Holiday Decorating for Our First Christmas in the New House
We put our Christmas tree back up a few days ago, despite the boxes and general unpacking chaos. We knew we wouldn’t be perfectly organized before the holidays, but taking an hour to decorate in our brand-new house for our bean’s first Christmas felt exactly right. We chose a cozy corner of the living room for the tree, right next to the sliding doors that lead into the sunroom and close to the doorway connecting to the kitchen. It brings an immediate sense of home and warmth to a space that otherwise still looks like a project in progress.
I also rehung my beloved Pottery Barn wreath that John’s mom gave us a few years ago. For now it’s on the back of the fireplace in the living room. The fireplace will someday be double-sided, but at the moment I enjoy envisioning a blazing fire against that empty green bookcase—little moments like this make the house feel lived-in already.
The other side of the fireplace opens into the eat-in kitchen area and, honestly, it’s a bit of a time capsule: paneling, dark brick, and red tile that feel pretty dated. Still, seeing our stockings—John and I share one while Clara and Burger each have their own—plus a few feather trees, ceramic fruit and birds, and a cardboard snowflake wreath, brings a soft, festive touch until we have time to strip, prime, and paint. Decorating makes the space feel cheerful even when the finishes aren’t exactly what we’d choose long term.
While unpacking, I found a set of silver zebra-ish plates I bought from Crate & Barrel a few years back and decided to place them on the mantel as an extra decorative accent. They add a little holiday sparkle and draw the eye away from the darker finishes. Little details like that help create visual interest and make the room feel intentional, even during a transitional season.
These small touches—ornaments on the tree, a wreath on the fireplace, a few decorative plates on the mantel—help the house feel like ours. Decorating during a move requires a bit of improvisation: you prioritize what makes the biggest emotional impact, even if larger renovations are still on the to-do list. For us, that meant focusing on the living room and kitchen areas where family gathers the most.
We also put out the little faux presents I like to display, and added some lightweight ornaments and feather trees that are easy to move and won’t get damaged while we finish settling in. The cardboard snowflake wreath is another cheerful, temporary element that brings a seasonal vibe without much commitment. All of these pieces are practical choices while we plan and save for the bigger changes—like painting the paneling and updating the hearth.
Speaking of painting, we spent some time this past weekend working on Clara’s room. It felt great to be back in our painting clothes and making visible progress. We chose a different direction than we did for her last nursery; updating a room for a growing child is one of those small projects that makes the new house feel more like home. We’ll share photos of the finished nursery soon once everything is set up.
Update: We’ve also put together a list of favorite holiday décor finds—many are budget-friendly, under $15—and they’ve been really handy for adding instant charm while we unpack.