With the holidays coming, you probably have enough on your plate. Between sending cards, shopping for gifts, cooking large meals and entertaining guests, it can get to be a lot this time of year. One way to simplify your holidays is to go for some minimalist home decorating. With a few key design principles and ideas, you can have your home decorated with as few as one or two large focal point items. Other ideas rely on smaller accent items that are easy to place in the home. Take a look below for several minimalist holiday decorating ideas.
Ornaments of all kinds are an easy way to add festive cheer. Image: Cortney Bishop Design
Minimalist rafter ornaments
If you have exposed rafters in your space, hanging larger ornaments from them is a great way to get some easy holiday spirit into your space. This works especially well in a rustic chic design, like the space above. The ornaments are a wonderful festive accent and hanging them from ribbon looks simple and traditional. They also go well with the oversized red ornaments on the tree.
Even if you don’t have exposed rafters, you might think about this easy idea in other types of spaces. For instance, you could place a larger ornament in the middle of a wreath. You could arrange large ornaments in clear vases. You might also consider hanging them from the pull chains on ceiling fans. Any way you incorporate them, ornaments add an easy festive cheer that works as a great holiday accent.
Subtle wreaths can match the existing color scheme in the room, leading to less decorating effort. Image: AMR Design
Minimalist holiday decorating with subtle accent hangings
Another idea is to simply hang some accent wreaths in the space. Wide red fabric for hanging them adds some festive color. This is a great idea if you have a certain accent color in your space, like in the photo above. In that case, you can match the fabric the wreaths hang from to whatever accent color is in your space. This gives you a festive look and keeps to the overall style of the room.
Part of going minimalist for the holidays is to simply add accents to the room. Since you’re using fewer holiday items, you will not be able to overpower the usual style of the room. You simply want to add a bit of festive flair to the style you already have in the space. Another good example of this principle is the festive-themed wall hangings next to the window in the photo above. They keep to the red accent color that’s already in the room, but the holiday sayings add a festive look.
A larger garland makes a strong focal point. Image: Regina Gust Luxe Seasonal and Floral Décor
Colorful garland
Another key principle for minimalist holiday decorating is to find a piece that works as the focal point. As an example, the garland in the photo above is suitably large enough to stand on its own. Because it hangs from the mantel, it also takes advantage of the fact that the mantel is already a natural focal point in a room. The garland doesn’t have to work to draw attention away from natural focal areas.
With this idea, you can either hang the garland alone or find other subtle ways to add festive cheer. For instance, the ornaments in the tray on the coffee table and in the vases next to the fireplace are nice additional accents.
Go for branches over a traditional tree for a stark, minimalist look. Image: Carousel Media
Getting creative with branches
If you really want to go stark and creative with your minimalist holiday decorating, you might think about substituting your Christmas tree with a branch, like in the photo above.To make it festive, a garland and some ornaments hang from the branch. A neutral-colored present even sits underneath.
You might be wondering why anyone would possibly want a branch instead of a full evergreen tree. For starters, the stark look of the branch immediately gives a sense of minimalism. It’s a creative idea that works well in unconventional, artsy home designs. The neutral tone to the branch also helps it fit in with a neutral color scheme, meaning you don’t have to play with color too much. And a natural texture like a branch works well in rustic and country-themed homes, too.
Twig decorations are a classy, subtle idea that fit just about anywhere. Image: GreenCraft Associates
Subtle twig displays
If you’re looking for minimalistic holiday decorating ideas for your outdoor displays, the photo above shows how some twig designs can work wonders for keeping things simple. The twig reindeer set an immediate festive tone. The twig balls help add a playful style. However, the neutral color and natural texture of the twigs help the look stay minimalist.
You could even put some white holiday lights around the balls and reindeer to light them at night. Going for white lights keeps the look classy and minimalist. The trees in the photo are actually faux Christmas trees with lights on them. The stands are buried out of view.
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