Modern Minimalist Holiday Home Tour 2017

See how I switched out my stereotypical holiday décor for a lighter, more natural vibe at home.

Well, we did it. We ditched all most of our red and green décor and started over. Our old stuff seemed so cluttered. So “normal.” So over-the-top. We decided to go for a minimal look and I have to say, it was a perfect decision. Now there are just a few decorations that really stand out, versus a bunch of them all clustered together fighting for attention. I am so excited to open my doors to you and share our cozy home for the holidays.

Dining Room

We’ll start the tour with my dining room because that’s where the tree lives. In previous years, the tree has been in the living room, but we’ve since purchased new furniture that doesn’t allow enough space for the tree in there.

We went with a very natural rustic yet modern vibe with our tree by using traditional popcorn garland that my son and I DIY’ed paired with modern glass ball ornaments in shades of blue, purple, silver, and gold.

We bought our tree from Target last year on sale for almost 50% off and to make it look a little more full and give it dimension, we added various sprigs I picked up from Hobby Lobby. They really add a lot of visual interest to an otherwise “regular” faux tree.

Our ornaments are a mix of family keepsakes, plain glass balls, and DIY projects like the Scrabble Tile Ornament I made a few years ago.

I couldn’t find a tree topper I liked so I ended up grabbing this large owl from Hobby Lobby (intended for standing on a shelf, I guess) and fastened his feet onto branches with floral wire. The hub named him Ollie and I really think he looks better than any tree topper on the market.

My upcyled bar cart got a holiday facelift also with pops of gold and bottles of champagne just waiting for a cranberry cocktail to be made. And the super easy letterboard got a fun little saying that might or might not be my actual letter to Santa.

On the other side of the dining room the family heirloom hutch houses all my pretty antiques. The newest addition to my vintage collection is that typewriter. My husband bought it for me for my birthday this year while we were scouring our fave antique store.

Yep, that’s what happens when you turn 30…you trade birthday parties for quiet antique shopping.

 Because I’m all about little details, the typewriter has the beginning of Twas The Night Before Christmas in it’s very faded, but still functional, ink. Hanging out beside it are a few Christmas postcards I found at the same shop dating back to 1909 and 1919. I love when I find old handwritten letters. They just seem so special and it’s fun to try to think about what their lives must have been like.

Living Room

Moving into the recently remodeled living room, there’s not really a lot going on in here. Without the tree, the minimal decor shines bright and highlights the pieces I used. I decorated the top of my desk nook, added some grapevine wreaths and greenery, and warm cozy candles.

Other than that, it’s nice and neutral. My living room is open to my dining room so it doesn’t look underdone but doesn’t compete with the tree nearby.

That cute little, well big, star is actually a vintage folding ruler. A sweet friend on Instagram told me about how they can be shaped into a star and I’ve been doing it every Christmas since.

And the Charlie Brown tree is front and center in the living room, too. Before my hub and I got married, this was the one and only Christmas decoration he had in his bachelor pad. What a huge difference for him, now! 😀

primary bedroom

In our bedroom, we kept things pretty simple as well. The navy blue duvet cover looks awesome paired with the greenery in the wooden vases on either nightstand. I packed in the texture with lots of pillows, furry sheepskin rugs, and wooden accents to give the room the ultimate cozy factor.

I also added a small tree on the other side of the room decked out with my Barbie ornament collection. My mom gave me one every year for Christmas when I was little and I love seeing them all lit up in their own little tree.

Kenai hangs out under this tree because he always enjoyed lounging under the twinkly lights. It seems like a suitable spot for him during the holidays.

Noah’s Room

Noah’s room is kind of in an in-between phase. He’ll be getting all new furniture after Christmas, so it really isn’t situated the way it should be right now. But until the big remodel happens, he still wanted to add some holiday touches to his own space. He loves the manly look of buffalo plaid so he recycled the blanket and pillow that lived on the couch last year.

To add a fun element of movement, he spent a Saturday morning making yards and yards of paper chain and draped them all around his ceiling.

I’m definitely a fan of this minimalist vibe we’ve got going on here and I can safely say that getting rid of all that “stuff” I had decorated with in the past was not a mistake. Now as long as I can control myself at Target, I won’t end up with more again…this should be interesting…