Hello friends! Welcome to The Gathered Home’s 2016 full holiday home tour… and hang onto your hats, because I went a little snap-happy while photographing this tour because I really do love our home all decked out for the holidays!
Today, I’m participating in the Winter Eclectic Home Tours hosted by Jess of Domicile 37, the sweetest blogger and friend! I’m joining 24 other insanely talented eclectic home decor bloggers – you can find all their home tours linked at the bottom of this post, and I HIGHLY encourage you to make a date with your computer (or preferred blog reading device) and visit each and every one.
If you’re stopping by from Jest Cafe, or one of the other participating blogs, welcome to The Gathered Home – step inside my colorful, eclectic shrine to all things found and made!
The Entryway:
This zany little setup greets you to your right after you walk in our front door:
The vintage post office box holds crafting supplies, decor items – anything I can shove inside its handy little file drawers – and serves as the drop zone for car keys.
The life-sized Boston terrier statue (named “Baxter”) was a thrift store find, and I lovingly refer to him as our house guardian angel. You’ll see that my main Christmas decorating philosophy is “Put a Santa hat on it”, so Baxter got a plush little hat I found at the thrift store.
The Gathered Home Principles of Christmas Decorating Number One: Put a Santa Hat On It.
*Today’s post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link, I may receive a small commission. You can read my full disclosure here. I hope you all know by now that I do only share things I really truly love!
The Gathered Home Principles of Christmas Decorating Number Two: Fairy Lights.
This year, I ordered a pack of these micro LED light strings and sprinkled them throughout the house! They’re battery-operated, so it’s super easy to flip the little switch and turn them on for a magical coppery glow!
I just used a tiny dab of hot glue to fix a red pom pom to this vintage brass gazelle’s nose and presto – Rudolph the Red-Nosed Brass Deer.
Mini Christmas bulb garland: similar here
My favorite candles to burn >> Mini Capri Blue jar candle
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The Library:
To the left of the front door when you walk in, is the space I like to refer to (a little grandiosely) as “the library.” This is where I set up our Christmas tree this year – the big window at the front of our house was just begging for twinkly Christmas lights!
In case you missed the post earlier this week, you can get all the details on my Colorful, Gathered, Eclectic Christmas Tree right here.
Our six-foot tree felt a little dinky with our new house’s taller ceilings, so I swagged some thrifted white garland around the window and decorated it with ornaments as well to help give it some more presence.
Our calico kitty Midna is completely enamored with the tree – mainly because she thinks ornaments are the most fun thing to play with since ear buds, hair ties, and makeup sponges were invented. (A few other of her favorite playthings.)
The gilded console table holds a children’s Bible (Bryan’s) opened to the Christmas story, and this paper mache nativity set I thrifted earlier this fall. Its made of paper and cloth, with rope details – truly exquisite!
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The Dining Room:
The library and the dining room are open to one another, so they don’t really feel like separate rooms. Just about everything you can see in the whole space came from a thrift store or Craigslist!
Read all about how I gave these Chinese chippendale chairs a DIY makeover right here.
This table setting was so simple to pull together, and I feel like it can work for the entire winter season, even after the holidays!
I thrifted this lavishly beaded wrap years ago and I love using it as a table runner! The sparkling flowers glitter like a blanket of snow.
I laid a length of artificial pine garland on top of the table runner in a slight serpentine, and then gathered up most of the candle holders that I’ve thrifted over the years and staggered them down the length of the table. I added a few sprays of fake pine branches and some pinecones to fill out the arrangement.
I kept the black and gold leaf credenza pretty simple. “Lady Margaret” (the giant, thrifted portrait study of Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus”) smiles down on brass deer candleholders, faux greenery, and pine tree shaped candles.
You may remember how I set up teeny Halloween vignettes in this thrifted cheese tray… I decided to do the same thing for Christmas with a “snow globe” spin:
I just tucked a few mini bottle brush trees, some teeny pine cones, and a small toy fawn figurine inside, and sprinkled on some sparkling fake snow. So easy and so adorable!
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The Bar:
Let’s move on into our living room area, at the back of the house. Our vintage teak fold out bar stands across from the kitchen, and holds all the makings for holiday cheer.
Nothing really changed in the way I have the bar set up – I just plopped some fake pine and juniper branches into the vase and one of the vintage glasses.
When friends visit, they always comment on this poseable wooden mannequin hand! It’s so fun to play with – a friend’s son posed it holding a key-shaped bottle opener and I thought it was so cute, it’s stayed this way for months.
The vintage school girls oil painting was a thrift store find. (And actually, while I was taking these photos, I found the Goodwill sticker still on the side of the frame – oops!)
A corollary to The Gathered Home’s Principles of Christmas Decorating Number One – if a Santa hat won’t quite do, try a mini felt scarf with pom pom ends:
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The Living Room:
Just past the bar, is my absolute favorite room in the house – the living room. This is where 90% of my blogging takes place (the other 10% is snuggled up in bed with my cats), right there on my beloved thrifted green velvet sofa.
In fact, the green velvet sofa already feels so perfect for Christmas, with red accents sprinkled throughout the room, that I really didn’t have to do much besides rearrange the mantel and light a fire!
Oh that fireplace! It has quickly become my favorite spot in the entire house! It’s a gas log set, so enjoying a roaring fire is as simple as turning the key in the wall and lighting the pilot – I feel so ridiculously spoiled, since our first house’s fireplace was non-functional.
The bones of the mantel remained the same: the DIY vintage flying machine patent art and my vintage obelisk collection. I simply swagged two pre-lit artificial garlands over the giant print – mine are battery powered, so no cords to deal with!
The shapes of the obelisks already reminded me of Christmas trees, so I added a few thrifted trees, a leaping brass gazelle, and, of course, some more fairy lights!
And, refer back to Principle Number One: Mr. Spalding (the inventor of this fabulous feathered flying machine, which is a REAL patent image from 1889, you guys!) received a little Santa hat, made from felt scraps and held on with a loop of tape.
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I staged our vintage lucite coffee table (one of my BEST thrift finds ever!) with Christmas books, coloring books, and games – lots of pretty things to look at and play with!
If you missed it, you can catch my recommendations for the best coloring books for everyone on your Christmas list right here!
I’ve always LOVED this vintage children’s book series by Swedish author Maj Lindman – they just feel perfect for Christmas!
Find a vintage copy: Snipp Snapp Snurr and the Reindeer
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In front of the fireplace, Xanthippe the Zebra is – yes – also sporting a Santa hat and sitting on top of a little leather suitcase I thrifted this summer.
I created two little Christmas vignettes on either side of the television, which, let’s face it, is pretty much the most important part of the living room. Where else am I going to binge my Galavant and Supernatural?!
I’ve been trying out my vintage federal eagle mirror on the right side of the oak sideboard and I think I really like it here! Beneath it, I pulled together a little vignette with vintage books, a vintage metal postal box bank I recently thrifted, and my little felt Rudolph that I stitched up several Christmases ago:
Although there are no Gathered Home kiddos yet, I love the idea of using the little mailbox (with a working mail slot!) for future letters to Santa!
On the other side, I filled this terrarium I made out of a brass and glass lantern I found at the Habitat Restore with soft ivory flannel and a white bottle brush tree, wrapped with – you guessed it – more fairy lights!
The Gathered Home’s Principles of Christmas Decorating Number Three: Miniatures Everywhere!
I love miniatures and creating tiny displays! My favorite mini thrifted Mudlen End cottages felt perfect for Christmas, so I aded a mini ceramic tree and a petite group of carolers I found tucked away in a trinket box from my childhood, staged on a landscape made of vintage books.
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And that about wraps it up! Thank you for joining me on this Christmas-themed walk through – I hope you enjoyed the holiday details I’ve added to our home!
If you need me, I’ll probably be right here by the fire!
More Inspiring Eclectic Home Tours:
Now is the perfect time for you to visit these other wonderful eclectic home tours! I’m officially the last stop on this week’s hop, but please don’t miss the other incredibly talented bloggers who’ve already shared their gorgeous homes – you’ll find all the links below:
Monday
Bright Green Door // Michelle Matangi Home // Sharon Williams // CAD Interiors // Domicile 37
Tuesday
Casa Watkins Living // Maggie Overby Studios // House Homemade // French & French Interiors // Style Mutt Home
Wednesday
Up To Date Interiors // The Striped House // Designing Vibes // Iris Nacole // Fearfully & Wonderfully Made // Blue i Style
Thursday
PMQ for Two // Maker of Home // Go Haus Go // Whimsical Blue Living // FOXY OXIE
Friday
This is Our Bliss // Monica Wants It // Insieme House // Jest Cafe // The Gathered Home
Loving all of the color on your tree and the fact that you can play a sort of “Where’s Waldo” with the Santa hats. Fun tour! P.S. It’s not Christmas without brass deer!
Thank you so much, Maggie! That’s pretty much my goal for our home – always having something fun, whimsical, and surprising for people to spot! 🙂
What cute details thruout your home. Love all the santa hats! Merry Christmas!
Thank you Melissa! Santa hats have always been a Christmas tradition for me – I didn’t include a pic this year, but I have a knit Santa hat I’ve been wearing to decorate the tree since I was a little girl! 😀
Merry Christmas!
Brynne,
I don’t even know where to start. You are so talented. I am still obsessed with your colorful tree , but I am also pretty obsessed with your bar and living room. Wonderfully done!
Much Love,
Erica
Thank you so much, Erica! What a sweet comment! I love decorating for Christmas – I only wish I could keep all the lights up much, much longer! 🙂
I love it! I love how you changed what was already out , to be Christmas-y
Thank you Jessica! I love thinking up cute little ways I can Christmas-fy my existing decor! 😀
brynne, girl, this is amazing!!!! i LOVE all of your unique thrifted and vintage touches… that wrap as a runner is amazing. i was totally drooling over that space. and your mantle is fab, to! awesome work!
Thank you Cassie! *Insert huge internet hugs here* I had so much fun decorating the new place for Christmas! I love it so much here and I can’t wait for next year so I can try out fun new ideas!
Wanna take a guess how images I’ve pinned? 6… 6 from this single post. Girl, great stuff!
😀 Thanks so much, friend! Gosh, I love Christmas!
I love the direction you are moving in with this house. I have a few vintage books and I am currently on the hunt for more. Most of mine are kids/teenage books but they are so loved and beautiful. Btw, your tree looks huge in that space!!!
I really really love this place… I’m having such a fun time figuring out how to adapt my style to fit it the best way! Thank you sweet friend!
Since I’m moving from one home to another, this will be the first year in twenty I have not decorated. This home tour has kept me in the spirit of Christmas.Thank you!
Aw, I am so glad! Thank you Elizabeth!
Last year, I didn’t decorate for Christmas either, because we were planning a move and getting things packed up! I definitely missed the Christmas lights most of all…
Good luck with your move and I know you’ll enjoy decorating next year!
So enjoyed your tour! And that last photo! I love it. With kitty looking at you!
Julia, I’m telling you the truth, she jumped up and bit me on the leg right after the shutter snapped. Midna is impossibly adorable, but she has a bit of a mean streak! 😀 But when she’s sweet, it’s lovely!
Your home is so beautiful and so different, amazing! xx
Thank you so much, Tereza! 🙂
Gosh your home is truly amazing! I adore all your thrifter finds especially that green sofa!! Love love the animal print carpet too!! And all the Christmasy goodness going on, totally nailed it xx
Thank you so much, Michelle! The green sofa and leopard rug are some of my favorite finds!
Ok. 1) That tree, 2) that zebra with the santa hat, 3) that vintage book, 4) those garlands. This tour is GREAT!
Thank you Mila! I just love Christmas and always have so much fun setting aside about a week to decorate! I wish I could keep it out even longer! 🙂
What an absolutely fun and festive tour…so many whimsical moments and beautiful vignettes! Truly inspiring!
Thank you so much, Astrid! I love your style so much, that’s high praise coming from you!
oh Brynne! Your home is so beautifully sophisticated and curated! And that nativity set, I can’t even deal!! 😍😍😍 So amazing!
Aw, thank you so much, Carli! That nativity was such a neat find – I didn’t even mind when the thrift store overcharged me for it, lol! (It was priced as a set, but they rang it up per piece and I decided not to press the point too hard.)
Such a beautiful tour! I loved seeing all of your vintage finds throughout!
Thank you so much, Iris! <3
You’re a little Christmas touches were hilarious! The little Santa hats everywhere, a glued on pom-pom nose… so cute! And so you!
Oh my… I LOVED your tour!!! Your thrifted nativity set is beautiful, and I love the bible next to it. 🙂 I was drawn to so much of your decor. You’ve collected so many great thrifted and vintage finds. Your home is decked so invitingly for the holiday season! Merry Christmas!
You have such amazing taste in furniture! I could seriously shop your house, LOL 🙂 Your home looks beautiful for Christmas. Happy Holidays friend!
I love all the vintage and quirky touches! Your house is amazing. I think I need to get on the fairly light train. They are so cute!
The entryway is my favorite! But love all the detail you put into every room! So festive and cozy!
Sam
http://thrifttasteandheadspace.com/