HOME TOUR

Welcome to our Christmas home tour part 1! This is me flinging wide my door and inviting you all in virtually for a cup of joy tea. I’m pretty sure touring homes is the most fun thing ever. So cozy on up and enjoy all these beautiful pictures by Ruth Eileen Photography and then stop by my friend’s tours for added inspiration.

I love fresh garland. I especially love fresh garland outside (drop away needles, drop away). So around our front door I twisted two kinds of pine together to make a fuller garland and we draped it around the door. This is an easy way to take those budget greens from Trader Joes or Costco and make them fuller and more impressive.

For the planters I added white birch logs and pretty greenery, finishing them with the blue juniper berry branches. All fresh and from ShrubBucket, an amazing site for fresh greens delivered straight to your door. Using clippings, I made this natural grapevine wreath for the front and side door. Simple and lovely. And the perfect way to start our holiday home tour.

THE ENTRY

When we finished the entry a couple months ago, all I could think of was getting a garland up on that pretty stairway. And she doesn’t disappoint.

Inside, especially on stairs, I prefer to use my faux garlands. I’ve amassed a collection over the years because the realistic ones are SO good now days and they’re pricey. So I pick them up a couple here and a couple there. By the time you’re ready to buy them or there is a good sale going on, they’re all sold out. It’s a first world problem but an annoying one at that. I have the cedar and a pine garlands, twisted around each other, both from Terrain and unfortunately sold out now. They’ve had the exact same ones several years in a row so come September, snag some up.

I used the neutral ivory velvet ribbon from Terrain to tie simple knots of ribbon on the garland. Here’s a similar velvet ribbon from Etsy to give you the look. It’s an easy way to add just a touch of softness to the pretty greens. Now keep in mind you need way more ribbon than you think. About a yard for each tie.

The entry console, by Winnoby, is simply decorated with a white berry wreath on the mirror and greens arranged in a ceramic pitcher. A sweet tiny Christmas tree is tucked away under the stairs and such a happy little surprise.

THE DINING ROOM

One gigantic work in progress, this room feels like it has been a work in progress since the day we moved in and had to deal with pink walls. It’s on my agenda for the new year. The room has all the makings of something really special and it isn’t that is isn’t lovely now.

It’s just that it’s missing something. We’ve added much to this room over the years–from wainscoting to the coffered ceiling, even twin chandeliers. It’s just not quite right in my mind and I’m trying to work up the courage to go with a bold wallpaper. I chose a pretty grey grasscloth years ago (playing it safe) and it was fine but friends, grasscloth fades and this one has taken on a purplish hue. Not my fav. The bones are great, the details are being worked out (hopefully soon!) And it to got its own wreaths (similar here) and a little Christmas tree to make it oh-so-lovely.

Some details I love in this room are the new end chairs and the blue rug from Serena & Lily. I’m on the hunt for a bench and new side chairs.

THE PLAYROOM

Oh the sweetness of Christmas in a little one’s eye. Our kiddos adore their playroom and getting it decked out for the holidays is a joy to my mommaheart.

From the bookshelves to the built-ins, there’s fun to be had in every corner. Front and center though is a darling, homemade advent calendar. My mother-in-law and I started this project last year. I picked out the fabric and she sewed the stockings from templates I drew. Matt and I built the frame and sewed the stockings on with pretty wooden ornaments numbering 1-24.

Using command hooks, I hung two wreaths on the playroom built-ins. I ended up replacing the fresh ones shown here for these ones I got off Amazon. The fresh version were dropping too many needles for my liking. I changed out the ribbon too for a pretty deep denim blue that we used for Kai’s puppy party.

When in doubt, string  felt Christmas lights on the bookshelves and replace the books for Christmas ones. Here are some of my favorite ones. The framed Merry Christmas is an easy Etsy printable by my good friend Little Lief Creative. She has the cutest prints of all time. I found the pine cone glitter wreath (which sounds like parent torture but the glitter doesn’t come off) at World Market. It looks adorable on the bookshelves and on the play kitchen. On Thursday I’ll be sharing part 2 of our Christmas Home Tour including the family room and kitchen. I hope you’ve enjoyed our Christmas Home Tour Part 1 and I’m bursting at the seams to show you the rest.