A Very Charming Christmas | Designer Holiday Decor Ideas

It is almost the most wonderful time of the year, and it's time to start thinking about how you're going to decorate your home for Christmas. And I've gotten a little head start, decorated my entire house with our charming Christmas collection. I have put together every single piece in this collection. I know you're going to love it, and I can't wait to show you each and every detail. So I'm going to take you through my house. I'm going to share some of my designer tips on how to get a really beautiful classic look this season, and then share some of my very favorite pieces in the charming Christmas collection. Now before we get started, I do want to let you know that the entire Christmas collection is live on ashleychilders.com right now. So if you see anything in today's video that you want to incorporate into your own home's holiday decor, be sure to snag it because we sell out of our Christmas decor every single year. It goes very, very fast. So I want to start right here, which is what I would say the heart of the home for the holiday season, and it's our hearth and Christmas tree. And I want to talk through how I did the hearth this year. I really wanted a charming and almost creative look this season, so I started out with our willow pine garland. And this garland has been, I mean, probably the best seller for the past three years in our Christmas collection, and rightfully so. It is so beautiful. It's very lifelike, and it is very, very easy to work with. So I draped, I think I've got seven of the strands of willow pine garland. I always double them up to make them look super thick. And then I wove in our red berry garland, which just added that very naturalistic touch, which I feel like is just so timeless and appealing. And then I also added in these precious little garlands that are an embossed mercury glass ornament. So I draped those throughout, and then of course topped it all off with some red ribbon. Over here in the corner, I also added these really pretty bells. We've got them in three different sizes, and I love the antique finish on them. And then these little jingle bells that come in a strand. I think I've got three strands of those right there, and I just love how it turned out. I love that it feels very kind of organic because it's not symmetrical. I swooped the garland up and over and draped it on this side, and it just, it gave me the opportunity to make a little, create a little moment up here. So these are our little juniper berry wreaths, and I love them. They are the perfect size for putting them on candlesticks like this. You could put them on the back of a chair. They're great for a window. They're also awesome to put on a sconce and adorn with just a little red ribbon. And then last but not least on the mantle, I had to include this antique, really, really incredible swan that I found. It's a couple of weeks ago. I found her at an antique store when I was traveling, and I audibly squilled. She's just so beautiful, and I think it adds a little bit of an antique charm to the mantle to add her, put a little bow on her neck. I was very excited to do that, and that's one of my tips is that when you're decorating for Christmas, make sure that you're incorporating pieces, decor pieces, or, you know, items that you have that you love, maybe antique or vintage accessories. Incorporate that into your holiday decor. It just makes it feel a little less theme-y and feels more homey and thoughtful, in my opinion. I just love her up there. She's kind of like presiding over all of Christmas, all of the Christmas season. Okay, now let's go to the Christmas tree. I have never loved a Christmas tree more than I love this one. This has been such a joy to put this tree together and to pick all of the ornaments and put them together in this really beautiful collection. I wanted a couple of things from the tree this year. I wanted it to feel very just easy. I didn't want it to have like really, really grand big ornaments. I wanted it to feel collected and creative and charming and nostalgic. I am going into the holiday season with all of the hope that the Christmas season brings and just cannot wait to spend time with friends and family so I really wanted our house to feel welcoming and warm and nostalgic in all the best ways. And this tree fits the bill perfectly. So the very first thing I did when I was decorating the tree was to start out with our little jingle bell garland, which is, it is so whimsical. I'm obsessed with it. If you like happen to just brush by the tree, you might get a little jingle. It's so cute. I love it and I love that it just lifts the darkness of the dark green of the tree and just adds that little sparkle. And then I also wove in our red berry garland. And same with that, I love that it just adds a little punch of color all woven all throughout the tree and it's such a beautiful naturalistic backdrop for the ornaments. Okay, let me show you a couple of my very favorite ornaments. First of all, there are so many different ornaments this year in the collection. I just wanted to have a feeling that all of the Christmas decorations in this year's collection were collected over time like family heirlooms would be. And I feel like the the assortment of ornaments tells that story and I just think it turned out so beautifully. So let's walk through them really fast. We have got, oh my gosh, there's so many I don't even know where to start, but I'll just kind of start right here. So we've got these really beautiful antique green balls. We've got velvet brown and green balls. We've got these really beautiful ruby red hand-blown glass drops. And then this one, oh I love this one. Look at this etched mercury glass ball. I think that that is just so like European in all the best ways. I love that one. Oh, this one's so pretty. It's this really deep burgundy and it's got this really pretty embossing on it. These sweet little, oh I love those little birds. They're so sweet. I love the, also the antique patina finish on it's really, really pretty. And then these hand-painted ones are probably one of my very favorites just because I think that color is a little unexpected. I love that like caramel and then they're all hand-painted and that with the matte finish. I love those as well. Okay, I absolutely had to include this one in the collection. I think it's the funniest, sweetest little thing, this little cuckoo clock. I mean, come on, even the little drops. That is just so, so sweet. There's all different types of stars. We've got the brass mistletoe and these really beautiful mercury glass drops and different etched stars. I mean, there's a lot going on on this tree but it tells such a beautiful collected story and it's my favorite Christmas tree, honestly, I've ever had. I'm absolutely obsessed with it. I just walk into this room to look at it on the occasion. And then the very last thing that I did on the tree and on the mantle garland was to just add some really easy bows of ruby red grosgrain ribbon. This is nothing special. You can get this ribbon at your local craft store. But what it does is it ties the berries into the ribbon and it creates a common thread from the tree to the garland to the wreaths to what you'll see later on on the staircase. That color all throughout the house just weaves everything together and that's my color of the season. If you've seen some of my other videos, you know that I love to choose a color of the season. And what that does, it just creates a cadence throughout your home and kind of ties everything in a beautiful, harmonious way. All right, so tree, garland. These are probably my two favorite moments in the house but I've got so much more to show you. I cannot wait. Now as we move farther on into the room, I want to talk about this cocktail table because I didn't add a lot to it but what I did add made a really big impact. So in this vase, I have got two different sprays that are in the collection. I've got our berry spray and our cypress spray and I'm gonna pick, well, I don't know if I can get one out but they're just simple little sprays. I think I've probably got five of each. It's a pretty big vase but and I wanted it to look really full so I put quite a few in there but I love how they look together. I think it just looks very, very honestly realistic and that's the deal for the holidays, especially if you're going to decorate early like me. It's not always an option to have live greenery and so when you have greenery that is faux but looks lifelike, it's a bonus. So these are new for us this year and I'm obsessed with them. I think they absolutely look beautiful. And then, of course, just one of my alabaster bowls filled with some embossed ornaments. These are also in the collection and I really like these because they're easy to just fill a bowl and add a little bit of holiday sparkle to a tabletop and I think that that finish is so beautiful. I love that matte gold finish. And then, of course, I finished everything off with one of our sleigh bells. This is the two strap and it is such a great little addition to a tabletop. Also, too, it's probably one of my very favorite hostess gifts to give. I give these to everyone that hosts a party or a dinner or whatever during the holiday season. It's also the perfect size to add to the top of a wine bottle. Like this is you can just put that on a on a wine bottle, carry that into a party, and you will be the most adored guest undoubtedly. Okay, so now for the entry, which I always love decorating our entry table for any season, but especially for Christmas. And I just wanted it to feel very special. And so what I did was I actually put together all three of the stems that are in the collection this year. This is our berry stem, our cedar stem, and our cypress stem. And I love the mixed of textures that it created. I just put it in kind of an open mouth vase and then put it on top of this antique capitol. And then I added in some of our ornaments. This is like the little, this is actually a shinier embossed ornament collection. They come in a set, a little bag, a muslin bag. I've got one of our bells. This is one of my favorite bells. This is also a great one. It's just a small. It's great for a gift, but I also love the detail. So all of our bells that are in our collection are all handmade. And they're all made in Pennsylvania by a family of Amish people that have been making bells for years and years and years. And so they are lovingly handmade. All really beautiful hand-tanned leather and solid brass bells. And they're just truly keepsakes. They're probably one of my very favorite things that I have in my home during the holiday season. They're just charming and nostalgic in all the best ways. Okay, then I just put together this little grouping of Christmas trees. I did add in, this is actually, I want to show you this. This is a great way to just add a little bit of Christmas charm onto a tabletop. So this is that juniper wreath that I showed you earlier that was on the candlesticks that are on top of the mantle. And I just put that down as a base for the tree. You could do that for a candle. Actually, I did that in the great room. I'm gonna show it to you in a minute. But it's a really pretty way to add a little bit of greenery and it just feels very classic and timeless. Okay, I love this table. Welcome to my home for Christmas. All right, so my main goal as I move, you know, from the entry into the great room was just just to create that continuity of Christmas charm. And the way I did that right here on the bar cart was to add in our willow pine wreath. So this is a 24-inch wreath and it is the absolute perfect size for this type of thing, putting it up on a mirror like this. I've got some of them in the windows in my kitchen. I can't wait to show you that. And it's also just a really great size for your front door. I love the texture of the willow pine. I just think it is so lifelike and just really, really pretty. I like that it's just soft and droopy and just creates a very relaxed look. Sometimes Christmas wreaths can look a little stiff and I just like this one being so relaxed and effortless. Okay, then right here. So this arrangement is all Cypress sprays and these sprays are by far one of our best sellers year after year after year because they pack a big punch. So this is one of the sprays. This is a single spray and they have that softness that the wreath and the garland does and actually tie really well into them. And they make a really pretty grouping all by themselves. I think there's probably five or six sprays in this arrangement and it's such a great and easy way to create a lifelike Christmas arrangement very easily and affordably. Okay, lastly, I had to add in these little brass Wiseman. I found these a few years ago at an antique shop and I just think they're hilarious and just have a little bit of charm and kind of humor, honestly. And I've got them on top of these antique books. So that's really all I needed on the bar cart just to create a little Christmas moment. I love this vignette especially because it's actually right in front of the hallway that I come out of my bedroom. So it's the very first thing that I see after I, you know, come out of our bedroom hall and just puts me in the Christmas spirit. Before we leave the entry, I've got to show you the stairs. They are adorned with the garland. Same garland that's on the mantle and it looks really beautiful on the staircase. So this is the willow pine garland and then the berry garland. And I just wove it in throughout the willow pine and it looks really, really pretty. And very naturalistic. And then one of my very favorite bells in the collection. This has got five beautiful embossed brass bells on it. And I love, I love this particular bell to do something like this to put it on. You could actually put it on a piece of furniture or on the staircase like this and it's really pretty. Or of course on your front door. I mean you could put it on your doorknob. I've got some of the red grosgrain ribbon in there and that's all I did this year. And this is probably my favorite staircase I've ever had. I love the way that it looks. I love how I wrapped the garland around the handrail and then it just cascades down and it's the perfect touch of red. And it just, it really creates that continuity between the spaces in the home. So you've got that same look going on down the staircase and then over on the mantle. And then you'll see I've got some of these garlands in the kitchen as well. I hope you like it. I love it. All right, I want to take you a little farther into the great room and show you a few more of the pieces that I am loving in this year's collection. Okay, so now we're on the side of great room and this part of the room connects our kitchen and family room with the larger space of the bigger great room and the entry. That's kind of how our house is laid out. And so this is just a connection space and it's honestly where a lot of people lounge when we're entertaining because the kitchen's right there and they can, you know, have a glass of wine and hang out while I'm cooking or whatever. So it's an important, it's an important place in this room and in our home. So I wanted it to feel festive for the holidays. So what I did, super easy. I did like five things in this space. I added the juniper wreaths to the bottom of these glass hurricanes. And I just wanted to show you how easy it is to do that. I just slipped them over the top of the glass hurricanes. These wreaths are 14 inches in diameter. So they're really a great size. They're not too small. They're not too big. And they add enough of a presence to a tablescape to make it feel festive. This is probably one of my very favorite bells in this year's collection. It's the studded bell. And I absolutely love it's got those same embossed brass bells, but then it's got these little brass studs. I just love that one. And it sounds, I want to, I want y'all to hear how this sounds. It sounds like, well, it is a sleigh bell. I mean, it's a real authentic, oh, that sound is just so beautiful. I love it. So can you imagine that being on your front door and that jingle bell sound echoing through your home? Every time someone comes in your front door, I mean, you can't get much more Christmas than that. Okay. I've got this really pretty plate. This is an antique piece that I've had for years and years. And I just sprinkled in some of those little embossed ornaments that we talked about. And then over here on the credenza, I've got these really beautiful copper Christmas trees. They are the most gorgeous finish. They're glass, but they have this matte copper finish that is just honestly stunning. And they work perfectly with my antique books. And then of course, one more bell. And then I added some, some stems up here to this big vase, but that's it. That wasn't much. It's not like I just went all out with Christmas decor in this area, but it's really the perfect touch. And it's exactly how I want my home to feel for the holidays. Really effortless and charming and full of just delightful details. Okay. Now it's time for the family room. I want to take you in there and show you some easy ways to add some Christmas charm to what will probably be the most important rooms in your home during the holiday season. Okay. It's time for the Christmas kitchen. And I love adding a little bit of Christmas charm to this room, especially because it's where my family hangs out during the holiday season and where some of my very best memories of all time are made. So I didn't do a ton in here, but I added that willow pine wreaths. I added those to each of these windows that flank our range hood. And I've actually also got them on some windows on the other side of the room. I'll show you in a minute. I think that's it. I've got, I did add these little bells. These are in the collection and I love these. They're on a really pretty velvet ribbon and they are just so pretty to hang down in the center of a wreath or put on a door handle or a cabinet knob. I just love them. And then I did tuck in this sweet little mercury glass set of Christmas trees over here. I put one of my pieces of vintage art on the cabinet for the season. And then over here on our floating shelves, I added three of the willow pine garland. That's all I did on this side of the kitchen. This is kind of a hub of activity when we entertain. This is where we usually like put the drink station and everything. So I kept all the decor on those shelves the same, but I did add in some of the willow pine garland. So this is just three of the garlands. That's all I needed. Okay, so for the island, I always like to create a little welcoming vignette when we entertain. This is where we put out all of the hors d'oeuvres. So I've got those cypress sprays and a really pretty marble vase that I've had for years and years. It's antique. And then let's see. Oh, I did. I did a little bell here and our Daphne oil candle. This is the smaller version. I had the bigger version on the cocktail table in the great room, but this is a great holiday addition. Honestly, obviously it's beautiful for decorating with all year long, but I love the oil candles, especially during the holiday season because they don't have a scent. So if you've got a room diffuser or something like that with your holiday fragrance, these are great because they use scentless oil. So, and they stay burning for hours and hours. They'll burn the entire time you're having your holiday party. Okay, I want to show you one more of the Christmas trees and a few more little nostalgic touches that I added to this room that hopefully will give you some inspiration as you're decorating. Okay. The family room. This is where we hang out and where we watch Christmas movie marathons and it's connected to the kitchen. So I wanted it to feel really, really cozy. I created this arrangement for the cocktail table out of those same sprays that I had in the great room, the berry spray and the cedar spray. And then I just added a couple of little nostalgic touches. One of my really beautiful antique books that is red that I absolutely love. I was so excited to get to put it on the cocktail table because I just think it's so gorgeous and it's the perfect Christmas colors. And then this bell, this is new for us this year. We've never had this one. And I am obsessed with it. It's this red heart and it's got the three brass bells on it. And I just think it's the most charming bells ever. Honestly, I of course would love it on a door knob. But I just think it's really pretty on top of this stack of books with the little ribbon kind of flouncing over. I love it. Okay, I've got the juniper wreath right here on this candelabra. It looks great. This is the TV wall. I mean, we're not making any bones about it. We watch TV in this room. So we've got a TV on the wall. But I do like having that candelabra there. So this is actually the tree that we add our family heirloom ornaments to throughout the season. So it's all the ornaments that I have collected throughout the years. We have a family tradition where we get each other ornaments every single year that kind of represent whatever has happened that past year in each other's lives. And it's just a really fun tradition. And now I have tons and tons of heirloom ornaments because of it. So I'll add those to this tree. But the ornaments that are on there right now give it just a really beautiful traditional feel. And they'll be a great backdrop for our family's heirloom ornaments. Okay, so the last thing is over on this side of the room, I did add three of those 24 inch willow pine wreaths in the windows. And I've never put wreaths in those windows and I just love it. I think it looks so welcoming. I just want to have a big family dinner right here at this table and enjoy the company of my family and friends this season. I hope that today's video got you excited to decorate your home for the season ahead. And I want to remind you that our Charming Christmas Collection is now live on AshleyChildrens.com. And if there's anything that you want, you need to snag it because we sell out every single year. Now, I hope that you feel inspired to decorate your home with all of the charm and whimsy and nostalgia that this incredible season holds. And I want to wish you and yours a very, very merry and wonderful holiday season.