For most of us, the holidays will be a little different this year. If you’re in the mood to scale back your decor (as well as the guest list), take some inspo from homeowners who are decorating purists. These festive rooms remain true to their roots and may well inspire a holiday “makeunder” this season. Scroll down to discover 35+ minimalist holiday decorating ideas sure to spark joy.
Sprinkle greenery throughout the room, whether it’s a clutch of magnolia leaves in a gold vase or a small potted tree that can be planted outside after the holidays (if the ground is unfrozen).
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Source: House & Home November 2020
Designer: Ami McKay, Pure Design Inc.
Accent the beauty of a tree with naturalistic ornaments that would typically be found on a tree: snow-dusted pinecones, garlands of birch branch off-cuts and faux pears. A simple basket stands in for a tree skirt, and gifts are wrapped in kraft paper, reusable fabric and pom-pom ribbons. Handmade tags (a letter gift tag comes courtesy of a repurposed “Merry Christmas” garland) boost the charm of environmentally-friendly wrap.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Source: House & Home November 2020
Designer: Ami McKay, Pure Design Inc.
Ditch the big poinsettia in a pot in favor of a deconstructed arrangement on the holiday table. For her clients in Kitsilano, B.C., designer Ami McKay buys a bunch of greens and ranunculus, and divides them into small containers. “I wanted warmth with contrast, and also deep color to reflect the black tones in the kitchen,” she says.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Source: House & Home November 2020
Designer: Ami McKay, Pure Design Inc.
Stockings are hung on the stair rail with care in this mid-century modern holiday home, for a festive effect that is airy and light. A tree dressed in monochromatic ornaments is similarly soothing. “We kept the finishes of the home simple, leaving lots of room for art, furniture, music and plants to fill up the spaces,” says homeowner and designer Todd McMillan. His sentiments ring true in the family’s living room, which easily transitions to holiday mode with the addition of a simply decorated tree and stockings hung from the Douglas fir stair rail.
Photographer: Kim Jeffrey
Source: House & Home November 2019
Designer: Todd & Kristen McMillan, Ben Homes
Let older children trim their own tree with mini baubles to add cheer to their rooms. A simple accent table serves as a nightstand where a stylized mini holiday tree adds a festive touch.
Photographer: Kim Jeffrey
Source: House & Home November 2019
Designer: Todd & Kristen McMillan, Ben Homes
A simple bowl of sugar pinecones is an easy way to inject festive flair to a tabletop, like in this picturesque country home, where designer Angela Wheeler spends Christmas with her husband, Josh Malcolm, and their four lucky children.
Photographer: Virginia Macdonald
Source: House & Home November 2019
Designer: Angela Wheeler
At the front entrance, a large mirror and simple hall table — made with 120-year-old reclaimed wood — set the mood. A cascade of cedar boughs creates a cheery welcome, accents the rustic, raw wood furnishings and echoes the garlands outside.
Photographer: Virginina Macdonald
Source: House & Home November 2019
Designer: Angela Wheeler
Oversized Christmas lights have a vintage flair in this farmhouse living room. Wrapping that coordinates with the home’s palette is a subtle, dreamy way to tie everything together. A bouquet of classic holiday flowers — white amaryllis — is paired with wintry berries. “I love everything to be natural, so we always get a real tree,” says designer and homeowner Shannon Vosters. “The house smells amazing!” Metallic baubles add warmth and subtle shimmer.
Photographer: Robin Stubbert
Source: House & Home November 2020
Designer: Shannon Vosters
Accent features like windows and an impressive hutch with feathery, live garlands. Shannon found this china cabinet on Kijiji. She kept the original caning and hardware but refurbished the piece with a good sanding and several coats of paint.
Photographer: Robin Stubbert
Source: House & Home November 2020
Designer: Shannon Vosters
When your table is rustic, play it up with the natural materials: pomegranate, real greenery and a linen runner. This stays true to the home’s roots with tin lights and plenty of communal seating for the kids.
Photographer: Robin Stubbert
Source: House & Home November 2020
Designer: Shannon Vosters
Think of unusual ways to secure a small tree: an old fashioned butter crock does the trick. “I like to bring a bit of Christmas into the boys’ room,” says Shannon of the mini tree placed in a crock.
Photographer: Robin Stubbert
Source: House & Home November 2020
Designer: Shannon Vosters
There’s no need for a riot of color to accent the grandeur of a tree. Florist Cynthia Zamaria drapes her fir with a generous cluster of small white lights, and scatters fresh and dried fruit down the center of the table. “For me, the holidays are about clementines, natural boughs and greenery that make the house smell wonderful,” says Cynthia.
Photographer: Robin Stubbert
Source: House & Home November 2019
Designer: Cynthia Zamaria
A bare tree and a bundle of cedar boughs are the definition of low-key holiday decorating. Simple baskets made from natural materials play up the texture to perfection. Fill baskets with small evergreens left bare and cut boughs for a lush yet relaxed look.
Photographer: Robin Stubbert
Source: House & Home November 2019
Designer: Cynthia Zamaria
Not every wreath needs to be hung on a door. Here, this petite version is jauntily placed on a figurative sculpture. And don’t forget the drama of a long ribbon in a sumptuous grosgrain. Natural boughs and greenery make a house smell wonderful, says Cynthia, who lavishes her historic Port Dover coach house with plenty of the green stuff.
Photographer: Robin Stubbert
Source: House & Home November 2019
Designer: Cynthia Zamaria
Look to the garden for inspiration. A few twists of fresh euonymus branches (or any evergreen) and a thick satin ribbon dress up a cheery green door.
Photographer: House & Home November 2019
Source: House & Home November 2019
Designer: Cynthia Zamaria
Natural cedar swags frame the doorway in the upstairs of this historic Prince Edward County home. When decorating the tree, florist Alison Westlake of Coriander Girl opted for dried florals instead of classic ornaments for a feathered look.
Photographer: Johnny C.Y. Lam
Source: House & Home December 2019
Vintage Thonet chairs are a modern design icon in this Scandi-style kitchen. The holiday decorations are similarly pared back. The table is embellished by a simple row of small pine trees, wrapped in burlap, instead of a more traditional floral arrangement.
Photographer: Alex Lukey
Source: House & Home November 2018
Simple linens and plates stamped with a snowflake motif are a low-key but still festive way to set a holiday table. A matte finish on the utensils adds subtle glow to a holiday meal.
Photographer: Alex Lukey
Source: House & Home November 2018
A grouping of bare birch branches complements the spare beauty of a Matthew Hilton for Case Furniture dining table in Leigh Gravenor’s home. A spray of fresh florals dresses up the walls, and sculptural Protea flowers are a more modern take on poinsettia.
Photographer: Alex Lukey
Source: House & Home November 2018
Instead of tinsel, try tucking eucalyptus sprigs into the tree’s branches. White lights echo the room’s modernist palette.
Photographer: Alex Lukey
Source: House & Home November 2018
Take things down a notch and wrap gifts in a recyclable white or kraft paper, and embellish them with bits of greenery.
Photographer: Alex Lukey
Source: House & Home November 2018
Faux fur accents and bare branches casually decked out with homespun ornaments are an easy way to introduce a festive, naturalistic mood in a bedroom.
Photographer: Alex Lukey
Source: House & Home November 2018
A clean, contemporary bathroom in high-contrast black and white is simply dressed up with a fresh green Scotch pine wreath, which adds subtle color and fragrance.
Photographer: Alex Lukey
Source: House & Home November 2018
A spruce-tone painted accent wall and slim Scandi fireplace set a holiday tone in this Montreal rowhouse. The fireplace’s sculptural shape is a contemporary alternative to a traditional hearth.
Photographer: Maxime Desbiens
Source: House & Home November 2018
Homeowner Sandra Smile decorated the striking windows with fresh, fuss-free greenery that suits the clean vibe of the furnishings. Circular, minimalist wreaths made of cedar, eucalyptus and olive branches are a counterpoint to the rectangular window panes.
Photographer: Maxime Desbiens
Source: House & Home November 2018
This armoire (a lucky find in a French flea market) has a traditional feel, but it’s embellished in a contemporary way with a loose garland of cascading greens in a mix of different branches for added interest. Simple wooden ornaments in a metallic finish are grouped in a bowl for an fuss-free hit of holiday sparkle.
Photographer: Maxime Desbiens
Source: House & Home November 2018
The family who owns this West Coast home likes to keep things natural during the holidays. Evergreen boughs tied with twine and hung from cabinetry pulls add color in unexpected places.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Source: House & Home December 2018
Designer: Ami McKay
Pieces of driftwood dipped in metallic finishes bring in a bit of nature, but with a modern outlook. An asymmetrical garland tied with buoy-like ornaments is a fresh way to dress the mantel in a coastal home. The holiday tree is decorated sparingly with a palette of teal blues and natural tones: designer Ami McKay added simple loops of ribbon to wooden napkin rings to create ornaments.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Source: House & Home December 2018
Designer: Ami McKay
Baskets are used to corral gifts tied with twine, holiday toys and wooden decorations under the tree so things look orderly and lush.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Source: House & Home December 2018
Designer: Ami McKay
This home skips the full-on stair garland for a spray of feathery cedar branches tied at the newel post for an effect that’s breezy and easy to accomplish. A scattering of gifts placed throughout the home spark festive cheer and a sense of anticipation.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Source: House & Home December 2018
Designer: Ami McKay
An eye-catching starburst chandelier and walnut table play into the dining room’s mid-century modern vibe. A faux fur throw and simple white vessels filled with greenery are essential wintry accents.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Source: House & Home December 2018
Designer: Ami McKay
The owner of this home lived in California and wanted to bring the laid-back, SoCal style to her Toronto home. A lush wreath, live tree and jade plant bring the outdoors in, even on a chilly winter day.
Photographer: Stacey Brandford
Source: House & Home November 2017
Designer: Colleen McGill
French doors are dressed up with a row of wreaths — knotted with simple white bows — and a small potted evergreen. The real Scandi touch is the chandelier, which resembles a multi-pronged clutch of hand-dipped tapers.
Photographer: Stacey Brandford
Source: House & Home November 2017
Designer: Colleen McGill
A cozy wingback chair-style headboard makes this bedroom an inviting retreat on a cold night. A feathery cedar garland draped over the window is a handsome, festive touch and smells like a walk in the forest.
Photographer: Stacey Brandford
Source: House & Home November 2017
Designer: Colleen McGill
A glass demijohn stuffed with branches and adorned with a few colorful ornaments stands in for a tabletop tree in this contemporary gray kitchen.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Source: House & Home November 2012
Designer: Sophie Burke
Textural white ornaments and nature-inspired baubles have a nostalgic feel, without appearing too busy. Under the tree, presents are wrapped in white and kraft paper, tied with red string for a cohesive, signature look.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Source: House & Home November 2012
Designer: Sophie Burke
Take a cue from the Nordic countries (these Tomte or Nisse gnomes are common in Scandinavian folklore) and decorate the mantel with simple string of felted ornaments. They are easy to hang, and along with an arrangement of red Brazilian pepper berries, they offer a dose of color and whimsy.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Source: House & Home November 2012
Designer: Sophie Burke
Up Next
20+ Ways To Bring The Ski Chalet Look To Your City Home
