Holiday Magic: Festive Decor Ideas for Every Room

For me, the holiday season is all about gazing into a tree lined with presents and twinkling lights, and there are few things more wonderful than decorating every room in your house. Festive decor is a great way to get in the spirit, whether you’re entertaining your family, enjoying a few quiet nights by the fire, or just getting into the spirit of the season. With that in mind, here are a few ideas to bring holiday magic to the rest of your home.

1. Living Room: Warm and Inviting

You’ll likely spend the majority of your holiday time in the living room, so it makes for a great kick-off of your decorating adventure. Start off with a traditional Christmas tree for complete festive atmosphere. Choose a full, lush tree or, if space is limited, a small tabletop tree will still make a big impression. If you enjoy the solid red, green and gold theme of Christmas’ past, or the more modern look of metallics or pastels, it’s important to have a cohesive colour scheme that ties the entire room together.

Don’t forget the accents: Add warmth and coziness to your home with throw blankets, pillows and area rugs. It’s associating a faux fur throw over the back of the sofa, red and green plaid cushions, a wooly rug underfoot, that makes me think holiday. A few carefully placed candles, again either in fragile sticks or glass jars, can also give a cosy illumination to your living room, and further the festive mood.

2. Kitchen: A Taste of the Holidays

Many holiday gettogethers include the kitchen as the heart of the celebration — the smell of hot, freshly baked cookies or seasonal treats wafts through the air. If you’re not an avid baker, many other ways exist to add a splash of festive flair to this often overlooked space.

Kick it off with seasonal dish towels, pot holders, and some cheery printed items with snow flake motifs, holly or even gingerbread men. If your shelving is open, arrange mugs that feature holiday symbols or store holiday plates or decorative glass jars filled with candy canes or cinnamon sticks. Place a wreath or garland around the door frame or hang one in the kitchen window for a natural festive feel. You can even make a centerpiece from fresh fruit, pinecones and candles for your kitchen table.

3. Dining Room: A Festive Feast

Your dining room is going to need to reflect the scale of the occasion when it’s holiday dinner time. Begin with a jaw dropping table centerpiece. Simple yet an impactful statement a large open arrangements of candles of different height with fresh greenery and red berries. If you want something a little more glamorous pair go with metallic chargers or add a table runner with sequins or subtle glitter.

Use your holiday china mixed and matched with elegant glassware and cloth napkins in seasonal colors for your table settings. These could even be personalized with a small gift or a gift each, or some cute little place cards for an extra thoughtful touch. An additional, but important part of adding holiday cheer to your dining room: Don’t forget to hang a festive garland or wreath on the chandelier or above the table.

4. Bedrooms: Cozy and Magical Retreats

A busy day during the holidays means you only have one place to escape to and relax when you finally get a chance to… your bedroom. There’s no better place than the bedroom, so start by infusing some holiday magic into the room and go for a festive bedspread or a duvet cover. If nothing else, a winter themed bedding set with snowflakes, reindeer or holiday plaids will make your bed feel like you are in a cozy winter retreat.

The addition of a few throw pillows in shimmering fabrics or holiday print is very charming. Have some fairy lights wrapped around the headboard, drape them along the chest of drawers on the wall behind you, or even around a mirror as a soft glow. An aromatherapy candle with a holiday scent (like cinnamon, pine, or vanilla) might also help get you into a relaxed mood.

To keep the holiday feeling alive, hang mistletoe above the doorframe or put up a small tabletop tree next to the bedside.

5. Bathroom: Subtle Holiday Touches

Bathrooms may not top the lists of spaces to decorate during the holidays, but they’re tailor made for adding little, but significant, festive touches. Towels in seasonal colors, such as deep red or forest green, are always a good place to start. Or, hang a wreath on the mirror or wrap a garland over the shower curtain rod for extra pizazz.

Simple things like a festive snowman or reindeer soap dispenser and holiday smelling hand lotion will make guests feel like they’ve been pampered and festive. If it’s a festive toiletries collection, you could of course store them in a basket with seasonal toiletries like peppermint scented bath salts or holiday shower gels.

Twelve: It can be the perfect final touch for the last touch, a small holiday themed ornament or figurine on the countertop.

6. Entryway: Holiday Cheer for Guests

First impressions are made in your entry way, so don’t let this be compromised. First start with a beautiful wreath on your front door. Whether it’s a traditional pine wreath festooned with red ribbons and berries, or a modern wreath made from cotton or eucalyptus, you’ve got the Christmas wreath side of things covered.

Candles in holiday holders, a bowl of pinecones, or a holiday garland may run down its surface to adorn it. A festive pattern painted on a large area rug will make the entry inviting and festive as soon as people step in.

If you really want to sprinkle a little more magic over your home, string a few fairy lights around the doorway or windows for a warm soft glow and a bit more cheer.

Being the holiday season, home should convey warmth, togetherness and celebration. There’s no reason to transform a part of your house for the holidays — you can do so in every room, from the living room to the bathroom. Whether you like your interior to be traditional or modern, the point is to achieve a welcoming and festive setting where everybody can enjoy that joyful and wonderful spirit of the season. Follow these interior design  ideas and you will embrace the magic of the holidays and makey our home feel merry and bright.