Style Guide: Holiday Decor, Four Ways

A complete style guide for your holiday decor – Mid-Century Magic, Merry Kitschmas, Cozy Cottage Christmas, and 90s Martha Magic.

Something I love about Christmas is the fact that there are several different thematic, aesthetic directions you can choose to embrace beyond the basic red-and-green fare.

I remember as a kid one year my aunt decided that she was only going to decorate with things that fit the theme of Victorian Christmas, which in this case meant anything dusty pink, lace, floral, or angelic. It was the first time I’d encountered the concept of themed seasonal decor (what do you MEAN, you’re not just pulling everything out of the box labelled “X-mas” and slapping it up???). I was fascinated.

Over the years, I’ve found myself pulled in various aesthetic directions when it comes to holiday decorating. I think my go-tos are a mix between the cozy cottage and 90s Martha Stewart vibes, but we’ll get into all that.

Below are style guides for four of my favorite holiday vibes – Mid-Century Magic, Merry Kitschmas, Cozy Cottage Christmas, and 90s Martha Magic.

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Mid-Century Magic

Think muted earth tones, old fashioned icicle tinsel, and lots of questionable things encased in Jello. (Okay, maybe skip that last one).

The Inspo

The Palette

The Decor

• Silver tinsel

• Mercury glass ornaments (vintage, ideally!)

• A space age silver tinsel Christmas tree, if you’re really feeling the spirit.

• Shiny Brite ornaments

• Tru-Tone strand lights (the ONLY LED lights that come close to actually mimicking the vintage incandescent glow).

• Needlepoint seasonal throw pillows

• Vintage paint-by-numbers

The Music

The Watchlist

• White Christmas (1954)

• Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

• It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

• Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (1964)

• The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)

• A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

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Merry Kitschmas

A riot of color, pattern, and spunky iconography. This palette dials up the pinks and chartreuse tones, and isn’t shy about being a little over the top.

The Inspo

The Palette

The Decor

• Anything in a candy pink, bright red, or chartreuse tone.

• Matte glass ornaments

• Lots of layered garlands

• Tinsel

• Pink velvet bows

• Ornaments filled with confetti

• Stripe, checkerboard, or harlequin patterns.

The Music

The Watchlist

• Eloise at Christmastime (2003)

• Home Alone (1990)

• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

• How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

• Elf (2003)

• Edward Scissorhands (1990)

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Cozy Cottage Christmas

Think warm, twinkly incandescent bulbs, mismatched heirloom ornaments, paper chains, and lots of gingham. Feels like a hug in decor form.

The Inspo

The Palette

The Decor

• Patchwork quilted stockings

• Velvet ribbon

• Dried orange slices

• Cranberry & popcorn garlands

• Paper chains

• Vintage copper pots & pans

• Clip-on candles for the tree

• Orange pomanders

• Assorted vintage candlesticks

The Music

The Watchlist

• The Holiday (2006)

• Little Women (2019)

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

• The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

• The Polar Express (2004)

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90s Martha Magic

Think J. Crew Christmas meets Y2K Martha Stewart. Lots of preppy plaids, forest greens, and rich reds.

The Inspo

The Palette

The Decor

• Evergreen boughs

• Taper candles with brass candlesticks

• Velvet ribbon

• Anything plaid or tartan

• The good dishes

• Vintage baskets

• Chinoiserie pots and vases (bonus points if you put your tree in one!)

• Vintage needlepoint stockings

• Mini wreaths in every window

• A tree in every room

The Music

The Watchlist

• Love, Actually (2003)

• The Family Stone (2005)

• The Santa Clause (1994)

• While You Were Sleeping (1995)

• When Harry Met Sally (1989)

• You’ve Got Mail (1998)

• Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

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