The phrase “Home for the Holidays” has taken on a new meaning this year. It’s our first Christmas season since Holden and I sold our house and my parents moved out of my childhood home. I’ve been struggling to get into the holiday spirit while adjusting to this new normal. It has also been such a whirlwind starting my own business, and decorating was the last thing on my mind. But we’re hosting a couple get togethers at the loft, including having my family over on Christmas day, so I wanted it to feel somewhat festive. These are my tips for minimalist holiday decorating and how to ring in the holidays without going full-on-Griswold.
It’s all in the details.
The holidays are more than just decoration. It’s the music you listen to, movies you’re watching, cookies you bake. Create a Spotify playlist with your favorite holiday jams. I pulled out my mom’s book of Christmas carols to play on the piano. iTunes recently had a great $10 sale on classic Christmas movies, and my all-time favorite “White Christmas” is available on Netflix.
Keep decorations simple and highlight meaningful items.
Since I’m allergic to real Christmas trees, we have a pre-lit artificial one. This slim pencil tree is perfect for apartments (and storing after the holiday season). I skipped the frills of ribbons and beads this year, filling the tree with basic gold round ornaments. Then I picked some of my favorite family heirloom ornaments as accents.
Invest in versatile neutral items that can be used after the holidays.
We incorporated red and green in our everyday decor, so it’s already a great base for the holidays. Plants (like my beloved fiddle leaf fig from CB2) can add a touch of green, too. There were only a couple items we bought as decorations this year, but we focused on gold, secular pieces we could leave out year-round.
Embrace the kitsch.
Find at least one item that is unapologetically Christmas-y and brings a smile to your face whenever you see it. Maybe it’s a replica of the infamous leg lamp from “A Christmas Story” or whatever resonates most to you. I’ve got my parents’ dancing Coca Cola Santa Clause who is placed strategically next to my record player so he can rock out accordingly.
My low-effort minimal holiday decor probably won’t win me any neighborhood awards, but when I walk into the loft, it feels a little more like home– a reminder that this is where my heart is.
