Hi All! Have you started to pull out your holiday decor yet? I have to admit, I’m feeling like I want to deck the halls early this year. But I’m holding back. I’ve decided to stick to pulling out the sparkle a little bit at a time. Today, I’m giving you a glimpse at how to decorate for the holidays with neutrals and metallics. 
I’m a little over the idea of the traditional ‘red and green’ though. I mean, normally our house is beach-themed and all about the brights and natural wood. I’m learning to just adapt that overall feel for each holiday. Frankly, it makes decorating more fun and it means some stuff can go up early and possibly stay up well past Christmas.
Stick to a colour story – then add in different textures
When I looked around my home, I realized our colour story was already there; light teal and blue/greens, with pops of white, natural wood tones and deep copper/gold metallics. So I just kept telling that story. I already had the throw blanket, which I was drawn to because of the strong pattern and neutral hues – so I enhanced it with some new pillows! 
Is it possible to be in love with a pillow? If so, I am in Love with this plush velvet and sparkly pillow. I pet it in the store. I had to have it. It’s just beyond delightful. I also picked up some aqua toned solid basket weave covers that just give the gold/copper tones a boost. A note about pillows; if you can invest in real down or imitation down inserts. SO worth it. (If you want to see my tips and tricks for saving money on down inserts and how to clean them, check out this post.) Another tip? The sparkly velvet cover is a 16×16, but I over-stuffed it with an 18×18 insert. It makes for a more plump pillow and therefore, better naps. Honest.
Add some twinkle!
You’ve already seen these geometric candle holders when I showed you all my DIY Rustic Log Table – but can we all just admit that they are the cutest? They were the first things I picked up for holiday decorating this year and are an example of holiday decor that can easily stay out all year long. 
As the nights get longer and darker, having some twinkle and sparkle in your space is a must! I’ve got these loaded up with real flame tea lights, but the batter powered ones are inexpensive and perfect if you have little ones or fur babies roaming around. The tray in this photo is a DIY too! You can find the full tutorial here, which includes details on how to transfer an image onto wood using your ink jet printer and wax paper.
Mix your natural elements
So here’s where you can get a little crazy! J/K mixing natural elements isn’t crazy – it’s… well, natural! Think of your decor as an extension of two things: your personal style AND your home’s surroundings. This is why urban style lofts work so well and beach houses are cool, breezy and a little weathered – because they mimic on the inside what is happening on the outside! Nature does a great job at mixing things up, so you should do the same. 
My favorite place to mix things up is right at the entry. Here, I’ve used some sparkly twiggy ornament balls on top of a vintage wood crate (bought in Mahone Bay, NS!) and I’ve paired them off with some sparkly gold twigs. Other types of natural elements that could work here would be spruce sprigs, pine boughs, or a giant hurricane vase full of driftwood pieces. I might add some of those elements in as we get closer to Christmas.
Get cozy
Finally, let’s talk about getting cozy because that is a KEY element to any holiday decor. No holiday is complete without a couple of evenings curled up on the couch with some candles, a blanket, soft cushy pillows and a good book or glass of wine. I’m going to admit something here – I switch my coffee tables in the winter. Why? Because I know that we entertain more during the winter months and we don’t have the benefit of using the outdoors!
So if you have a couple of different tables, or combos of smaller tables – try it! Switch them up to optimize your space for cozy wine drinking, book skimming evenings or lively h’ors d’oeuvres munching, family gatherings. If you’re wondering about our coffee table, it’s our DIY Typography Table!
I had never really considered how to decorate for the holidays with neutrals and metallics and incorporate it with my overall design aesthetic before. Honestly, I’m so in love with our living room now. I want to spend every minute in here. 🙂
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