Top Tips to Deck Out Your “Home for the Holidays”

Every year, you grab those same old boxes of holiday decorations from the attic, basement, or shed, and dump them on the floor. You dust them off and change a few bulbs. Then you dutifully place them in the same spot they always sit and count the days until you can reclaim your home and repack the boxes.

Is this you? It doesn’t have to be. Designing your home décor for the holidays can be a fun, enlightening experience than brings the family together and provides guests a pleasant surprise. And it doesn’t need to be difficult, either. We’ve partnered with Jessica Claudio of Claude Designs to help make your décor a bit easier this year by highlighting the top trends in holiday decorating. So easy, in fact — that you can see most of these on display at our Landing at Swift Creek Model Home that we have decked out for the season.

Branch Out with Magnolia Leaves

Magnolias, a quintessential symbol of southern charm and sophistication, have grown into a hot holiday trend over the past several years. Our Landing at Swift Creek Model Home’s neutral color scheme, combined with hints of outdoor elements, make the greenery an ideal choice to accent the home’s everyday décor.

Jessica’s take: Magnolias can be used anywhere in the home. At the Landing at Swift Creek, you’ll see magnolia was used everywhere — even in the tree! Just be sure to mix it up if you’re using it in various rooms of your home (e.g., add it with pine for the tree, or mix it with lights for an exterior look)

Free Yourself with Silver & Gold

Red and green may be the iconic Christmas colors, but they also make it tough to create matching holiday motifs that blend with your existing décor. And dare we say too much red and green can sometimes be… overwhelming. Consider neutral, silver, and gold. These colors give your home an opulent book — and no one will mistake it for a shopping mall’s version of the North Pole.

Jessica’s Take: One big benefit of using these colors with your holiday decorations is that it matches any décor you already have within your home. Classic Christmas colors can sometimes look out of place — especially if you have bright pops of color or coastal blues in your home’s color scheme.

Bring the Outdoors Indoors

You might already be bringing a tree inside this season, so why stop there? Pheasant feathers, horns, natural white cotton ornaments, and white wood ball ornaments give your home a rustic vibe that just feels right this time of year. You can even check your backyard for branches, holly, and pinecones to sprinkle throughout your home. At our Landing at Swift Creek Model Home, we’ve even used natural wood discs as chargers in our place setting, each with its own natural charm.

Jessica’s Take: Natural greenery and herbs make a great addition to individual place settings. Add a rustic touch by wrapping it in twine. At the Landing at Swift Creek, we added large cinnamon sticks wrapped in twine.

Make it Your Own

You’re not dressing up some anonymous winter wonderland for strangers. This is your home — and you’ll be welcoming family and friends. So own it! Spell out holiday words and phrases that have special meaning for you. Patronize your favorite local stores and designers, and proudly display their wares and one-of-a-kind works.

Jessica’s Take: Another plus to personalizing items to add to your holiday décor is that you get to select sizing and color that match your other decorations.

Do Something Unexpected

This is supposed to be fun, and there is no greater way to delight your guests than to add whimsical little touches into your décor. Incorporate old holiday cards from the friends and family who will walk through your hallways. Can you create (or commission) a Russian nesting doll where each wooden snowman and snowwoman looks a little like a member of the family? And wait, doesn’t that miniature home your toy train is passing by look an awfully lot like yours? Brilliant.

Jessica’s Take: Don’t forget the power of ribbon! Can’t find that perfect tree topper? Hand make a bow as your topper — not only do you get to have fun mixing and matching the ribbon to what you want, but you also get to add a touch of fun to what could otherwise be a traditional looking tree.

Whatever you do, be sure to create a holiday décor theme that you love and you’re comfortable with. After all, it should be more than a conversation starter; your decorations should be a reflection of your family’s lifestyle. To see how these trends come to life, visit our Landing at Swift Creek Model Home, which will be decorated for the Holidays until January 2^nd!