Christmas Country Home Tour 2019

Welcome to my Christmas Country Home Tour!! Getting the house ready for Jennifer Rizzo’s Holiday Housewalk is a bit of work but lots of fun and it’s such an honor to be included every year! I’ll warn you now – there are a lot of photos ahead – I sincerely hope you draw inspiration from my holiday decorating. (This post contains affiliate links.)

 

The 2019 Holiday Housewalk started on Monday and I hope you’ll view each day’s collection of Christmas homes. Trust me – you won’t be disappointed! I’m house #19 and if you’re going through the line-up, that means you’re coming over from Melaine’s spectacular home at My Sweet Savannah. Welcome friends!

 

The Holiday Housewalk is the biggest blog event for me each year. When I first started blogging my goal was to somehow wiggle my way into the line-up. I managed to finagle an invitation for the 2014 Christmas tour and have participated ever since!

 

When you cross the threshold of my front door, you’ll be greeted by a pair of rattan chairs, cozy throws, fluffy pillows, and a green wreath with rustic bells. This space sets the mood and feel for my entire Christmas country home.

 

Most of my holiday decor has accrued over the years – I didn’t spend much money on a lot of new things (well, just a few). While shopping I saw a LOT of red in the holiday sections of stores and the only red you’ll find is in my kitchen which I’m sharing tomorrow.

 

Honestly, I’m totally okay with being off trend and not using a lot of red because I love the soft, earthy appeal of a more neutral approach to Christmas decorating. It feels like Mother Nature visited my house and the look is more inline with my interior paint colors. Greenery and poinsettias throughout my home represent flora and fur throws and pillows represent fauna.

 

Little birds also help to bring the outdoors in – even during the Christmas season. And candles? Well, you have to have candles during the holidays! I did keep one of my prized brown bottles on display because a) brown is the color of wood which is part of the Christmas nature them and b) look how great evergreen branches with little pine cones look tucked inside the bottle.

SHOP THE LOOK

 

My cozy sitting room is next to the entryway and displays the Christmas tree I was supposed to create last year. I had purchased a variety of green ornaments on sale after Christmas 2017 in anticipation of creating a green and silvery white tree the following year. But if you saw my 2018 Christmas tour you know that I spied a birch bark ribbon that totally changed my approach for last year’s tree. I went with a bronze and neutral Christmas tree in 2018.

 

A collection of ornaments that didn’t make it onto the green and silver Christmas tree in the sitting room are cradled in one of my wooden bowls on the coffee table.

 

Here’s one of the pretty green ornaments I found on sale in 2017 that sat in a box for two years, unused and unloved. LOL. I couldn’t neglect these beauties again this year.

 

More ornaments fill a pedestal bowl on the buffet flanked by a creamy poinsettia at the other end. Although I’m happy I finally used my “new” green ornaments, it still isn’t the tree I really wanted this year. That tree – is in my family room which you’ll see in a moment.

 

Each year I wait with anticipation for our local greenhouse, Shady Hill Gardens, to open their poinsettia greenhouse for the season. The display of flowers is just spectacular and I’m always drawn to the white poinsettias. They just look so pure – like the birth of baby Jesus – pure and holy.

 

My vintage mantel in the sitting room is layered with more of the luscious creamy white poinsettias and some faux greens. I’d prefer to use real greens but they’re messy and expensive. So I settle for the imposters and burn balsam and cedar candles in the house to create an evergreen scent.

 

A garland of sleigh bells hangs above my wooden rocking reindeer. I found the old basket at a flea market for one dollar. It even came with a lid.

 

Sometimes I’m lucky and can keep my poinsettias alive through the spring. I’ve yet to try planting them outside in the summer though. Let me know if you’ve had success doing that.

SHOP THE LOOK

 

Next up is the dining room which is adjacent to my entryway and wears the same Downtown paint color from Benjamin Moore. Depending on the light, the walls sometimes look more brown, and sometimes look more green. It’s fascinating the way the color changes.

 

This is the first time I’ve decorated the dining room chandelier. I was trying to figure out ways to use ornaments that didn’t make it onto my trees – I hate not using ALL the ornaments.

 

I chose the bronze and gold ornaments since they match the patina of the chandelier.

 

Every year I have to display bottle brush trees and this Christmas country home tour is no different. I’m pretty passionate about these simple beauties. I cradled them in this hammered metal tin I recently found but don’t remember where I found it! Maybe Target?

 

My gray ceramic houses are another holiday favorite of mine and this year they’re displayed on the console table in the dining room with new creamy bottle brush trees and a couple of new metallic ones, too.

 

A few vintage snowmen make the scene. I’ve had this little guy for years.

 

And I’ve had this guy for a while, too.

 

This fella is a new find. Look carefully and you can see the light inside the houses. They’re so pretty at night.

 

Finally, my other dining room buffet has a few simple holiday touches.

 

Faux Christmas flowers and greens fill my large, super heavy vase from Pottery Barn that I splurged on this past fall. A pair of wooden Christmas trees add just a touch of green.

SHOP THE LOOK

 

Let’s head on into the family room which looks a little different this year with its dark gray walls. The color is Mole’s Breath by Farrow and Ball and I love it. I was a little nervous going so dark but the room feels so cozy now and its warm vibe helps me through winter. The architectural print of the Paris train station is from my favorite store ever – Cocoon in Geneva. The conifer print to the right is also from Cocoon.

 

More ornaments fill a rustic wooden bowl on the coffee table.

 

The tree that I wanted this year is in the family room. A green tree – for a change.

 

The tree is from Balsam Hill. Here’s what it looks like lit up.

 

And this is what it looks like without the lights on.

 

I loaded her up with rustic type ornaments, starting with the wood bead garland and other wooden or nature-inspired ornaments like the little bird house.

 

 

 

 

 

I’m kind of like Kevin from Home Alone when it comes to Christmas. It’s always all about the tree! And speaking of which, I drove past the Home Alone house in Winnetka this past weekend and will be sharing more about that adventure. Stay tuned!

SHOP THE LOOK

 

My Christmas Country Home tour is the final stop on today’s installment of the Holiday Housewalk. Tomorrow begins with my friend Lucy’s stunning Canadian home over at Craftberry Bush. See you there tomorrow, bright and early!

 

Visit MY HOLIDAY SHOP for more Christmas inspiration!! You’ll find trees, wreaths, ornaments, pillows, throws, tableware, and more!