Christmas Home Tour

It’s that wonderful time of year when I get to show you my home all dressed up for the holidays along with 27 other bloggers! This has been a really exciting year because it is my first time decorating our new home for Christmas. It has been SO much fun dressing up a new space. I’ll quit the jibber jabber and dive right into my Christmas Home Tour. Don’t forget to scroll all the way down to jump to see more blogger’s homes!

The funny thing is, when I started this season I had a very specific vision for my holiday decor. I started out using only whites and silver and then slowly added a few more metallics and then more neutrals and at the last minute I added tons of fresh greenery and magnolia leaves. My holiday decor turned out nothing like I had planned and I’m glad it didn’t! This is a really different look for me and I’m really enjoying it.

Welcome to our home.

I bought all my lanterns at HomeGoods this season. I really enjoyed pairing the shiny metallics with the rustic wood rounds, and magnolia leaves and crisp white. I’ve never used magnolia leaves before in my decor. I always see them on other blogs and think how beautiful they are but never think of using them myself. Oh I have been missing out! Now I can’t get enough of them! I love how rich they are in color and add a little pop while still remain rustic.

No matter how hard I try, I can’t get away from symmetry. One of these days someone will have to come teach me how to create more of an eclectic look. But for now, I just hope we don’t have a wind storm any time soon!

Moving inside to our great room where we spend most of our time. We are still waiting on our new furniture for this room, so instead of reinventing the wheel this year I kept the tree decor pretty similar to what I’ve done in the past. I used a lot of whites and neutrals mixed with natural elements.

Our ceilings are much higher in this house than our previous one and I made it very clear to the family that I wanted a tall tree that went up to the ceiling… however, I’m not sure what happened but once we got the tree home and trimmed, it somehow ended up being one of the shortest trees we’ve ever had! Oh well, I still love it and there is always next year! Lesson learned.

I adorned the tree with several different kinds of ribbon and garland, I used 3″ burlap ribbon, homemade book page garland, and silver beads.  I also used a mixture of both white, metallic and wood ornaments. I’m a big fan of fillers, and used clumps of twigs and magnolia leaves to add a dramatic look.

I just love wrapping presents for the holidays. It’s one of my favorite events of the season. Every year, once the family goes to bed I will camp out in front of the tree and take my time wrapping each present. I always choose a theme and have so much fun making each one different.

I was SO excited about this find this year! I spotted these personalized gift tags on Pick Your Plum back in the fall. I snagged several packs with different sayings and I wish I had bought more.  I am seriously in love with them and they can be reused for years to come.

No matter the time of day, if we are home I have the tree lights on. I just love looking at it sparkle and watching the magic of Christmas come alive.

I shared my Winter White Mantel earlier this season but here is another peek! I’ve said it a million times, but this is my very first Christmas EVER with a mantel to hang stockings on and I couldn’t be any giddier about it.

I can’t wait to see these stockings filled in just a few weeks!

CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR OUTDOOR SPACE DECORATED FOR CHRISTMAS!

Now onto the other 27 Holiday Home Tours! You are going to love all of these homes, each blogger has a unique style and I’m always amazed at the talent and creativity that is shown during each tour. 

Monday:

The Happy Housie | Everyday Enchanting | Maison de Pax | Life on Virginia Street | Unskinny Boppy | Setting for Four

Tuesday:

rooms FOR rent | Town and Country Living | On Sutton Place | Design, Dining and Diapers | At Home with The Barkers | Cottage in the Oaks

Wednesday:

House by Hoff | Jenna Sue Design | Love Grows Wild | Craftsberry Bush | All Things G&D | DIY on the Cheap

Thursday:

Rain on a Tin Roof | Making Home Base | The Wood Grain Cottage | Capturing Joy | Making Lemonade

Friday:

Migonis Home | Just a Girl and Her Blog | Fox Hollow Cottage | City Farmhouse | Ciburbanity

About Taryn Whiteaker

Taryn Whiteaker is the voice of style behind TarynWhiteaker.com (formerly Design, Dining and Diapers) ! Taryn is a previous PR/Marketing professional who got back to her creative roots after becoming a mom and now shares her passion for home decor and design for the world to see. Taryn lives in the greater Seattle area with her husband and three kids and loves coffee, the outdoors, and exploring with her family.