18 Christmas Living Room Decor Ideas That Make Your Home Feel Magical
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This post shows you 18 Christmas living room decor ideas, from full room looks to small single pieces.
Most Christmas living room decor ideas start and stop at the tree, while the rest of the room looks the same as it did in July.
These 18 ideas cover everything else, from full room looks to small single pieces.
Some go bold and some stay quiet, so pick whatever fits your room.
First up is the classic red and white.
Go Classic Red and White
Red and white is the safe pick, like jeans and a white tee. Most sofa colors sit fine next to it.
Wide red ribbon woven down the tree is the one detail worth copying.
Everything else can be a throw or pillow you already own.
Add silver ornaments if the red feels heavy, and keep the lights warm white.
Shop: wide red wired ribbon for christmas tree here
Tuck a small tree in a corner
A small tree in the corner takes up almost no room, and the window gives it a second job: it shows from outside too.
Pick a slim tree over a short one, so it keeps its height.
Check where the outlet is before you commit to the spot.
Shop: slim pre-lit Christmas tree here
More small space ideas are in these studio apartment decor ideas.
Make it a white Christmas room
@credit: summeradamsdesigns
This is one of my favorites on the list.
White does most of the work, so everything else can stay in one shade.
A faux fur throw on the sofa is the one detail.
Use warm white lights, not cool ones, or the room starts to feel icy.
If it still looks flat, add a little silver or icy blue.
Shop: white faux fur throw blanket here
More frosted and white styling is in these winter centerpiece ideas.
Hang stockings on a shelf
No mantel? A shelf holds stockings just as well.
Clip a stocking holder to the front edge, one for each stocking.
Leave a hand’s width between them so the stockings don’t bunch up.
I like a short garland laid along the shelf above them.
Clamp-style holders grip the board and need no nails.
Shop: clip-on stocking holders for shelves here
Keep it Scandinavian
Take the red and glitter out and you get a calm, natural room, like a ski lodge with the volume turned down.
Wooden ornaments on a plain tree cover most of the look.
Put white candles on any free surface, and skip metallics so nothing competes.
It suits a room that’s already light and wooden.
Shop: natural wooden Christmas tree ornaments here
Style a coffee table tray
One tray, one candle, a couple of small trees.
That’s the whole setup, and it’s the same trick as a catch-all bowl by the front door.
The tray lifts off in one go when you need the table for a mug or a laptop.
Marble or wood both work, so match whichever is already in the room.
Shop: marble serving tray for coffee table here
More tabletop ideas are in these Christmas coffee table ideas.
Go green with olive branches
@credit: Homes & Gardens
Skip the red and let green carry the room.
Olive branches in a tall vase are all the greenery it needs.
One velvet pillow in a deep green ties it to the sofa.
Keep the tree simple with warm white lights.
Green sits fine next to a gray or cream sofa.
Shop: faux olive branches stems for vase here
Garland the TV console
A TV is the hardest thing in the room to decorate around, since it’s a big black rectangle that won’t move.
I like this fix: a garland along the top of the console.
Thread battery lights through it, so there’s no cord to hide.
Keep the garland on the console, not draped over the screen.
Shop: battery operated pre-lit Christmas garland here
Try a gold glam room
Gold gets loud fast, like a sequin jacket.
Pick one soft, matte finish and stay with it.
Tall taper candles in gold holders add height without taking up table space.
Champagne and soft white sit well beside it, and the tree ornaments should match the same gold.
Shop: matte gold Christmas ornaments here
Set up a hot cocoa cart
A cocoa cart is a coffee bar with a Christmas theme, and it takes up even less room.
Any small cart or side table will do.
Set out mugs and a jar of marshmallows, and add a tiny tree so it reads as Christmas and not a snack table.
Pick mugs in one color so the cart looks put together.
Try a rustic cabin look
@credit: decorsteals
A rustic look comes from rough materials, not from living in a cabin.
A stone fireplace or wood mantel does most of it, and the decor just has to stay out of the way.
Keep the greenery loose and a little uneven, like it was picked up outside.
Wooden name tags on the stockings are an easy way to add one more wood piece.
Shop: wooden Christmas stocking name tags here
Hang wreaths in windows
Where else does a wreath go besides the front door?
In the window, hung from a ribbon so it floats in front of the glass.
Small wreaths work best, and a row of them looks like a garland made of circles.
Use a clear adhesive hook on the glass, and check the weight limit first.
Shop: small Christmas wreaths for windows here
Go pink and green
Pink and green is red and green with a softer twist, and the green does the heavy lifting.
Let a dark green tree or sofa be the base, then add pink in a few small places.
Pink baubles on the tree are the easiest start.
If a room feels too sweet, bring in a little gold to settle it.
Shop: pink Christmas ornaments set here
Dress your curtains
Curtains are the one big surface in a living room that Christmas usually skips.
Lay a garland across the rod and let it hang down both sides.
Tie on a few bows or ornaments with ribbon so they stay put.
Hang the garland first, then add the rest.
Shop: Christmas velvet bows for garland here
Try vintage with dried oranges
I like this one.
Dried orange slices are the whole trick: string them on the tree or lay them along a mantel garland.
Pair them with velvet ribbon and a few old-looking glass ornaments, and it starts to look inherited.
Slice oranges thin and bake them low and slow, or buy a ready-made string.
Shop: dried orange slice garland here
More vintage looks are in these vintage Halloween decor ideas.
Layer the sofa in plaid
@credit: gracecottagehhi
The sofa is the biggest thing in the room, and the easiest to leave alone.
Start with one plaid throw over the arm.
Add a pillow in the same check, then one chunky knit for texture.
Stop there, or it starts to look like a store display.
Shop: red plaid throw blanket here
Dress the fireplace mantel
@credit: xmas_all_theway
This is the one I’d copy first.
A thick garland along the mantel gives the stockings something to hang from.
Taper candles at one end add height, and a big wreath above ties it to the wall.
Keep the stockings in one color so the greenery stays the main thing.
Shop: thick pine Christmas garland for mantel here
Style a console table
A console table is basically a long shelf, so style it like one.
Put the tallest thing at the back, then step down in height toward the front.
A wreath leaned against the wall works as the tall piece.
Fill the gaps with candles and mini trees, and leave some of the table empty.
Shop: frosted bottle brush Christmas trees here
More console and entry styling is in these small apartment entryway ideas.
FAQs
How do I arrange a Christmas tree in a small living room?
Put a slim tree in a corner so it takes up the least floor space. Keep it clear of the TV, the sofa and any walkway. A tabletop tree on a console works too if the floor is full.
What are some minimalist Christmas decorating tips for small living spaces?
Stick to one color and a few things: a plain tree, white candles and a garland on one surface. A Scandinavian look is the easiest version, since it’s mostly wood and natural greenery. Leave some surfaces empty on purpose.
How do I decorate for Christmas if I have modern furniture?
Keep the decor simple and match it to the colors already in the room. An all-white or gold look sits well next to clean lines. Skip busy patterns and let one thing, like the tree, be the focus.
How do I give a family room a rustic Christmas look?
Use wood, stone and plain greenery, and skip anything shiny. Wooden name tags on the stockings, a pinecone garland and a plaid throw all fit. It works best in a room that already has wood in it.
What does a traditional Christmas living room look like?
Red, green and white, with a full tree and stockings hung up. A plaid ribbon on the tree is an easy classic detail. Red and white pillows carry the rest.
You don’t have to use all 18 ideas.
Put the tree up first, then add one small thing in each spot, starting with the coffee table.
Plug in the lights last and turn the overhead light off.