Heading into the thick of the holiday season, we’re always on the lookout for new ideas and inspiration to upgrade and enhance our holiday decor themes around the house.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with going the traditional route and hanging up a few wreaths and garlands to help us get into the holiday spirit. However, sometimes we find that pinpointing a specific design theme can be one of the best ways to encourage us to break out of our design shells and try something new and exciting.
That’s why this holiday season we’re encouraging you to join us in shaking things up and creating a more thematic holiday decor experience within your home. To give you a few ideas on what some of our favourite, most stylish holiday decor themes are, we’ve put together this tidy list below.
Rustic Farmhouse
There’s almost nothing more magical than spending the holidays tucked away in a whimsical old farmhouse deep in the countryside. While you might not be the proud owner of a country estate or heritage farmhouse, recreating that sense of spirit at home can still be achieved — even if you live in the middle of downtown Toronto.
The concept here is simple — think: cozy cabin in the woods, to help spark some creative inspiration. That means incorporating lots of natural materials like wood, leather, and metal, and preferably each with its own authentic patina.
If you’ve got a fireplace, then this holiday decor theme is perfect for stacking logs with rough, rustic edges next to yours. Snuggle up next to your crackling farmhouse fireplace with some cozy, thickly-knitted quilts and display large candles equidistantly around your living room to enhance the ambient low-lighting.
Of course, materials like straw and hay will also play very well with this theme. Whether you weave them into your holiday floral arrangements or you’re able to track down some straw placemats for the dining room table or a wheat wreath for your door, natural straw-like materials will beckon you back to simpler times this holiday season.
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Scandinavian Minimalist
Heading almost in the opposite direction of the rustic farmhouse holiday theme is the Scandinavian minimalist approach. One of our favourite design influences for any time of the year is the Scandinavian approach to minimalism, which emphasizes neutral colour palettes, serene negative space, and the simplistic design of objects.
While that might sound cold — especially for this chilly time of year — Scandinavians are actually among the most spirited when it comes to the holiday season, they just approach it with their own trademark stoicism.
The key here is to not overcomplicate things. Target a few objects in your home and make them the stars of the show. Whether it’s a Christmas tree, a Menorah, or even a simple wreath hung on your wall, set the stage for a few simple decorative objects to really shine.
As far as colour and materiality go, white walls and light woods such as beech, ash, and pine woods feature heavily throughout classic Scandinavian decor. Accent that base palette with little hints of silver, gold, red, and green in your ornaments, artwork, and accessories and things will start to feel noticeably festive.
If you keep things simple and focus on making just a handful of things as beautiful and striking as possible, you’ll be well on your way to living the perfect Scandinavian minimalist holiday decor theme.
Decorating a home is a lot like staging one for sale — it takes taste, skill, and know-how to transform a home into a welcoming space that evokes passion and excitement when staging. Whether you’re thinking about listing your home for sale soon or not, find out more about our unique philosophy on staging through our related pages here:
Italian-Inspired
Everyone knows Italy as being one of the most stylish countries in the world, no matter the medium. From food to fashion to design and decor, somehow the Italians have perfect pitch when it comes to just about all of the finer things in life.
Generally speaking, Italians are also quite spiritual and take their religious holidays quite seriously, with Christmas in particular one of the most meaningful events of the year. So why not pick up that theme and run with it, even if you’re not Italian yourself?
To transform your home into an Italian-themed getaway this holiday season, display some of their most traditional holiday foods and confectioneries around your kitchen — you’ll find a lot of Italian branding and packaging is very festive around this time of year. A Panettone is very traditional and often comes in highly decorative boxes that are beautiful to look at, and so do Baci — small hazelnut and chocolate candies wrapped in sparkling silver paper.
As for plants and floral items, you can intersperse iconic Italian olive branches into your accents and centrepieces quite easily, or even purchase an entire olive tree and decorate that with some simple-yet-festive ornaments. Chestnuts are also very festive this time of year too, so feel free to elegantly present them in dishes across various places around your home.
And of course, don’t limit the Italian holiday spirit just to your decorations — bring things into the kitchen and get the family involved ahead of your big family dinners just like a true Italian household would do.
On December 24th, it’s traditional for Italian families to have a seven-course seafood-based meal. If you’re up for the challenge, following suit this year could result in a fun, newfound family tradition for years to come.
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Winter White
If you’re like us, you’re someone who always hopes for a bit of snow over the holidays. It’s light, bright, sparkly, and gives off a particular sense of calm and tranquillity outdoors during what always ends up being a busy time of year.
If it’s not looking likely that you’ll be getting snow over the holidays this year, however, you can channel that same sense of peacefulness indoors by following the winter white holiday decor theme. Just like it sounds, this theme has a heavy emphasis on the colour white, alluding to the snow (or lack thereof) that should be floating around outside your windows this time of year.
This theme works best for homes that already feature a lot of white in their interiors — white walls, white cabinetry, white marble countertops, and perhaps even white flooring are all helpful for completing this theme. From there, white furniture pieces, artwork, and accessories are also ideal.
The secret to pulling off so much white inside your home — or any monotone colour scheme, for that matter — is to vary tones and textures. Look for subtle differences in white linens, paints colours, upholstery, dishware, marble accents, and more that play well with each other and will add visual interest and depth to your space.
White paper decorations should also be implemented, as well as accessories like white candles, table cloths, lights, and woods like birch, pine, and poplar. Incorporate cozy white throws and blankets onto your furniture too, if your pieces aren’t white already. And finally, make sure your Christmas tree (should you have one) is primarily loaded up with white, silver, and gold ornaments too.
If you’re looking for some more design and decor inspiration, we’re full of great ideas. Learn about the newest design trends in modern luxury homes, then find out where our favourite furniture and decor boutiques in Toronto are here:
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