m a wee bit older, I do appreciate simple, cozy-minimalist décor. Thank you for sharing!
Also love the vintage brass deer couple!!
-K<
I like all your Christmas house tours but this one is my favorite. The simplicity of it is just beautiful and totally right up my alley! (Though I’m with your kids on the red and green at Christmas time ;) the simple garland on the mantle with the stockings is just stunning and I did something similar with the washi tape and Christmas cards in the entry! So great!
Hi Emily! I’d love to know where you buy your wreaths? I’ve been on the hunt all season & apparently pretty + affordable doesn’t exist currently. Thanks!
I buy the boxwood wreaths at Trader Joe’s each year right after Thanksgiving. They go quickly!
Emily I love everything about your Christmas-ified home! Especially your tree! So sweet. FYI white felt ball garlands are available at Hellomaypole.com! Her felt balls are slightly larger and come in 4 ft garlands so you would have to string 2 together to get them just longer than yours (west elm said they were 6 feet). I just ordered some and I’m pumped especially after seeing how lovely yours looked above the mirror! Merry Christmas!
Hey Emily! I love the simple yet cozy neutral palette this year! How fun that you and I (and I’m sure millions of others) share the same affection for Target throw pillows. I have almost all of the same ones! I noticed a few boxwood wreaths among your decor. Where do you like to get them? Also, do you prefer dried or fake?
I buy the boxwood wreaths at Trader Joes right after thanksgiving. They are fresh and dry out after a few weeks, but still look pretty!
I am curious about the snowflake pillow that is in the chair in front of the fireplace. Do you know where it’s from?
And BTW I just love your style. For me, you are like Oprah – if you endorse it, I’m on board :)
Ah, Thanks Molly!
The snowflake pillow is from Target last year.
Beautifully simple, like usual.
I’ve been looking for a tree skirt and I love the white pom pom one you have and linked to. It’s hard to tell from the website but the white has felt pom poms all the way around? You can clearly see it on the red and white but the pic of the white it’s hard to tell, almost looks plain. I’m assuming yes, but want to double check. Thanks!
yes. white (slightly creamy) pom poms all the way around. It’s wonderful.
I think the rug looks great in the bedroom. I like how the lines play off the piping on the duvet. And of course, the house looks AMAZING! You are so talented!
Thank you Kim!
Those brass deer are so dang cute. Your home is so welcoming, hope you’re enjoying the Season.
They were a great find!