Welcome to our NATURAL, RELAXED & COZY CHRISTMAS HOME TOUR! Each year, I open up our home and take you through our main living areas all dressed for the holidays. Some pieces stay the same, others shift slightly, and many are simply re-imagined to keep things interesting for us – and hopefully to inspire you in your own cozy Christmas decorating ideas.
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THIS YEAR, I leaned fully into a COZY NATURE-INSPIRED LOOK filled with:
- layers of greenery – both fresh and faux
- cozy textures and natural elements
- relaxed velvet ribbons in brown, deep red, and moody grey-brown
- handmade details that feel cozy, lived-in, and approachable
And as always, I’ve RE-PURPOSED EXISTING DECOR where possible. Sometimes all it takes is moving something to a new spot, swapping in seasonal greenery, or adding a velvet ribbon in the perfect shade.
Alrighty friends…WELCOME TO OUR HOME!
NATURAL CHRISTMAS HOME TOUR
Our Foyer
Upon opening our front door, you walk directly into our foyer, a small space that always packs a surprising amount of charm once the holidays arrive.
As I shared in my recent Christmas foyer – a much more detailed tour – the first thing you see is this SEATING NOOK: a spindle-back bench beneath a gallery wall with a muted tartan-style red throw (similar throw HERE) that instantly signals “holiday” without shouting it. It’s cozy, classic, and has just the right amount of colour.
Next to the bench hangs a lush swag tied with rich brown velvet ribbon – simple, elegant, and full of movement.
Directly opposite the bench is our buffet table. I kept the styling easy and natural:
- a bowl of moss-covered pinecones
- a ceramic pitcher filled with droopy faux greenery
- and leaning against the wall, our mirror is dressed with a lush wreath (hung using a suction cup) tied off with brown velvet ribbon
In person, these moody greens and browns give the foyer a grounded, organic feel.
At the back end of the foyer is another swag, again tied with brown velvet ribbon. A lovely backdrop to the space.
But the piece de resistance – and truly the moment that “ushers you in” – is this pair of cedar garlands that I hung across the threshold.
I used six clear Command strips to anchor them securely, and tucked in a sprinkle of faux berries, and finished with (yet another!) single brown velvet bow in the center. Natural, architectural, and beautifully festive without being fussy.
Through this greenery-framed entrance, you enter…
Our Living Room
The great room opens immediately into the living area, and one of the first things your eye lands on is…the CHRISTMAS TREE.
This year’s tree is dressed in the deepest, coziest reds, cinnamon golds, and earth-tones, with lots of:
- thin velvet ribbons in deep red and dark grey-browns
- real pinecones, tucked in all throughout
- mini faux mum stems, repurposed from my fall decor
Instead of a traditional tree skirt, I used a dark grey faux-fur throw (find similar ones HERE) that complements the grey-black ornaments and adds a soft grounding base.
No tree topper this year. None felt right to me in terms of size or style. And, honestly, the tree somehow feels more relaxed without one this year.
I continued the natural-holiday theme on our coffee table with:
- taper candles placed in these green, translucent holders (similar ones here) tied with tiny red ribbons (similar to this one)
- a greenery arrangement featuring faux cypress stems (like these), magnolia leaves (like these), muted berries (like these) and real pinecones
- a pair of harmony bells, nestled next to faux greenery and pinecones, adding a bit of charm and sparkle
Near the coffee table is a pair of armchairs and a side table decorated with a holiday bowl centerpiece. Ornaments and greenery were added to an existing fall centerpiece (with oversized pinecones – like these) – tying everything into the rest of the room. Easy, effortless, and festive.
Just off to the side and next to our TV is this green stoneware vase filled with dogwood clippings I collected a few years ago and reuse every holiday season. Their delicate, architectural quality adds so much height and interest without blocking the vintage art behind them.
To finish things off, I tied this red velvet ribbon around the neck of the vase for a touch of elegance.
Above the TV, I hung a faux wreath we’ve had for several years – a classic that aged well. Below, on the media cabinet is a garland I filled with real pinecones and dried orange slices, just as I did last year – because if it works, it works.
At the back end of our living room I’ve hung a trio of handmade crescent wreaths (the tutorial can be found here) – beautifully backlit by a long row of windows.
Each wreath uses:
- three types of greenery
- dried bits from shrubs from our front yard
- and a rich brown velvet ribbon tied to the right for an asymmetrical, relaxed look
They’re perfectly imperfect: not circular, slightly droopy, and full of character!
Above the windows, I draped real-touch garlands (purchased here in Canada – they sell out fast! – but you can find similar ones at Afloral in the US and on Etsy).
This year, I decided to wrap them loosely with two ribbons: a thick wired green (like these) and a thin deep-red velvet (like these). Unfussy and elegant.
It wouldn’t feel as warm and cozy in our living room without adding more throw blankets in the existing mix! Whether it’s a nubbly throw (similar to these) along the window-seat sofa (which my cats have now claimed permanently!) or a new faux-fur throw on the ivory sofa (a grocery store find – similar to these), it all adds to the overall warmth of this space.
Alongside the added throw blankets are the usual neutral pillows I keep year-round (pillow covers shown: light brown linen, matt black linen) and this geometric beauty (no longer available 🙁 but the quality of textiles at this shop is SO good that it’s worth checking them out).
I tend to avoid holiday-specific pillows since they take up storage space and I prefer decor that works beyond the season.
Our Dining Nook & Kitchen
Directly behind our seating area sits the dining table and buffet.
This year, I finally tried something I’ve wanted to do for ages — an Advent-inspired wreath centerpiece.
I used items I already had on hand:
- a round tray
- two types of garland (this real-touch garland ) + a berry-accented craft-store garland (similar to this one and this one)
- our mismatched brass candlesticks
- deep red beeswax candles (like these or if you like rolled red beeswax tapers…)
And voila!
To elongate the centerpiece, I tied two thin red ribbons (similar to this one and this one) loosely at the ends. No bows. Just relaxed, trailing ribbon. I love how unfussy it feels.
Above the table, I tucked extra cedar clippings leftover from my diy crescent wreaths. Simple, natural, and softly encircled.
Behind our dining table, I always like to play around with adding greenery and other festive touches into the existing display on our buffet table.
“Spilling” over on the left side is this little ornament-heavy vignette which happened quite by accident – and it’s turned into my personal favourite spot this year.
I wanted a hit of red without buying anything new. I began by adding some red ornaments into the bowl, then added a few more around it…then a few more, which turned into this “spilled ornament” effect. Fun and a bit whimsical 🙂
Above the buffet, I attached a faux wreath to the mirror using a suction cup (the same method I used in the foyer). Draped over top is another garland (similar here and here) and hung using 3 large Command Hooks. The garland is loosely wrapped by red ribbons and tied off with a 2-inch wired red ribbon on the right for some intentional asymmetry.
This was a fun area to experiment with this season full of nature-inspired elements with a burst of colour and energy sprinkled throughout. A little more ‘extra’ than usual for this area, but I had fun in the process 🙂
Next to the dining room is our kitchen where I kept things pretty simple. Just two small handmade wreaths (greenery attached to embroidery hoops!) hung with brown satin ribbon (similar to this one). A tea towel with red and green ties the palette together. That’s all it needed.
Right off the kitchen is a console and gallery wall moment which also got a light festive touch:
- a vase filled with faux greenery
- a bowl with sparkly ornaments
- red beeswax tapers (like these) in black cast iron candle holders (like these)
- and a lightweight garland I shaped into a wreath (very similar to this one and this one), hung directly over a framed print with a small Command hook
Minimal, natural, and just enough.
THAT’S A WRAP! 🎁
That’s a wrap on our Natural Christmas Home Tour: A Relaxed, Organic Holiday Home Filled with Greenery.
I hope you found ideas to try in your own home – whether it’s reusing old decor in new ways, layering natural greenery, embracing organic shapes, or simply tying a velvet ribbon in your favourite shade.
Wishing you the warmest, coziest, holiday season (and, happy decorating!).
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