Holiday Home Tour 2023

Design

Dec 5

AGH Lake House

Last year was our first year celebrating the holidays at the freshly renovated AGH Lake House. I was SO excited to decorate for the holidays last year; Simple, neutral and natural were the goal and I’m so pleased with how it turned out. This year I’ve continued some of those elements and brought in some new ones as well.

Decorating our home for the holidays is about building a sense of anticipation. Our tree goes up right after Thanksgiving, and we lean into the festivities for as long as possible. Each year, my holiday design plan starts with a color of the year and a different inspiration point in mind. This time around, we let natural elements alongside a chocolate brown hue take center stage. From loads of greenery to dried citrus slices, we paired holiday classics with brass bells and velvet ribbon in a palette of muted earthy and organic tones for a seasonal twist.

Despite some upkeep involved, I’m such a huge believer in designing with all fresh greenery during the holidays. However, this year with our schedules, we opted to go with a mix of faux and fresh for lower-maintenance upkeep. Our faux wreaths and garland are from Target (linked below), our tree was cut fresh at a local farm in-town, and the fresh greenery in vases was foraged outside. Our faux garland sits atop our “makeshift mantle” on the built-ins in our living room, as well as on the railing of our curved staircase that leads up to my studio. One 9-foot garland piece was plenty to cover each area. We have three faux wreaths hanging at the house: one on our front door, one on our patio door, and an oversized one on the wall in our dining room. Last year, we hung several fresh mini wreaths in our windows, and I hope to bring that back next year! We positioned our Christmas tree in front of the built-ins in our living room for the second year. In the Lake House, I’ve been liking a somewhat sparse tree around 6 feet tall. I use an eclectic mix neutral and earth-toned ornaments as well as vintage ornaments (as long as they all fall within the same color palette). I may change things up next time or the time after that, but that’s the fun of bringing design into the holidays. I wanted to bring holiday decorating beyond the living room with no space off-limits this year. So, I foraged a big bundle of evergreen branches from our heavily wooded yard and made arrangements in the various vases that typically hold grasses and other greenery. I’ve decided these festive arrangements are the MVP of this year’s holiday decor, and plan to do again year after year.

Tip: I know working with fresh greenery, wreaths, and garlands comes with a learning curve, but we’ve put together a simple care guide to get you started. And, always hang garland using zip ties. They’re easy to install and disappear right into the greenery. When the season is done, just clip them off and go.

I had such a fun time dressing up our home this season and can’t wait to host friends and family around our table to celebrate the season. Come on in; I’d love to show you around.

Shop the Look

SHOP ALL

Round Edge Metal Wreath Hanger

20" Artificial Christmas Wreath

Round Linen Tree Skirt

Northlight Grande Spruce Artificial Garland

Khaki Velvet Ribbon

Hand-Dyed Taupe Velvet Ribbon

Hand-Dyed Camel Velvet Ribbon

The Farmhouse Stay

The Farmhouse Stay is a place of rest and relaxation, where everything is easier, more casual, and built for lots of family time. In keeping with that sentiment, we wanted our holiday decor to reflect that laid-back, cozy feel. Inspired by the ease of life on vacation with fun family traditions folded in, here’s our rendition of a holiday, farmhouse house style.

The base layer of our holiday decor always starts with greenery; loads of it. But, with time at the farm limited, we knew we needed low-maintenance greenery that would last a long time. In order to keep things fresh with zero upkeep, we opted for all faux versions. The Norfolk Pine collection of garlands and wreaths from Afloral added that natural element that I love without them wilting while we are away. We aimed to get a bit of greenery in almost every room, and also added vintage ribbon bows in some of the common areas.

To create continuity with the rest of the space, we trimmed the tree with a curated selection of all neutral and vintage-inspired ornaments. We felt this was a better approach with the different groups staying and events going on at the house throughout the holiday season. If someone wanted to infuse a bit more color for their stay or celebration, it would be easy to do so with the neutral base. Target has fantastic (and fun) ornaments, but they sell out early in the season so be sure to snag them early. Our favorite local place to pickup ornaments is Azalea in downtown Niantic.

Design & Styling: A Good Home | Photography: TMCC Photography

Shop the Look

SHOP ALL

6.5' Pre-Lit Artificial Alberta Spruce

Wooden Lattice Tree Collar

Brass Star Tree Topper

White Starburst Ornament

Wood Accordion Ornaments

Bell Cluster Ornament

Jingle Bell Ornaments

Glittered Pine Cone Ornaments

20" Artificial Wreath

Thanks so much for swinging by this year’s holiday home tour. Getting the homes ready for the celebrations of the season is always quite a process, but I love every single second. Thank you to Taryn McCabe of TMCC Photography for capturing the simplicity and beauty of the holidays at The Farmhouse Stay!

Chelsea Wade

Holiday Home Tour 2023