How I Decorate Our Home for the Holidays

And just like that, the Halloween decor has been put away and it’s time to dive right into all things HOLIDAY! 🤪 Last year, on November 1st Team Jilly and I were decorating the house to shoot a video for the Central Okanagan Hospice Association Home for the Holidays event. And since November-December is the busiest time of year for us, we never got around to sharing this holiday magic with all of you! So, today I am sharing how we decorated the house last year for the holidays, and since I’ve been gravitating towards a more traditional (and nostalgic) look, the house will almost look identical to this set-up this year.

Last year, I decided to switch things up a bit and added some pops of red here and there. I know, I know, you’re probably thinking, what the heck is Jill doing decorating with colours other than neutrals?! 🤪 I used to resort to only decorating the house using whites and neutrals for the holidays. But ever since my granny passed away, I have been injecting a little red into the decor as an ode to my Boomba and for a touch of those classic holiday vibes.

When we would visit Granny over the holidays, I always remember seeing little red cardinals everywhere. So last year, I added over a dozen little red cardinals to our tree; it’s my little homage to her. And if you are looking for some, you can get your hands on them at Pottery Barn, Canadian Tire, and Better Earth Gardens in Kelowna.

Porch

Since our shoot was at the beginning of November last year, we had to compromise and use a lot of faux greenery, but Sam from Margaret Valley Landscaping came to the rescue and made these stunning wreaths for our front door! I added a few pops of red on the porch, including the adorable red gingham bows on the wreaths that my mom made. I tried to include as many nostalgic collections as I could. My mom always had her collection of nutcrackers on display, so I had to add one by the front door!

Living Room

Last year, I invested in a few new faux Christmas trees for around the house. Typically, I like to buy a real one for the living room, but since we were planning on visiting Justin’s brother Matt on the island for Christmas (which never ended up happening 😭), I thought a faux one would be a better option and would ultimately last longer! But there is truly nothing the smell of a fresh pine tree during the holidays, is there?

With that being said, I purchased a 48″ and 24″ faux tree from Pottery Barn and this one from Wayfair. To be honest, after they all arrived, I inspected them closely, and I think the Wayfair option was a much better value than the Pottery Barn one. If you are in the market for a faux Christmas tree, I would suggest getting this one. I have also linked some other options below!

I think I have a thing for collecting Christmas trees! LOL! Last year, we had a Christmas tree in almost every room of the house (except the guest room!) and even a cute little one on our kitchen island… and more bottle brush trees than I can count! If I honestly counted how many Christmas trees we have collected over the years, I’d say it’s safe to say we have over 35 under 7 feet tall. 🙊

I love adding these little bottle brush trees to every nook and cranny of the house, along with these adorable little houses (similar version) that Justin’s mom gets me every year!

Bedrooms

We decked the halls with Christmas trees this year, in case you couldn’t already tell! LOL! I haven’t added any to our rooms before, but I did last year for the first time, and I am in LOVE. It was a last-minute decision, but since we had so many on hand, I thought, why the heck not! I think it’s a new tradition that is here to stay! Not to mention, the kids were over the moon to have their very own trees in each of their rooms!

Bedroom Decor

At first, I was hesitant to order a red buffalo checkered quilt for our bedroom as I didn’t think it would look great with all of our blush pink decor, but was I ever wrong! I had originally ordered the same quilt from Pottery Barn, but as our shoot date got closer and closer, I realized that it wouldn’t arrive on time. So, I quickly jumped on Amazon to find another alternative and ordered the first one I found, and I got desperate! LOL! In the end, a local Kelowna store, QE Home, SAVED the day with the red buffalo plaid duvet pictured below.

If you have been looking to get your hands on a red buffalo checkered quilt, I have linked a few options for you, but I would highly recommend supporting a local business like QE Home in Kelowna!

Over the last several years, I have always loved decorating with a slightly different theme. But, in doing that I was always buying new decor items every year! This year I really enjoyed decorating, keeping the nostalgia theme in mind, and I think I will continue with the same vibe moving forward!

Well, there you have it! I hope you enjoyed this fun little festive-inspired home tour. If you are looking for some more holiday decor inspo, make sure to stop by my shop page here. And if you’d like a physical copy of our holiday home decor set-up from last year, make sure to pick up a copy of the Style at Home November issue, on stands now!

Happy holidays!

Jilly