Holiday Ideas for Living Rooms

In an open-plan home with a large living space, achieving the right scale when decorating a room for the holidays can be challenging. Start with the fireplace. A fireplace often serves as a natural focal point for holiday decorations, letting the eye know where to go first. If the fireplace is tall and highly visible, it’s easy for the décor on the mantel to look underwhelming, so don’t be afraid to go big. 

Try anchoring your holiday fireplace décor with a wreath. Decorate the mantel shelf with a base of pre-lit garland and Christmas tree ornaments for color and texture. Add figurines, candles and other tabletop decorations to create a vertical element. Hang stockings with decorative holders. Want more tips and inspiration? Take a look at Holiday Mantel Ideas.

To make a large living space feel warm and inviting, create holiday scenes within the room. A built-in wall shelf or freestanding shelves are great places to do that. Here, shelving provides a good place for a nutcracker, reindeer and holiday signs. An angel and some white Christmas trees on the dining table coordinate with the shelves and add a decorative touch. 

If you’re decorating a small space for the holidays and don’t have much shelf or wall space, you can still set the holiday mood. Use small, eye-catching decorations and holiday items on table tops or windowsills.

In a living space with high ceilings and long walls, it’s easy for the Christmas tree to look undersized. Whether you prefer a fresh-cut tree or an artificial Christmas tree, get the tallest and fullest tree that will fit comfortably in the spot you choose, such as a corner by the window. Be sure to leave room for a tree topper.

Having an open floor plan likely means that your Christmas tree is visible from just about anywhere — living room, dining room and kitchen. So make sure the tree includes some large-scale decorations that will make an impact when seen from a distance. For slim trees in smaller rooms, you may want to opt for smaller ornaments that fit the scale of the smaller tree. Scaling and proportion apply to the tree skirt as well. In general look for a tree skirt with a diameter close to that of the tree. However, if you want to call attention to the tree skirt as part of the holiday room décor, it can be larger as long as it’s clear of walkways.

Add decorative touches to your couch, armchairs or even a window seat with seasonal throws and pillows, like this red cozy blanket and festive plaid pillow. A side table continues the theme with a nutcracker and a holiday sign, while the fireplace is wrapped in garland and illuminated by candlelight.

Because open-plan living spaces have few walls, the walls tend to be long. You can break up a long wall visually or make a transition between rooms with a festive display of holiday décor. This lighted village is a great way to decorate a side table on a long wall.

Thinking vertically is a smart approach when decorating an open-plan living space for the holidays. Large, open rooms have a natural horizontal orientation, so adding height to any holiday display helps it stand out. This holiday dining table décor features a tall wooden angel with white Christmas trees flanking it on each side. A red tablecloth provides a pop of color, while greenery is woven throughout to complete the look. 

In a small living room, you can pull off a similar effect on a smaller scale with end tables or sideboards. Small candle holders and other decorations make use of available table space to add a holiday feel to the room.