“As I am a huge ambassador of versatility and timelessness, I like blending some special, Christmassy objects with pieces that we use daily, all year round.” Blogger Kasia Rutkowiak shares her tips for creating a minimalist holiday decor with just a few, carefully selected ornaments.
“WHEN IT COMES TO Christmas decorations, I am actually quite old-fashioned. In my childhood home, the Christmas tree and other decorations were always brought in just the night before Christmas Eve. That’s why I do find the modern times a bit too quick for my liking regarding my favorite holiday. Personally, I feel that Christmas loses its magic if we already decorate from early November.
That being said, I am not as strict as my parents used to be, so our first decorations come in the first week of December and instantly create the pre-Christmas spirit. It allows the entire family to enjoy gentle holiday vibes that come slowly and naturally, bit by bit, week by week.
And as we are rather modest in terms of the number of pre-Christmas decorations, what I find works best is moving them around and re-arranging them as days go by. The thing is, we tend to go back to the same, favorite objects that – for us – carry this special feeling. It means that all we truly need for holiday decoration is some staple items.
“All we truly need for holiday decoration is some staple items.”
Collecting them through the years I always focus on the same colors: red, green and white as well as adding some extra festive shiny elements. In our case, it’s usually brass. And as brass has become highly popular in the past years, it is very easy to find something that fits your personal style to create a timeless basis collection that will work every single time.
Here is a list of some of the things that I always have at home during these special weeks of Christmas anticipation. As you can see, these are just a few actual ornaments, and the absolute majority of these items can be used all year round. When combined and sprinkled around with truly seasonal ornaments and details, they create a perfect pre-Christmas mood. Happy Holidays!”
Kasia’s holiday decoration essentials:
1. Festive flowers
“The first sign of coming holidays is flowers. For us, it’s the Amaryllis and Poinsettia plants. These are our ultimate choices for the entire Christmas season, and I cannot imagine December without them. As soon as they arrive, it’s ’allowed’ to take some smaller decorations out as well. I added beautiful glass balls from Iittala to our bouquet – together with the white Lyngby porcelain vase, they match the Amaryllis perfectly! For now, we are using simple eucalyptus branches, as it’s still not Christmas tree time just yet.”
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2. Small seasonal ornaments
“Surprisingly, it really doesn’t take a lot to mark the upcoming holiday season. Something as little as adding some tiny accents like a nutcracker, candles and small decorative items creates this one-of-a-kind feeling of excitement and joy. In terms of materials, brass works best for us, and I particularly like Ferm Living’s seasonal collection a lot.”
3. Flickering flames
“This year, in addition to real candles, I added to our holiday decor the Candlelight lantern by Le Klint. The portable LED lantern flickers nicely and creates a lovely mood. And it would make a great gift, too!”
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4. Plaids and pillows
“It’s amazing what a change a few new home textiles can create in just seconds! Plus, soft plaids and cushions are the ultimate creators of the hygge feel.”
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5. Pretty bowls for nuts and cookies
“This year I went with Georg Jensen’s Bernadotte bowl, Iittala’s Miranda bowl and By Lassen’s Kubus bowls, which are in use all year long. As I am a huge ambassador of versatility and timelessness, I like blending some special, Christmassy objects with pieces that we use daily, all year round. That’s probably why I have so much fallen for Scandinavian design in the first place. A timeless base works every time, every season, every year.”
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6. Wooden trays
“I could never have enough of small wooden trays. They are not only practical but also nice to touch and add warmth to my favorite marble coffee table.”
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7. Something to make us smile
“Putting small Santa hats on the Wooden Monkeys by Kay Bojesen marks the beginning of the holiday season. You just cannot help but smile when you look at these little fellows, wearing their hats proudly.”
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Get inspired
Miranda bowl
Urbania lighthouse
Kubus bowl
Santa's cap for Monkey
CH24 Wishbone chair
JUL scented candle
Norr tray
Suur Unikko cushion cover
Kasia Rutkowiak is a Polish-born freelance interior stylist, photographer, and writer of the Scandinavian interior and lifestyle blog My Full House, which has followers and readers from all around the world. She is a mother to three Danish-born children and has lived for over twelve years on the island of Bornholm in Denmark. Currently, she resides in Warsaw, Poland.
See also:
• More holiday decorations >
• Holiday home decor >
Text and photos: Kasia Rutkowiak