Calm and Bright: Holiday Living Room Decor

Get inspiration for holiday living room decor that’s neutral and classic. Easy to put up, and easy to take down! Ideas for small trees, shelf decor, pillows, and more!

We’re almost to the halfway point in December, and that means we’re heading into the home stretch for Christmas 2020! Featured today is our living room, and it’s the last Christmas space I’ll be sharing this year. Our living room doubles as my office…so when it’s decorated for the seasons, I get to enjoy it all day, every day. It’s where I spend most of my time, so to keep things calm, the Christmas decor is simple and neutral. There is, of course, a few fun and necessary pops of red!

For our living room, in addition to throw pillows, I concentrated on just three zones: the built-in shelves, our coffee table, and our antique dresser. A casual tray on the coffee table holds Christmas mugs and accessories. The lower shelf of the coffee table houses some colorful tartan plaid throw blankets. I’ve picked up the throw blankets over the years at places like HomeGoods and TJMaxx. They are stored in a bin in our basement, and it’s always very fun to pull them out at the beginning of each holiday season. They are definitely an investment that has paid off!

For the antique dresser, last year’s trio of trees was reduced to a pair of trees for 2020. I eliminated the middle tree, and placed the large and small trees in Ohio Stoneware. The large tree fits perfectly in the one gallon crock, and to make the little tree work in the striped bowl, I just added some pinecones as filler. The only adornments on the trees are strings of white lights, and DIY wool felt ball garlands. This simple tabletop Christmas tree vignette glows in the evening, and it’s every bit as enjoyable as any big tree we have ever had!

I shared the details on the shelf decor for the December edition of 20 Minute Decorating. I featured some Mod Podge Christmas pots that have since been given away as gifts, so to take their place, I added back in some ironstone pitchers. Adding fresh flowers and greenery made it all come alive. Red roses are the quintessential Christmas cut flower, so treat yourself to a bunch the next time you are shopping for (or ordering) groceries. 

Our home was built in the 1960’s, when formal living rooms were very much in fashion. For many years now, this room has been anything but formal! As I said, it’s where I work almost every day. It’s where we watch TV, and sometimes even eat dinner. Kelly makes herself at home on the sofa and chairs, and when our grandchildren visit, it’s where they play. Some say the kitchen is the heart of the home, but for our family, this living room is where we gather as a family, and where most of the action takes place. 

Holiday Living Room Decor Sources

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• ivory tufted chairs
• Christmas tree pillow covers: no longer available
• Christmas shelf information
• Vickerman tabletop trees
• Wool Felt Ball Tree Garlands
• 1 gallon crock (Bristol)
• blue striped bowl
• white houses
• red striped pillows (similar)
• coffee table/end tables
• living room rug (beige/ivory)
• basket tray on lower coffee table
• Christmas mugs
• white plaid throw blanket
• red plaid throw blanket

Kelly is doing well, and is never far from my side. She’s almost 13, and has been sick several times over the past few months. The last time was so bad that she spent three days in the hospital. I really thought we were going to lose her, but she rallied, and seems to be back to her old self. We made some changes to her diet that appear to be helping. If you’ve ever had a pet, you know how they become a thread in the fabric of your family’s life. For now at least, our fabric is intact. 

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Until next time…