If there was ever a year to lean into the festive, jolly and merry, I think 2020 is the year. Like many of you, my family has been hunkered down since March. So, finding a way to make our home feel magical and special in the midst of a pandemic was extra high on my priority list this year.
I’m excited to share part of our festive holiday home tour today with a gaggle of other amazingly talented bloggers on the 2020 A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS HOME TOUR. Grab a hot cocoa (with extra whipped cream) and check out all the beautiful homes at the end of this post. It’s the perfect way to start off the month. Loads of inspiration for a lovely holiday home.
But first, I’ll share our festive holiday home tour, including our living room and kitchen. This is the main hub of our home, so it gets the greatest dose of holiday cheer.
I stick with many of the same holiday decorations year after year, but I do like to try new things. This year, I moved our furniture around and put the tree near the front door. (You can still use the door to bring in packages and the like, but we rarely use it so it’s not a big deal that it’s tighter than normal.)
This post includes affiliate links, meaning, if you click through and make a purchase I may get a commission (at no additional cost to you). More details here.
Just a simple swap of the tree makes the room feel totally different. And I love the view of the entire room with the tree here in the corner.
I also like to deck out our antique secretary (which originally belonged to Ryan’s grandma). I filled the inside with Christmas photos of my kids over the years and put our three ceramic trees on top. (The green one was painted by my mom, the white was was painted by Ryan’s grandma, and the red one was painted by me.) I like to put the ceramic trees up high to keep them out of my little kids’ reach – but also to keep me from accidentally knocking them over. I have a tendency to break more things than my toddlers.
As for the tree, I let the kids help me decorate this year and we used all our sentimental ornaments here. Ryan and I try to pick up ornaments when we travel (pre-covid) and also get a few additional photo and family ornaments each year. It isn’t the department store designer tree, but it brings us a lot of joy. And my kids have loved talking about our trips and photos that are on the tree.
I like to put the tree into a bucket to keep it higher off the ground. It looks cute, but it also seems to keep my kids out of the branches. Win-win.
Speaking of kids – I have a stockpile of kids holiday and winter books that I like to display this time of year. By swapping them out in the living room, they get read a lot more. When Santa was a Baby was a new one from last year that my kids all love.
The rest of the books live below the record player and television. I love the way the living room came together. It feels festive and fun, but also doesn’t feel too cluttered or crowded. (My kids usually like to “decorate” the coffee table with various Christmas and Nativity Little People for a little extra cheer. So I leave that area clear.)
Before moving on to the “real” kitchen, I thought I’d share our play kitchen, which lives in the area between our living room and kitchen. My kids play with this every day, so it gets prime real estate. Most of the toys live in our basement playroom, but this works here. And they love having “Santa” above. I may even catch them serving Santa some coffee now and again.
Finally, our kitchen, which also got a big dose of holiday cheer. Starting with a big red metal bow on the vent hood.
Our mug rack also got a little Christmas cheer – with some holiday mugs and a daily advent calendar for my kids. (Which is just chocolate in these cute little drawstring bags. They love treats.) We also got the book How Winston Delivered Christmas, which has a daily story and activity for advent.
This is one of my favorite spots to decorate throughout the year. It doesn’t take much, but it feels special. Plus, I spend a lot of time here. (Snacks, coffee and dishes for daaaaaaayyys.)
This year, I also picked up this skinny cashmere tree for the kitchen. A 7-ft lighted tree for less than $50 – and it fits perfectly in this little spot and doesn’t get in the way.
I have a few sets of Rae Dunn ornaments that are perfect for the kitchen tree.
And our sink got a little lighted greenery and a red dish. I’m totally loving the copper dew drop lights from Wondershop at Target. They are battery operated and come on every night. And for only $5, I am putting them everywhere. The greenery with berries was also a steal for only $5.
It’s a nice, festive view as we walk in the back door. And it’s extra pretty at night.
On the other side of the kitchen, I have my holiday dishes display in our open shelves. Again, everything goes up high – for my own benefit, and my kids. We break things regularly in the Woodward household.
I love the mix of bright colors and white. It’s just holly and jolly and fun.
The ceramic Santa on top has our name carved in and was a wedding gift from my great aunt. (We got married in December 2007.) And the painted snowman was created by my 8-year-old.
We have a mixture of Rae Dunn and Fiestaware holiday dishes. (The holiday lights dishes were purchased at Younkers, which has gone out of business.)
Another addition this year is the merry and bright books, which I purchased from my friend Jennifer at Handmade Expressions. It’s the perfect little spot for my Santa’s Cookies canister.
It’s definitely a cheerful wall – and I found a spot to hang our Christmas aprons and little handmade items here, too.
The best part is that the other tree is visible from here, too.
And these two pinecone wreaths were DIYs I made for our wedding 13 years ago. I love getting them out every year!
Thanks so much for stopping by our holiday home. I hope you enjoyed seeing a peek into our home.
And don’t forget to check out some of the other lovely tours below. I’ll be making my way around, too.
Lovely Etc * DIY Beautify * Up to Date Interiors * What Meegan Makes * Sunny Side Design
Chatfield Court * Sweet Pea * Repurpose and Upcycle * Hey There Home
At Lane and High * Postcards from the Ridge * Making it in the Mountains * Lehman Lane
Newly Woodwards * Thrifty and Chic * Bright Green Door * Refresh Living
Like it? Pin it.
More holiday inspiration from NewlyWoodwards:
Where to find the best holiday decor | |
Oversized DIY Christmas artwork | Kid-friendly decor |
Your guide to (affordable) holiday decor
Get more holiday inspiration straight into your inbox.
As a thank you, I'll even send you a HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE with my very favorite (unexpected) spots to pick up unique holiday decor.
Kathy says
So many beautiful Christmas touches!! I love the bucket with the tree, the play kitchen, and all of the holiday details. Beautiful home tour!
Angie @ Postcards from the Ridge says
Your home looks so cozy and festive! l love all the little Christmas decor you have sprinkled throughout. The little kitchen is adorable.
Kristi Haight says
Love your beautiful holiday home, Kim! And I love that you decorated your tree with your kids. We did the same with ours when they were young, telling stories about each ornament that we pulled out. Some of the best memories that I carry with me from their childhood. Happy holidays!
Cassie Bustamante says
your home is such a happy place! love the snowman tree!!!
Meegan says
I just loved scrolling through your Christmas home tour. I like the bright vibrant colors that welcome visitors and family.
All of your red and green dishes, plates, cookie jar and tree are a beautiful array of Christmas cheer.
Thank you for sharing your ideas!
Corey @ HeyThereHome says
Soooo many clever ideas throughout – the advent calendar, the tree bucket, and the kid kitchen, and just EVERYTHING!! Puts me in a festive mood for sure! Have a great holiday season 🙂
Kristi says
Oh my gosh, your home just looks SO warm and inviting all decked out for the holidays! And that little kitchen is just so sweet! Merry Christmas!
Tara @ Lehman Lane says
Love all the pops of red in your Christmas decor Kim. I especially like the big red bow on your range hood. Merry Christmas!
Kim Woodward says
Thanks so much, Tara! The metal bow is so fun!
Lindsey says
That mini kitchen is adorable! I also love how you used a mug rack for an advent calendar. Great ideas!
Kim Woodward says
Thank you so much! Lots of fun things for kids at Christmas!
Paula@SweetPea says
Your home looks fabulous decked out for Christmas! If you don’t use your front door, why not move the tree to that location? It looks so good there and is in a spot that you and your family can really enjoy. I love how you decorated the play kitchen and how there are two child-sized Christmas aprons on your kitchen wall. I hope that you and your family enjoy every minute of this Christmas season.
Kim Woodward says
That’s a good question – and an idea. We do use the door – but only for packages usually. It wouldn’t be a huge deal to block it further. Thanks so much for stopping by!