If you missed it, I shared the details about our 2025 Christmas tree HERE. In this post, I’m sharing how the rest of the living room looks dressed for Christmas this year. Here is the view through the doorway from the kitchen…
curtain rod | curtains | rug | pillows | sconces | paint color
I do need to say that we don’t usually have this many pillows on our sofa! I learned a long time ago that sofas and chairs photograph better when they are generously styled with pillows, quilts, blankets, and throws. This is the room where we watch movies and hang out, so the sofa is usually in disarray, styled for comfort instead of photos!
Anyway, it is fun to play around with the styling and make the room look nice, even if those pillows will be on the floor as soon as I give the guys the all clear.
dog painting print | stag antlers | sconces | green velvet pillow | wrapping paper | sofa
I usually don’t get too fussy with the Christmas decorating in this room. I like to bring in some faux greenery here and there, and then I’ll dress the mantel. Otherwise, I want the tree to have top billing. In past years, I’ve added some Christmas touches to the side tables, but I left them alone this year.
I also like to move around the pillows depending on the season. I rarely go out and buy new pillows, but I rotate ones from other rooms in the house to change up the look. These green block-print pillows are usually in the foyer, and the green velvet lumbar pillow is on our bed, but I brought them out for the winter because they “read” Christmasy to me, even if they aren’t Christmas-specific.
I also move quilts and throws around to change up the look of the room seasonally. I’ve shared in the past that one of my favorite rooms in an old Country Living decorating book shows how much the look of a room can change by swapping out the slipcovers and pillows with the seasons. I make my own slipcovers for the sake of economy and customization, not so much because I love sewing, so I’ve only made one set of slipcovers for my furniture. Maybe one day I’ll get a bee in my bonnet, though, and finally make a second set so I can change them out with the weather warms up and when it cools down again.
The mantel is even simpler this year than it was last Christmas. I hung four garlands, two deluxe Norfolk Pine garlands mixed with two eucalyptus garlands, and that’s it. I added a couple of LED real wax candles in vintage candlesticks, but didn’t rearrange the mantel.
Often, when I’m decorating for Christmas, I’ll put out some decor and then live with it for a day or two to see if it feels like enough. Some years, it feels like I need more, and others, like this year, simple feels just right. This room is small, and there is already a lot going on, so it doesn’t need very much.
pleated lampshade tutorial | pine garland | eucalyptus garland
I did make one change since last year – I finally put a second coat of paint on our custom-built mantel. I primed and painted it after we built it, but the new wood really soaked up the paint, and after I cleaned up and called the project done, I realized it would need one more coat. Finally, this fall, I pulled out the paint and a brush and knocked it out in about ten minutes. You would think I would learn by now that I let these silly little projects I leave undone grow in my mind, and end up being no big deal.
You can find the details on how we designed and built our antique-style custom mantel HERE.
wing chair slipcover tutorial | LED Real Wax candles | floor lamp
And, in case you’re wondering, this is where our TV is located…
I always crop it out of the shot, because who wants to look at a big, black rectangle? I would love to have it in a cabinet, but some concessions need to be made to the men in the house, given how gracious they are about my antiques and decorating. Sometimes life and practicality supersede aesthetics.
I hope you enjoyed the tour of our cozy little living room.
You can find more Christmas & winter decorating inspiration HERE.