2026 Room-by-Room Christmas Decorating Plan

I’m excited to share this year’s Christmas decorating plans! It’s been about five years since I posted a whole-house plan, so I’m bringing it back with a fresh, nostalgic twist.

The last full plan I shared in 2021 had a very different feel, and while I still love many of those pieces, my style has continued to evolve.

This season I’m embracing a classic, nostalgic, and traditional Christmas aesthetic: tartan plaids, toile and chinoiserie patterns, rich jewel tones, velvet ribbons, generous fresh greenery, and touches of old-fashioned holiday charm.

Nostalgic Christmas decor is a major trend for 2026, which makes this direction feel both timely and personal. I’ve created design boards for the main rooms and I’ll share what I plan to reuse, what I already own, and a few new pieces I’ve added to update the look.

These are the plans — we’ll see how everything comes together once I pull decorations from the bins and start decorating! I can’t wait to photograph the finished rooms and share the home tour.

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My Christmas Decorating Style for 2026

Last year I decorated with a Ralph Lauren-inspired, classic theme that felt traditional, colorful, and cozy. I loved that approach and wanted to carry the same warmth into this year while adding more layers of pattern and texture.

One thing I’ve learned is that blue has to be part of my holiday palette. Whether paired with classic reds and greens, brass accents, or warm wood tones, blue adds depth and coziness to the overall look.

Expect a lot of tartan, toile, chinoiserie, velvet, natural greenery, and nostalgic elements like sugared fruit, dried oranges, and traditional ornaments. Most of the items I’ll use are already in my collection — I’m just mixing them in new ways and adding a few fresh pieces.

Nostalgic Christmas Living Room

The living room is the heart of our holiday decorating. With Hale Navy walls as the backdrop, blue accents always feel right and create a cozy contrast with traditional reds and greens.

This year I’m leaning into a nostalgic combination of tartan plaid, toile, chinoiserie, velvet ribbons, and classic ornaments. The design board came together beautifully and I’m especially excited about a few new additions.

A favorite new find is a set of blue-and-white toile lampshades that will tie together many of the blue and white elements in the space. I’ll layer traditional greenery on the mantel with ribbons, bells, and stockings, and the tree will feature velvet ornaments, chinoiserie pieces, gold bells, pinecones, and plenty of plaid and toile ribbon.

Combining different patterns — toile with tartan, chinoiserie, and other traditional prints — gives the room a collected, multi-generational feel that I adore.

Shop my living room Christmas decorating plans:

• Living Room Christmas Decor Sources
• More Living Room Christmas Decor Sources

Our Christmas Primary Bedroom

I’m excited to decorate and photograph our primary bedroom this year. The room, painted Benjamin Moore Davenport Tan, finally feels finished and ready for holiday styling.

A playful idea I’m using is a blue-and-white chinoiserie planter as a tree stand — it feels charming and unique. I’ll pair that with Stewart plaid bedding, festive pillows, and ribbon on the tree for a warm, layered look. I would prefer a classic green tree here, but for now our flocked tree will remain in place.

Our Sentimental Family Christmas Tree

The bedroom tree has become our sentimental ornament tree. Over the years we’ve collected ornaments from trips and milestone moments, and each year I unwrap them like a little walk through family memories.

I buy an ornament to mark family vacations and a special ornament for each of the girls every year. This year one of those ornaments represents my eldest’s first time driving — a small, meaningful reminder of how quickly time passes.

While the girls often help hang a few ornaments and enjoy a Christmas movie during decorating, most of the finishing touches are mine. I love the ritual of pulling out each piece and remembering the story behind it.

Shop My Christmas Bedroom Decor: Shop the bedroom look

Classic Christmas Kitchen

Our kitchen had a few practical upgrades this year — new ovens, sink, and faucet — so I’m excited to capture updated photos and add simple, functional holiday touches.

Because the kitchen needs to remain functional, I’ll stick to a few classic touches: holiday mugs, festive dish towels, a bit of greenery, vintage-inspired Santa figures, and tartan or dark green velvet accents. Adding a garland or ribbon to the light fixture above the table brings cheer without crowding counters.

Shop My Classic Christmas Kitchen Decor: Shop the kitchen look

Nostalgic Christmas Dining Room with Sugared Fruit

The dining room is where I’m going all in on nostalgic trends: sugared fruit, dried orange slices, fresh greenery, and natural decorations. The room’s Sherwin-Williams Oyster Bay walls provide a gorgeous backdrop for bright jewel-toned fruit ornaments and blue velvet ribbon.

I’ll decorate the dining tree with sugared pears, apples, and oranges, dried orange slices, blue velvet ribbon, and a gold star topper for a balance of natural texture and sparkle. Antique furniture and blue-and-white accents will complement the look.

Dried Hydrangeas and Paperwhites

I picked up some dried hydrangeas to add texture and I’m trying paperwhites for the first time. Paperwhites planted in a pretty container bring a simple elegance to holiday decor — hopefully they’ll bloom right around Christmas.

Shop My Nostalgic Dining Room Decor: Shop the dining room look

Christmas Decorating in the Girls’ Bedrooms and My Office

We still decorate the girls’ bedrooms and my office with the same blush and girly Christmas themes I’ve used for years. I don’t plan to change those rooms this season — they’re sweet, familiar, and perfectly suited to the spaces.

There’s comfort in pulling out the same decorations year after year. They evoke memories and save money, too.

What I’m Reusing and What I’m Buying New This Christmas

A key takeaway from these plans is that you don’t need to buy everything new to create a beautiful holiday home. Most of my trees, ornaments, furniture, sentimental pieces, ribbons, and greenery are items I’ve collected over the years. I’m focusing on fresh pairings — new lampshades, sugared fruit ornaments, and a few ribbons — while reusing what I already own.

The most meaningful holiday homes feel collected over time and tell the story of the people who live there — that’s what I’m aiming for this year.

Will All of These Christmas Decorating Plans Happen?

I love planning with design boards, but reality often changes things — a ribbon might not look right, an item may move rooms, or time gets away from me. I enjoy starting with a plan and remaining flexible so the home ends up warm, welcoming, and festive for our family.

If a few ideas don’t come together this year, that’s okay — there’s always next Christmas.

Want Help Planning Your Own Christmas Decorations?

If pulling out all your holiday bins feels overwhelming, I created a free Christmas Decorating Checklist to guide you room by room, help you use what you already own, and simplify the decorating process. It’s a simple 7-step plan to decorate with purpose and create a cohesive, festive home.

My Cozy Christmas Decorating Guide is also available to help you choose a style, build a color palette, and create cohesive tree and room designs — because decorating should be fun, not stressful.

I can’t wait to share how it all turns out. I’ll be taking plenty of photos once the rooms are finished, so stay tuned for the Christmas home tour.

Now tell me: Are you changing up your Christmas decorations this year, or sticking with the tried-and-true favorites you’ve collected over time?

I’d love to hear your plans — tell me in the comments! xo, Laura