These are the trendiest ways to deck the halls in 2022.
It’s that time of year again when we deck the halls of our homes in their best holiday. Christmas trees, wreaths and garlands are going up to make the house merry and bright alongside ornaments, ribbons and twinkling lights galore. This year, we’ve made an observation: Like home decor the rest of the year, even Christmas decor seems to have trends. While you’ll never catch us spending Christmas without a loud and proud tree standing tall in the living room, there are certainly other elements that seem to boom and bust in popularity. And though some classic styles have survived through the ages, new elements—from color palettes to trinkets and even dispositions—are popping up before our eyes. Like any other trend cycle, we can expect some old-school Christmas decoration fads to come back in fashion, too. Here are the Christmas decorating trends that designers say are big and back in business this holiday season.
Classic Colors
Red and green are never far from our hearts come Christmastime. This traditional palette will always be pleasing for the holiday season and principal designer Jess Weeth from Delaware’s Weeth Home, plus Ashley Hunt and Savannah McPartland, design partners for Haddy House Interiors in Houston, don’t see it going anywhere anytime soon. “I think people are really gravitating towards the traditional elements of Christmas,” says McPartland. “It’s a nostalgic effect—thinking back to your childhood.”
SomethingOld
Antiques, vintage decorations, and sentimental trophies can’t be forgotten when putting up the holiday decorations this year. These goodies of yesteryear—like Grandma’s ornaments or passed-down needle point stockings—add a deeper meaning to our festive displays dispersed among newer embellishments. Hunt is excited this year to show off her grandmother’s hand-knit stockings alongside her husband’s new stocking lovingly bought from Neiman’s. The same goes for decorating the tree. “I think a lot of times people got so caught up in trying to make their tree so perfect and so on theme, but one thing we really love doing and encouraging others to do, is to incorporate those sentimental ornaments,” says McPartland. “Put in the ones that your kids made at school. It just makes it that much sweeter.”
The More On The Mantel, The Merrier
This year, focus your decorating efforts toward the fireplace and go above and beyond on the mantel. “The mantel is somewhere you can really have a lot of fun,” said McPartland. “Keeping the cedar garland and natural garland as your base, you can add in so much like some more faux greenery and some magnolia leaves for warmth.”
asymmetry
When it comes to mantels, Weeth especially loves a striking, asymmetric look to frame the roaring fire. This one is made with birch branches, acacia foliage, dark berry viburnum and eucalyptus. “Wild and imperfect—it adds drama and whimsy for the whole season,” she says.
Tinsel À La 1950s
Once the height of holiday fashion, tinsel is making a powerful comeback. We love the classic drama that tinsel brings to a Christmas tree and so does the Happy House designers. “We’re all about here for the tensile,” says Hunt. “I think it’s super fun, but it’s still a classic.”
Coziness Central
Sometimes holiday decorating isn’t about creating an over-the-top winter wonderland. Sometimes, especially this year, it can just be about setting the mood. The goal is peak coziness. “As we move into the chilly holiday weather, I recommend transitioning shared spaces like the living room to create a cozier mood,” says Weeth. “I tend to start with textiles like velvet, mohair, or even a soft linen with a fun, warm trim. For the palette, I add rich tones like terra cotta and rust in textiles, stems, and accessories. It adds depth to a space when paired with leather upholstery, darker stained woods, and aged brass accents.” Candles can also go a long way in creating ambiance.
Alternate Color Palettes
As much as we love traditional reds and greens, it’s also fun to switch things up sometimes by incorporating different hues—something designers say they’re seeing more than ever. Blues are always a good choice, with hot pinks and yellows on its tail this year. “There’s something about the chic contrast of deep blue against fresh evergreens that feels like pure winter magic to me,” says Weeth. “This year, I’m loving adding ochres and mustards, which look beautiful when layered in with the deep greens and browns of magnolia leaves.”
Matching The Room
Take advantage of the rising popularity of alternate color schemes and choose hues that build on your home’s pre-existing decor. This Christmas tree was decorated by Hardy House Interiors to complement the dreamy blue curtains of the living room. “If you’ve got some modern colors throughout your house, you can definitely incorporate that in with your tree and other Christmas decor,” says Hunt.
Fun And Games
Sure we want our homes to look beautiful when decorated for the holidays, but we also want to instill that signature Christmas jolliness, especially for young ones running around. Hunt and McPartland say that Christmas villages and trains around the Christmas tree are especially stylish, nostalgic ways to do that in 2022. “One of my favorite Christmas memories is my mom putting up our Christmas village,” says McPartland. “So it’s something we love to do and that the kids really appreciate.”
Decorating Across Rooms
Think big and don’t limit your indoor decor to the living room. Take the decorations into other rooms in the house, like bedrooms and the kitchen, to spread merriness throughout. Hunt and McPartland love to decorate kids’ rooms, which they say is a great place to incorporate the previous trend—fun—to the full affect. “We also love to bring in the fun stuff like colorful lights and gumdrop ornaments, things like that where we can have a little more fun with it but keeping it more traditional in the living spaces,” shares McPartland.
NaturalBeauty
This year and always, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year to welcome lots of greenery. Even if you’re an artificial tree devotee, bring nature home with fresh garlands, wreaths, and arrangements. “We always gravitate towards incorporating fresh cedar any way we can into the house,” says Hunt. “We really think that it lights up the house overall it smells great.” Weeth also loves incorporating winter florals with darker stems as well as baby’s breath.
Sparkle And Shine
Metallics take the gold this year when it comes to holiday decorating. Shining silvers, golds, and bronzes are everywhere. McPartland recommends matching metallic Christmas decor to the metals already in your home, or choosing a mixed metals approach. “It just looks really pretty and adds another element without bringing in another crazy color or print,” she says.
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