How to Get Your Home Holiday-Ready: A Designer’s Guide to Christmas Prep & Seasonal Decorating

If you love the cozy, magical lead-up to Christmas — the warm lights, the fresh greenery, the slow transformation of your home — you’re not alone. This is the season when your home becomes your retreat. And if you’re anything like me, you want that holiday feeling to be intentional, inviting, and elevated… not cluttered or chaotic.

So let’s walk through the designer-approved way to get your home holiday-ready. Consider this your guide to prepping, styling, and thoughtfully decorating your home for Christmas in a way that still feels like you.

Whether you’re hosting, celebrating quietly, or simply wanting your space to feel warm and festive, these steps will help you transition into the season with ease and style.

1. Start With a Holiday Vision (Yes — Even Holiday Decor Needs One!)

Before you pull out a single bin, pause and think about the feeling you want your home to have this year.

Ask yourself:

• Do I want cozy cabin vibes?

• Classic red-and-green Christmas energy?

• Soft winter whites?

• Minimal Scandinavian holiday decor?

• Golds and metallic glam?

• A natural, wood-toned, organic look?

Once you choose your direction, decorating becomes simpler and more cohesive. And if your home already leans toward a certain palette, flow with it. Holiday decor should compliment your space, not compete with it.

2. Prep Your Home Before You Decorate

Designers never start decorating on top of old clutter — we clean first.

Do a quick “reset”:

• Clear surfaces

• Dust the areas you’ll style

• Put away everyday accessories

• Swap lighter fall/summer textiles for cozier ones

Decor goes on so much smoother when the home feels refreshed before you layer anything festive.

3. Add Cozy Winter Textures for Instant Warmth

Holiday decorating isn’t just ornaments and lights. It’s comfort.

Bring in winter textures like:

• Chunky knit throws

• Wool or faux fur pillows

• Soft bedding swaps

• Heavier window treatments

• Plush rugs

Think of it like giving your home a winter wardrobe — warm, layered, and cozy.

4. Shift Your Color Palette for the Season

You don’t need to flood your home with red and green (unless that’s your style!). Instead, integrate festive tones into your existing palette.

A few easy holiday color combos:

• Neutrals + gold + warm woods

• Forest green + cream + brass

• Cranberry + tan + charcoal

• Winter white + silver + sage

• Rust + deep greens for a modern mountain look

Even subtle swaps — pillows, throws, candles, florals — can shift your home into “holiday mode.”

5. Use Greenery to Elevate Your Decor

Greenery is the secret weapon of holiday interior design. It instantly brings life and texture into a space.

Try adding:

• Garland on mantels or stair rails

• A wreath on the door, mirror, or kitchen hood

• Evergreen stems in vases

• Bowls of pinecones or winter branches

• Small tabletop trees

• Fresh cedar, juniper, or pine (faux works too!)

For Utah-inspired homes especially, natural greenery brings the outdoors in beautifully.

6. Create “Holiday Moments” — Not Holiday Overload

Designers don’t decorate every corner. We style intentional moments.

Think:

• A cozy console table with candles + greenery

• A kitchen cocoa or cider station

• A styled coffee table with winter stems

• A reading nook with a soft throw and warm light

• A curated dining table centerpiece

Small curated scenes feel elevated and festive without overwhelming a space.

7. Use Lighting to Create the Holiday Glow

Lighting = holiday magic.

Incorporate:

• Warm white string lights (always warm, never cool!)

• LED candles

• Lanterns

• Under-lit garlands

• Table lamps for evening glow

• A dimmer on your Christmas tree

The goal is a warm, layered light that makes your home feel cozy from every angle.

8. Edit When You’re Done (The Step Everyone Skips)

When everything is placed, step back and reassess.

Ask:

• Does anything feel cluttered?

• Is one area over-decorated?

• Does the palette flow room to room?

• Do the holiday pieces enhance the space?

Editing is truly where the magic comes together. A few small adjustments can transform the whole home.

Final Thoughts

Getting your home holiday-ready isn’t about buying every decoration or filling every surface. It’s about intention — creating warmth, comfort, beauty, and a space that feels festive without feeling chaotic.

When you start with a vision, add texture, layer greenery, create meaningful holiday moments, and edit with intention, your home becomes a cozy, elevated retreat for the season.

And the best part?
You don’t need the full plan figured out. You just need a direction — a mood, a vibe — and a designer can help bring the rest together.

If you’re refreshing your decor, prepping for guests, or dreaming of a more elevated Christmas aesthetic this year, our team would love to help create a holiday home you’ll love coming back to all season long.