I know most of you are speeding toward the finish line today and probably aren’t here to read a long post. hang in there. We’re very close to the most magical week of the year – the days between Christmas and New Year, where the world goes quiet, and high expectations take over. It’s a collective sigh and embrace. So today is a quick progression of holidays throughout the year. Maybe it can remind you that decorating takes time, that you have to be in the mood to do it (I wasn’t in 2022), and that the internet is a rabbit hole of ideas that I promise you, you don’t have to do unless you want to. A big part of my job is literally decorating my home and I have a team to help, so if you’re in any kind of comparison cycle (I get into them too) know that it’s not normal and definitely not “intuitive” (we’re done with that word!) but maybe it can distract you or inspire you depending on what you need today. So the farmhouse stays here throughout the year…
In 2022, we just arrived (in August), and I couldn’t get there with the holiday decorations, but I tried my best to add some joy all around. It’s fun to look at this post because you can really see the evolution of the layers.
I love this entry, and I finally feel like it got its moment in this shoot. We didn’t change a thing for 2024, so we didn’t shoot it, but then this year I added another layer or two.
…and I’m obsessed. I think the touches of red in the throws and pillows, the glass bauble garland, and the plaid silk dupioni fabric bring it all to life. I also think we shot it later in the day, where the light was warmer, and I love that. Caitlin, you are a dream!
It’s definitely more minimal but sweet (if not cool). This was before our house was furnished, so I’ve left things in place for now.
Gah! I’m just reminded that I have those amazing Schoolhouse Stackable Candles (Similar) in the prop garage. Going to snatch them today. This vignette was also sweet, but not really my favorite (that wonderful French antique I found at Round Top just seemed to be found on the side of the road here, and I don’t know why!).
This year, we didn’t shoot that scene ourselves (it was cool, but not really worth the time). But you can see I added sparkling greenery and some white villages.
I really loved this vignette and shot (and still do). I guess I miss the Boro Fabric cafe curtains, but I also love how we did it this year:
There’s something about the shot above that feels more intimate, but I think it’s just a tight angle. I love this chair, rug, and Santa photo collection here. It’s definitely more “stuff” than I originally wanted to have in this house (lolololol) but turns out I love “stuff”, y’all.
In 2023 (and last year), I had our Santa photos on this piece, but I like them more in gold frames (they started out in white frames at the Mountain House, which worked well there).
The first year here at Christmas I didn’t feel as “me” as I wanted in the kitchen, and yet I look back here, and it’s still really beautiful. This is on the more minimal side (for the Internet, this is enough for normal people).
The next year, I made it a little more “me” and I really love that ribbon combo and colors.
We didn’t shoot the kitchen this year, but you can see it in the background. Cafe curtains definitely add warmth. Oh my god, I really love this color palette of the sofa! we turned them into ours green alice For the holiday magazine shoot we just did, and it looks nice too, but I think I prefer its lightness and soft colors this sofa More.
In 2022, we had more placeholder furniture, and it sure looked good. Plus, it took hours and hours to make the popcorn garland (and we had to ditch most of it for this shot). Paper chain for the win 🙂
I still can’t decide between this more bare, Scandinavian-style tree or the full tree we used in 2022 and this year (same tree). Like Bryan Fuller, but the lighting is a little cool. I think I prefer more Scandi, but I can see it being more nude? However, both are great. It’s just a style preference.
Of course, 2025 is looking to be warmer, a little more cheerful, which may be why it’s more layered, with warmer colors and a warmer glow. It has a lot of color variety and texture, which I love.
2022 is looking a little sad here, but that’s okay! 2023, of course, looks more fraught, and yet…
there we go!! I mean, I thought it would look a lot more “extra” because we just kept layering and layering, but no. Just looks happy, playful and warm.
The 2023 (and 2024) were also really layered, but with less warm tones and warmer lights, so it felt really cool. Especially when you compare it to…
We shot this later in the day, so we had to turn up the lights, and while this is typically a photo fake, I’m very interested in it (and I believe the trend is changing). Maybe it’s the fire and the puppy 🙂
I hope you enjoyed a quick tour down memory lane. To me, it’s clear how I was feeling mentally every year 🙂 It’s also clear that with warmer colors, more layering is the way to go. So we’ll see how this holiday magazine shoot goes (I’m writing this the day before the shoot, on the 16th). So which one do you like the most??
Opening Image Credit: Photo by Keltin Green From: Christmas 2025 in our house – whimsical, colorful and non-traditional in a really cozy way
