The Holidays are such a magical time of the year! Christmas decorating is so much fun, with twinkling lights, evergreen garlands, and whimsical touches. In the last few years, neutral Christmas decor has become popular. Read on to find the best ways to decorate your home with neutral colors, natural greenery, and cozy textures.
What is Neutral Christmas Decor?
Traditional Christmas decor are loud red and green, with flashing twinkling lights, silver tinsel. However, a neutral Christmas palette is subtle and natural. It evokes a feeling of calm. While there is still use of color, it will be used as an accent color instead of the focal color.
What are Neutral Holiday Colors?
Neutral Christmas decor consists of wood tones, whites, deep green, golds, silver, black and subtle pops of red and maroon. You’ll also find a lot of use of texture like fur, burlap, twine and wood.
How to Design a Neutral Christmas Palette
When thinking of decorating for Christmas this year, think of all the areas in your home that you’d like to decorate this year. Pick 2-3 to be the focal of your home – usually it’s a Christmas tree, and Fireplace mantle.
Then, pick 2-3 colors to use as your accent colors. Use this guide to build layers of warmth and coziness for your neutral Christmas decorations!
Christmas Trees with Magical Lighting
The quintessential Christmas decor is the family Christmas tree. Colored Christmas tree lights are dated. Today, most trees come with white lights that are pre-strung, or attached pre-lit which is when the tips of the pine needles have lights
If you don’t have a tree with pre-strung lights, get white lights. Opt for smaller bulbs of fairy lights. Wrap these in 2 layers – once close to the stem of the tree, and also on the branches. Make the tree look like there are lights all over it.
Large White Flocked Christmas Trees
If you love waking up on Christmas morning to the sight of a white Christmas, snow sprinkled everywhere, get a flocked white tree. These look natural and can be dressed up with neutral ornaments.
Use Neutral Colored Ornaments as Your Base
In keeping with the neutral Christmas color scheme, opt for most of your ornaments to be a combination of gold, white, black and silver. They can be matte, glossy or glittery – or a combination of all 3!
If you’ve been collecting bright coloured ornaments for years, you can simply spray paint your old ornaments and use them!
Cluster Ornaments for Pops of Colors
Clustering muted color ornaments (blush, mint, sky blue, etc) if a beautiful way to add color to your Neutral Christmas decor. Play around with a more minimal tree vs one loaded with ornaments.
Don’t Forget to Add Memorable Christmas Ornaments
Just because you’re going for a neutral Christmas theme, doesn’t mean there isn’t room for your beloved ornaments. This is your tree that your family will love! Pull out the family favorites too!
Add a Christmas Tree Collar to Hide the Ugly Base
Hide the unsightly base of your Christmas tree. You can use a tree skirt, but in recent tree Christmas tree collars have become trendy. They can be made of wood or dowels too.
Add a Garland to your Christmas Mantle
Dressing up your fireplace mantle is an easy way to make the fireplace the focal of a living room. It’s the perfect spot for the family to cozy up. Grab a lush oversized garland, and drape it across the mantle.
Faux garlands are a great option as they do not shed pine needles, which can also be a fire hazard near a hot fireplace. Use command hooks that can be easily peeled off after the holidays without damaging your fireplace
You can create an asymmetrical look by draping it longer on one side of the fireplace
If you like a more traditional look, keep the garland centred. You can design your fireplace to be more minimal if it’s paired next to a Christmas tree which has main character enegry.
Add Gold and Wood to your Mantle
After adding a lush green garland, add layers to the fireplace mantle with wood bead garland, bells, and lights. You can even DIY a wood garland using wooden beads. It’s a fun activity to get the family involved in holiday decor
Don’t forget to dress up the mantle with brass candlestick holders
Cozy Textures for Christmas Stockings
To complete your fireplace, add cozy textured stockings. Fur, burlap and cable knit are popular textures for stockings.
A stocking hanger add a whimsical touch and function as it prevents stocking from sliding off the mantle when goodies are added to the stockings. Use a stocking hanger with deers, nutcrackers.
Simple Styling for Your Coffee Table
Since your family guests will gather around in the living room, add fun and festive coffee table styling. A simple way to add decor is with a long wooden bowl, piled with your Christmas ornaments. Add a few faux or real twigs of evergreen to complete the look.
Don’t Forget Your Doorways
Expanding your holiday decor beyond your living has recently become a trend. Hanging a simple juniper garland with a bow, or wood garland is a popular option. It looks simple and elegant without looking over the top
Pick Neutrals for your Christmas Dinner
No holiday dinner is complete without a beautifully decorated table. Buy neutral plates and serving dishes in whites, creams, and taupe. This is a great base that will help you create a timeless Christmas tablescape
Dress the table up with a long table runner that runs across the table. Using a neutral will enable you to make the centrepiece a statement!
Minimal Tablescape Decor
If you don’t want to crowd your table, opt for a simple gardland with wood beads running through it. Then add a few candle sticks and voila! You’ve created the perfect minimal Christmas table
Invite Conversation at Christmas Dinner with Hanging Decor
Instead of crowding the table with a large centre piece, hang Christmas decor from your lighting or ceiling. It’s easier than you think! You can install hooks into your ceiling to suspend this decor piece. Then, add layers of garland and a few ornaments.
Create the perfect Christmas Centrepiece
Add elegance and charm with a Christmas centrepiece. If you have a long table, use a long wide wooden vase. You can simply add ornaments for a minimal look. If you’re going for a more elegant look, add faux florals.
Be mindful of the height of the centrepiece. Although tall centre pieces look beautiful, they can restrict conversation around the table
Add Sparkle to your Christmas Dinner with Cutlery
Who says your cutlery can’t be part of decorating your holiday table? In recent years, brass cutlery has made a huge comeback. Both polish gold and brushed gold add a beautiful sparkle to your table.
Personalize your Holiday Table
Ground each setting with a brushed gold charger plate or place mat.
Add pops of color and the festive spirit with napkin holders, napkins, and place cards. Use pine cones, cinnamon sticks, and juniper branches to create a personalized table
Add Touches of Christmas to your Kitchen
The holidays are all about good company and good food. That means you and your guests will likely spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Add holiday decor like gingerbread houses, a wreath of juniper bunches to your kitchen.
Decorate your Staircase Banister
Since your staircase banister already has wood tones, thinking of hanging a garland to bring Christmas cheer to this overlooked area. Hang a garland with twinkle lights and wood garland.
Add an Indoor Wreath
You might typically think a wreath is only meant for your front door, but that trend is changing. Add a wreath over a pantry door or kitchen hood, or even a window!
To hang a wreath on a hood or window, use a command hook.
I love hanging a wreath on an indoor door. It’s the perfect way to being warmth and to welcome your family and guests.
Bring Christmas Vibes into Your Bedroom
Consider adding a second Christmas tree for a vibe in your bedroom. You can dress it up, or keep it simple. But the best part is that you can decorate it exactly as you like, since it’s in your room!
Create Magic in Overlooked Areas
Look at areas of your home you can dress up like the entryway, reading nooks, or your bathroom. This is your home for the holidays. Maybe you have an awkward corner that you’ve never loved. Can you add festive cheer?
Create a Home you Love for the Holidays!
Using these tips, you can create a beautiful home for the holidays! Make it warm and inviting with these neutral Christmas decor ideas. You can opt for more minimal designs, or go big with Holiday decor. And remember, it’s not just about wood, golds and whites. Use color as an accent to make your home decor pop!