When I think back to the Christmas of my youth, I marvel at how my parents pulled off a miracle every Christmas Eve. When my sisters and I awoke at a ridiculously early hour on Christmas morning, we would run into my parents room and wake them up so that we could not only open presents, but see the tree for the first time. My dad would go in first and set up the movie camera and the bright light that went with it. Seeing that huge tree that Santa brought the night before Christmas was sheer magic to us girls…
Fast forward several decades and Christmas is still one of my favorite times of the year, but I take my time with the decorating! This year has been a bit of a challenge as we are in the midst of a renovation of the small master bathroom, which means the bedroom is in the garage and the mess has spilled out into the driveway and onto the patio. The smell of epoxy doesn’t really lend itself to the Christmas mood either. Although I’ve simplified a bit this year, I think I’ve managed to get into the spirit of the season at last. I’ve turned up the Christmas music to drown out the banging of the construction, and lit my candles to help scent the house with pine, cloves, and cinnamon. There’s a pot of hot wassail simmering on the stove, and I’ve finally put up the tree that the three of us picked out right after Thanksgiving.
White pillows and accessories lighten up our home at Christmas.
Eucalyptus in a vase by Global Eye Art, a small mercury glass tree and some tiny metal reindeer from p o r c h…
Snowflake ornaments hang from the kitchen lights…
The tree (which is real!) can be seen from most spaces in our open living home…
Simple rustic fireplace decor…
I love the snowflakes in the kitchen…
I ended up simplifying the dining table with succulents and mercury glass hurricanes.
Every Christmas I bring out dozens of votives and light them most evenings…
A simple boxwood wreath on the barn door and a trio of driftwood trees…
Our TV console gets decked out with a collection of trees and votives…
I found this large, white metal tree at a local antique center. As we receive Christmas cards, I use wooden clothespins to attach them to the tree like ornaments…
Little details…
Our fig gets decked out in tiny lights and pinecones are the simple stars of the coffee table.
The new sofa gets a wintery look with a faux fur pillow from RH and a fuzzy white pillow from West Elm. A cotton throw completes the cozy look…
No Christmas in our home is complete without the scent of the Nest Holiday candle…
Wishing you all lots of love and laughter during this beautiful, magical, blessed time of the year…
A blanket, a mug of hot wassail, and a roaring fire is the perfect ending to a December day…
Pure perfection Elizabeth! Just lovely!
Thank you so much, Marlene!
I love every little detail, Elizabeth! It feels festive and yet so bright and airy, quite a departure from all the red and gold I’ve seen on trees this season…
xo,
Eva
P.S: I hope your contractors will be kind and finish soon 🙂
Thank you so much, Eva. Even when I lived in CT for 20 years, I’ve never been a red and gold gal. I appreciate it in other people’s homes but I’ve always like white and silver with fresh greens. Simple. And while I love my contractor, he is busy right now with multiple projects and I’m so happy for him since he is new to Santa Barbara and a friend and so I’m being patient because it will all be worth it in the end. 🙂
Wow your house is SO GORGEOUS!! I love your simple, clean style.
Julia – http://bunnybaubles.com
Thank you, Julia!
Where is your couch from? It looks so cozy.
It’s The Cloud sectional from RH. And it’s cushions are down and very comfy. I tried it out at an RH store and was obsessed!