How can I make my house look Christmassy? 8 ways design experts add instant festive cheer

When the holiday season rolls around, do you often find yourself wondering: 'How can I make my house look Christmassy yet elegant?'

If you're left scratching your head, it's time to brush up on some expert tips on stylish Christmas decorating that will see you through the season every year.

Top interior designer Marie Flanigan has let us in on six of her festive styling secrets, while Julie Robbins of Replacements shares some extras. o you can recreate the look in your own home for a chic holiday decor display that also channels the magic of Christmas.

How can I make my house look Christmassy? 6 tips to a design-led display

It's not hard to make your home feel a bit Christmassy - Marie and Julie explain.

1. Add a festive spin to your existing decor

(Image credit: Replacements)

Instead of buying completely new pieces for the holiday season, simply updating your existing decor with a few festive touches can save time, money, and looks just as impressive. 

“You don’t have to invest in a large seasonal installation to create a magical holiday feel for your family and friends,” says Julie Robbins, Product Specialist at Replacements.com. “Holiday colors, sparkling glitter, snuggly textures and warm, glowing lights make any home shine with Christmas spirit.”

Julie suggests filling glass vases or bowls with festive ornaments, clustering pinecones and evergreen sprigs along your mantel, or simply using brightly-colored glasses as a welcoming display on a tray.

2. Don’t forget to look up

(Image credit: Interior design: Mare Flanigan/Photography: Rachel Manning)

Use fixtures and fittings that are already in place in your home to dress up and hang oversized Christmas decorations on. This has a simple, Scandinavian Christmas decor vibe to it, especially when done with a neutral palette.

'One of the sweetest ways to decorate for the holidays is by adding holiday details to light fixtures,' says Marie. 'Whether adding a beautiful bow to pendant lights or dangling snowflakes from a chandelier. This is an easy way to add a festive feel to your space.'

3. Decorate the unexpected

(Image credit: Marie Flanigan/Rachel Manning)

Bring a beautiful Christmassy feel to the whole house by placing simple decorations throughout. Yes, Christmas bedroom decorations are a thing, and why not include the bathroom?

Marie comments: 'Even bathrooms should include holiday touches. I love adding a festive arrangement to countertops or hanging a wreath on the window or door.'

You could also bring a festive touch to your sleep sanctuary with by hanging paper garlands, stringing lights around the bed, or placing a homemade Christmas stocking on your nightstand.

(Image credit: Annie Sloan)

4. Keep your holiday decor simple

(Image credit: Marie Flanigan)

'When in doubt, keep décor simple,' says Marie. 'I love including pared-back, beautiful greenery with a touch of natural elements, like orange slices, pinecones or berries. This method is foolproof and an easy way to usher in the season.'

5. Bring in some sweet treats

(Image credit: Replacements)

For families with young children — or adults with a sweet tooth — a treat station will give your home a festive feel while being a fun and interactive holiday activity. 

 “A cocoa and coffee bar in your kitchen or breakfast nook, or figural jars full of holiday snacks in your living room are all ways to give your home both the Christmas look and a Christmas feel.” suggests Julie from Replacements.

6. Create a tablescape before Christmas Day

(Image credit: Marie Flanigan)

One way to foster the Christmas spirit in your home every day? 'Keep your Christmas tablescape on display all season,' suggests Marie.

'Sometimes there’s nothing more beautiful than Christmas table décor, so choose items that will last all season, like faux garland, flowers and fruit, along with pottery, and other delicate touches.'

7. Fill vases with foraged foliage

(Image credit: Marie Flanigan/Rachel Manning)

'Do you have shelves and surfaces with ceramics? If so, fill them with holiday foliage,' advises Marie.

'There are so many beautiful options for holiday foliage, like ferns, holly berries and snowberries - and don’t forget to check your yard for beautiful branches, stems and berries first.'

If you want to go one step further, you can hang baubles, pine cones sprayed with metallic paint, or paper decorations to give festive twigs and stems a bigger dose of Christmas spirit.

8. Use a color palette that complements your home

(Image credit: Marie Flanigan/Rachel Manning)

'It’s so much fun to shop for holiday décor, but often it can look a bit disjointed if it’s a large departure from your home’s aesthetic,' warns Marie.

Instead, create a holiday color palette that complements your home. If your home is full of modern farmhouse design ideas and you favor minimalist Christmas decor, continue the rustic appeal with authentic foraged foliage displayed in garlands on mantelpieces and stair bannisters, pine cones placed in decorative bowls, and cinnamon sticks scenting the space.

The Livingetc edit of the best Christmas decorations in the sales now

How do you decorate your house for Christmas?

Don't forget that Christmas decorating ideas do not have to be complicated. Create a basic scheme and build from there. 

Try hanging a wreath indoors for an easy first step, and fill vases with festive foliage for a simple look that will pack visual impact.

One of the easiest ways to bring a festive ambiance to your home is by peppering it with fairy lights and candles.

'Set your home aglow and use candlelight and fairy lights to create ambiance and warmth in the home,' advsises Becca Casey, of Connecticut-based Becca Interiors 'From wrapping greenery to clustering lights in a glass hurricane centerpiece, light can create such a beautiful festive mood within a space.'

And don't forget to fill the home with enticing festive aromas. Becca says: 'Utilize scent to set the scene; source a festive holiday candle to excite the senses. 

'Then, bake dried oranges with cloves to bring a gorgeous holiday scent into your home as well as a beautiful ray of color. 

'Cut slices and hang them from your tree, or bake them whole and style in a bowl atop your coffee table.'

When it comes to your tree, learning how to put lights on a Christmas tree is the first step. You can then build your look with a few pretty baubles and keep it there for a minimalist effect, or keep building with more decorations for a flamboyant aesthetic.

(Image credit: Heal's)

How can I make my house look Christmassy on a budget?

The best way to bring a festive ambiance to your home for free is by foraging for foliage. You can create anything from a mantelpiece garland to a showstopping Christmas table centerpiece with ivy, berries, and herbs. 

You can also use foliage to decorate sideboards and consoles, whether it's by placing pine cones in bowls, stems and branches in vases (trying hanging baubles from styled twigs), or greenery around window frames and mirrors.

For affordable but cool Christmas decorations, choose paper honeycombs and stars to hang from the ceiling or leave loose on benches or on the floor.

And don't forget to be creative; you can give old baubles a new lease of life with some paint and glitter, and why not try making Christmas stockings to hang from the mantelpiece instead of splashing out on store-bought versions this year?