Green makes an appearance in my home in every season, so it’s no surprise that my decor theme is Christmas in green. When paired with white, silver and gold, green feels more elegant and festive for the holidays.
I always start my Christmas decorating with my mantel. I had a slow start this year, because I was thrown off by a new wall color. Shortly after Christmas last year, I painted the wall around my fireplace Farrow and Ball Green Smoke. It’s a deep, rich green, and it accents the white fireplace details beautifully. BUT, I find it very difficult to decorate a dark wall.
For the previous five years, or more, I covered the fireplace mantel with a eucalyptus garland that includes faux berries, natural sticks and some other earthy faux florals. Each year, I embellished it a bit differently, but I loved it as a base. When I put it on the mantel this year, it just melted into the wall.
Green and gold on the mantel
The beloved garland had to go (don’t worry, it makes an appearance elsewhere), but what to replace it with??? White didn’t seem to pop against the white trim on the mantel. I decided that gold would stand out and be a nice complement to the green wall.
First, I needed to find a garland that would work. An internet search turned up a beautiful gold magnolia leaf garland from Front Gate. Then, I paired it with a droopy garland of evergreen and pine cones and popped in some white magnolia flowers on the ends. When I came across a trio of gold trees at Michael’s on a 50-percent off sale, I knew they would anchor and add height to one side of the mantel. Finally, I added candle sticks from Pier 1 (who else misses that store?) to balance the other side.
The garland was just a tad short, so I found some faux magnolia leaves in green and Rub ‘n Buffed them with the Antique Gold color. It was the perfect match. I just tucked them in on the ends, and my mantel was complete.
Continuing the theme in the family room
On a thrifting trip with my mother (a.k.a. the thrifting queen), we found three adorable brass reindeer. I shined them up and added a gold tree from my stash. A cute gold candle creates a pretty glow. My coffee table is small, and I like to corral vignettes on a tray to keep it tidy. This allows for the things a coffee table is made for. Things like drinks, the remote control, a phone, feet (if you’re my husband). You know, the things of life, because we live here. A brass tray that I had on hand fit the bill.
Styling the built-ins on either side of our fireplace presented another conundrum for me. They have a pretty big surface area, and they’re also backed by the challenging green wall. First, I tried a pair of white reindeer with a bit of gold shimmer and two tall brass candlesticks for impact. They showed up but seemed a little lost in the space. To complete the space, I backed them with a woven tobacco tray. Finally, I grounded them with a couple of books and some greens.
The last spot I decorate in my family room is a two-shelf sofa table. My favorite Christmas decor piece, a woodland angel, is the star of this space. I nested her in a basket full of greens and sleigh bells. The top shelf is flanked by a lamp and a pretty lantern that is similar in color and scale. The bottom shelf is host to an antique clock and a wooden bowl filled with gold ornaments. The focal point of this space is a large painting of a sheep on a piece of tin. It adds a peaceful, winter vibe to the room.
Greens and whites in the kitchen
If you follow me on Instagram, you know that our kitchen got an update this year with new countertops and backsplash and the addition of a range hood and a new island. I was excited to decorate the updated space.
I started with the cubbies above our cabinets. They were part of a previous update that you can read about here. Last year, I bought white houses and a variety of green and white trees at Target. They really pop against my green cabinets, so I used them again this year.
From the day we added the range hood, I pictured it with a Christmas garland gracing the warm wood base. Juniper garlands work well in my kitchen, with their blue-green berries. I found the prettiest garland at Factory Direct. Command brand light clips worked to hold the garland in place, and my Christmas range hood dreams came true.
The same garland is gracing the kitchen window. A pair of creamy white bows make it festive and tie it into the white houses that share space in the heights of our kitchen. Greens and pinecones fill a variety of vessels to complete the kitchen.
Green, white and silver on the tree
Our tree that we had for about 10 years bit the dust this year. Actually, it was still in decent shape, but about a third of the lights wouldn’t light, and it had always been too big for our living room. The prospect of adding lights to the too-big tree prompted us to search for a replacement. We brought home a narrower frasier fir, and I was motivated to change up the tree trimmings this year.
Ornaments in white and silver from a local shop inspired a winter woodland wonderland tree. (Say that three times fast.) I found some strings of garland in white and mercury glass and solid mercury glass ornaments to supplement the inspiration ornaments. A winter tree needs some snow, and our new tree is not flocked. I tucked in some flocked pine bough picks to add just the right amount of “snow.” Cute snowbirds add a bit of charm. Finally, I gathered sticks and pinecones from the yard and sprayed them with fake snow. I left a few sticks natural for the tree topper.
A winter wonderland in the living room
The silver and white palette, accented with greens, flows through the rest of the living room. My favorite decor item in this room is a dough bowl that I filled with oversized green and white ornaments embellished with silver snowflakes. And my woodland nativity fits in perfectly and reminds us of the reason for the season.
Silver shines in the dining room
Our dining room is just a bit more formal than the rest of the house. I found a pair of mercury glass trees that I thought would be pretty on my vintage sideboard, but the mirror over the sideboard is gold. My type A personality makes it hard for me to mix metals, but I think the vintagey look of the mercury glass pairs well with the vintage mirror. The pedestal bowl is a recent thrifted find. I filled it with silver and white fruit and greens. The vignette is anchored on the sides by my upcycled buffet lamps (see how I transformed them here) and a pair of Stick candles.
The aforementioned eucalyptus garland found a home on the dining room table. The blue-green color is perfect with the color of the wallpaper in this room. I added some silver candlesticks and a beautiful silver stag as a centerpiece.
Plant stands flank the buffet (do you call it a buffet or a sideboard??). One plant stand houses a mistletoe tree in a silver pot. The other side plays host to my vintage Cinderella bust wearing some Christmas greens.
A magnolia garland paired with a pine garland tops a corner of the opening between the dining room and living room. I love the garland, but it’s not long enough to cover the full opening. Placing it over one corner adds interest and draws your eye to the Christmas tree in the living room.
Silver, white and green in the foyer
It probably seems backward to end the tour with the entryway, but it was the last space that I decorated, and I took cues from the rest of the house to complete it.
Juniper garlands paired with pine garlands are swagged on the banisters. Because the Christmas tree is visible from this space, I embellished the garland with white and green bows and silver orbs to mimic the theme of the tree.
I always place lanterns surrounded by greens on the stairs for the holidays. You can see more about them in this post. A pretty hanging basket filled with greens and a white poinsettia on the coat closet door welcomes guests.
24 Responses
Wow, your home is stunning. I love all the details. And the gold magnolia leaf Garland is perfect. 💗
Thank you so much, Sue! I was happy to find the gold garland. It’s from Front Gate, and it sold out fast.
You have been one busy girl this season, Erin—wow! The detail is stunning in each carefully curated space! Bravo!👏👏
Thank you, Beverly! Now to finish the shopping and wrapping! Thanks for reading–I appreciate your comment.
Such an elegant home, Erin! I love how you used green, silver, gold, and white to create such a cohesive color palette throughout your home. Your mantel is gorgeous and I love the dining table centerpiece. And, of course, I am always obsessed with the darling cubbies in your kitchen! Well done, Erin! Merry Christmas!
Thank you, Missy! I love having the cubbies to decorate, and I appreciate your comment. Merry Christmas to you!
Love your style, so warm and cozy. This is my first visit to your site and I’m wondering, what color are your kitchen cabinets?
Thank you, Denise! My kitchen cabinets are painted Benjamin Moore Vale Mist. I appreciate your kind words!
You have done a beautiful job decorating for Christmas!! I’m still drooling over your kitchen 😍😍
Thank you, Carla! It was fun to decorate the the updated elements in my kitchen for Christmas. I appreciate your kind comment!
Erin your home is so beautiful. I truly loved this tour. Even though the new color was a challenge you conquered it! I love the gold magnolia leaves! The thrifted reindeer are so wonderful. When I go thrifting I find mostly junk – never amazing pieces like them. I love how warm and friendly your kitchen is. My biggest love is the painting of the sheep. So beautiful and unique! I am so happy you participated in this share even though you were so busy!!!
Thank you so much, Crystal. The sheep is a recent find, and I love him too. I was honored to be included with such a talented group of bloggers!
Stunning Erin. Looks like a museum but in a good way. I am loving your sheep picture, the picture over your mantel I always love, the brass reindeer, the little houses in the kitchen…I could go on. Lovely.
Thank you so much, Regina! This was so much fun. I was honored to join such a talented group!
Your home looks beautiful Erin, so festive and bright. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas.
Thank you so much, Wendy! I hope you have a Merry Christmas too!
Erin, every room is so incredibly beautiful! I love how it all flows together from one room to the next. I love how much detail their is and how perfectly the bows are tied. So, so lovely!
Thank you so much, Karen! I love to decorate for Christmas, and I enjoyed putting the blog post together. I appreciate your kind comments. Thank you for reading!
Hi Erin. Just popped over from Insta and I knew it would be stunning. It did not disappoint. Every time I see your wallpaper it is such a delight. Everything is perfect!
Thank you so much, Karen! I often second-guess my design decisions, but I’ve never looked back on this wallpaper choice. I always appreciate your kind comments. Thank you for reading!
Truly beautiful. Is your backsplash tile? I love your house.
Thank you so much! Yes, our backsplash is tile. The brand is WOW and it’s from their Fez collection.
Love your home…beautifully done…
Thank you so much, Kathi!