Want to see how we decorated our house and our beach house for Christmas? We have lots of photos to share, so let’s dive in. Since we literally got a brand-new exterior for Christmas (I joked that all I wanted was a white brick house), we had fun trying fresh ideas for the front of the house.
On the porch we used simple warm-white LED lights on the trees flanking the door. I swapped in taller faux trees that hold up well and look better with the white brick. The pots are the ones we’ve had for years—just spray-painted Copper Rose for a quick refresh. We also replaced the porch sconces with slightly wider, larger ones to better suit the new exterior.
I added a magnolia wreath I make each year at a Wine & Wreath event with friends (each year it gets a little bigger) and hung two fresh 14′ evergreen garlands from Trader Joe’s—such a great and affordable touch. We prefer real greenery, so that’ll likely become an annual tradition. John tucked warm-white LED string lights into the garlands and set the garland lights and potted-plant lights on the same automatic timer so they switch on and off every night.
Inside, our front windows hold battery LED candles on timers so they turn off and on automatically. We considered more exterior decorations (I campaigned for white porch deer), but John wasn’t keen, so we kept the exterior tasteful rather than over-the-top. Inside we made up for it with four Christmas trees, so the holiday spirit is definitely strong here.
I can’t wait to photograph the house blanketed with real snow—fingers crossed for a white Christmas so I can share that picture soon.
We also used another Trader Joe’s 14′ garland to frame the kitchen windows. Hanging them took just a few minutes: we tapped tiny picture nails into the top of the molding on each side of the window. The nails are so small they’re basically invisible; I’m tempted to leave them year-round to make garland hanging effortless every December.
Throughout the house I tucked little favorites here and there—pink wooden trees grouped on the living room built-ins, a simple mantel display featuring a big pink bottle-brush tree and a pink mercury-glass tree with tiny battery lights, and a faux flower pot that reads as festive even though it wasn’t made as holiday decor. I added a strand of battery lights inside a pink vase to balance the glow from the tree on the other side of the mantel.
The main living-room tree is a sentimental mix. It doesn’t follow a single theme anymore—it’s a collection of handmade ornaments from the kids, silhouette and handprint ornaments we’ve made over the years, ornaments from travels, and other keepsakes. The eclectic, homemade mix is exactly how we like it.
Stockings stayed simple and familiar—the same ones we’ve used for years. Each year I add a little elephant chain for a pop of color and personality. In the dining room I grouped many of our bottle-brush trees on the green sideboard for a compact, festive display.
As for the other trees: a small tree in the bonus room glows at the end of the hall and makes movie nights cozy; the kids love hanging felt and plush ornaments on it. We use faux sheepskin rugs around tree bases for a soft, finished look. Another tree in our son’s room is a retro green tinsel one with colorful lights—he picked that out and loves it next to his bright green closet door. The wooden reindeer nearby was made by John’s grandfather decades ago.
Each night the kids ask Alexa to turn off their trees, which delights them every time. We’ve also been using a smart plug to control one tree remotely—no hub required, just control from a phone or voice assistant. That lets us turn all our trees on in the morning with a single command, or switch them off together when we’re rushing out the door.
Our daughter enjoys decorating her own tree and I like placing it inside a colorful painted basket as an alternative to a tree skirt. It pairs well with her bold closet color and gives her a fun, personal space to redecorate daily.
This year we purposely pared down decorations to keep things simpler. That meant we had overflow decor to bring to the beach house, so we decorated it mostly with items we already owned—free decorating! We did buy a single tree for the beach house, but most of the ornaments and accents were repurposed from previous years.
The beach house porch got those red boots filled with faux evergreen branches and a wreath with charming gold bells. Inside, a faux magnolia garland that I used last year found a new home on a table, doubled up to look lush on a marble top. The living room tree we bought for the beach house is a sparse, Charlie-Brown–style tree that we loved on sale—perfect for the small space and ideal for the mixed ornaments we already owned.
We added a yarn pom-pom garland to that tree—three strands covered the tree nicely and added a playful touch. Around the kitchen and entry we used red reindeer we painted years ago, feather trees, a hammered bowl of ornaments, and a letter board with a holiday quote my daughter arranged. Small groupings like a plate, two ceramic nutcrackers, and a few ornaments are all it takes to make the kitchen feel ready for guests.
All in all, we kept things relatively simple, leaned into meaningful and repurposed items, and sprinkled in a few new touches. Decorating both the house and the beach house felt joyful and manageable, and it was fun to see familiar pieces find new roles. Happy decorating—and may your holidays be cozy and bright!
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