All Is Calm Christmas Home Tour

Hello and welcome to Fox Hollow Cottage! I’m thrilled to invite you into our little cottage home for Christmas, and to be here celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Holiday Housewalk with Jennifer Rizzo Design Company, the event creator. This is my favorite group event of the entire year, as we gather together to share our homes with you, shining bright with holiday cheer. From natural and farmhouse inspired, to traditional, and homes full of colorful Christmas cheer… we are all here to inspire you with ideas for your home, as we share our mutual love for the Christmas season. 

You won’t want to miss a single home in the housewalk line up! Each has something unique and special, and I always find myself oohing & aahing as the week progresses. Start the tour with Jennifer of Jennifer Rizzo Design Company (house 1), it’s easy to just click along from there.

All Is Calm Christmas Home Tour

This season I was pulled toward the more calm, restful and serene. With that in mind, I chose to use understated colors and decorations on our main floor. The last few years, that seems to be what my heart calls for at Christmastime. 

CASUAL CHRISTMAS DINING ROOM

Each season, I try keeping things cohesive for an overall relaxed visual, as our cottage is small, and our spaces are all kind of snuggled up together. 

I used a long needle flocked garland on the mantel, and my favorite candle sticks that you might be getting tired of seeing. They are just a basic that I love! And they seem to look good no matter the season. That’s my favorite kind of decor. 

I tied a few enamel bells on my vintage thrifted mirror… added some wood beads and a few ornaments. But the best thing I did was stuff the garland with some twinkle lights.

Because those make everything better.

FAST & EASY $30 SHIPLAP FIREPLACE  TUTORAIL [click here]

The hearth was kept naked because I love to have fires frequently and I didn’t want to be shuffling things about all Winter long. Our stockings will go up closer to Christmas Eve and I may hang them on my vintage wood ladder again. That works out so well! 

I found this simply designed blanket, and I was hopeful the green would compliment the shade of green in my chunky cable knit pillows that I knew I wanted to use again this season! I think we all love pillows and throws so much because a few patterns or punches of color can really transform a space, without a huge investment. And my goodness can you imagine our sofas naked without them? I sure don’t want to! 

If you happen to follow me on Instagram, you’ll know we sanded our live edge bench down and gave it a new finish. Which I love. Everything is much more cohesive now, and I can stop looking for new dining room chairs. A no-money fix is a always a winner in my book!

If you are new here, I wasn’t being modest when I said we had a little house. We downsized considerably years ago and we love this cottage home. But it’s not grand by any stretch. 

Wall Color is: Sherwin Williams in Pure White & Iron Ore

It’s a great little canvas though, and we have so much fun working on DIY projects and showing her lots of love. Just for Winter, I decided to make things feel extra cozy, by adding a dark & moody accent wall. And because our home doesn’t have a formal entryway, I attempted to minimize the doors visual weight in the room by taking the accent wall straight across it as if it didn’t exsist. I’m not sure how it translates in photos, but I love it in person. 

If you are paying close attention… yes, that’s a different fireplace screen. More about that in a future post (I’ve got an idea).

I brought these brass bells home and hung them on the door because my hands were full… and then I loved them there. So there they stay. Does that ever happen to you? Something lands in a spot and you instantly love it? 

I used a lot of my everyday decor, and things I already had to decorate for the holidays this year. Both of these lanterns became Christmas decor, with the addition of a Christmas tree.

When I removed my gold mirror from the mantel, I tried leaning against the wall in this little corner. Against the deep wall color it really sparkles, and it reflects the wee fairy lights just beautifully. 

THE KITCHEN ISLAND & BRICK WALL

Over in the kitchen, I swapped out my chunky console table for our wood & metal shelf. I really like it here, and that the brick shows through. It’s something I don’t like to cover up too much! 

I noticed this space has a sort of “loft” vibe to me now. I think because it’s got a bit of an industrial feel going, between the brick and the wood & metal. 

I’ve had the MERRY marque for years, and it lands somewhere new each year. I found that at HomeGoods many seasons ago. And I’ve never seen another one. Believe me, I’ve scoured the internet for many, many hours to find a source for you guys, because it’s always asked about. So far, not a lick of luck locating anything similar. 

My vintage brass Deer also migrate. Those were a find that took me a few years to pin down at a price I wanted to pay. Cause I’m… “thrifty” (wink-wink). 

I love how just about anything elevated on a cake plate with a lil snow, makes for simple holiday vignette. Cake plates are another decor staple that give all year long. 

The green plaid and tiny tree plates were a Target find this season, and I’ll be using those on our casual Christmas table. I like having them on the shelf where I can see them and enjoy them, until we need them on the table. We use our farm table, a lot. So I don’t keep it “set” unless we are getting ready to dine. 

 All of our rooms are open to one another — our dining area, our living room, the sun room & kitchen. This little corner spot kind of anchors them.

This year I propped my old vintage door in the corner and added a few trees. 

And my green metal & wood cart.

These are all the ribbons I didn’t use on my tree, but were too pretty to put away… instead I nesstled them up on a meatal tray. It’s the little things, like how that pretty golden foil script on the Merry Christmas ribbon shines in the twinkle lights from the tree. 

It All Started With Our Christmas Tree 

Find All Of Our Christmas Tree Details [click here]

The very first thing I decorated this year was the tree.

This season found me gravitating towards a touch of black & white, and some shimmering silver and gold… and I knew I wanted to use a rich Christmas green! I really wanted to see the actual tree and it’s boughs, and not have it obscured by too many adornments. 

This way, I feel like the ornaments all really have a chance to shine as well. 

CALM & COZY COTTAGE LIVNG ROOM

You know when I was growing up, “cozy” was just a nice way to say small. I feel like our cottage blends a little of the old and new meaning. And while it’s definitely not large, it’s BIG on the comfy factor that makes you feel relaxed and welcome. 

Our tiny cottage living room has been re-arranged to make room for the tree. 

I opted to remove the coffee table for now, and instead we are using two ottomans (which are incredibly versatile)!

For a Christmas feel, I added a tree forest, cozy layers with tons of throws and pillows to grab, and a bit of twinkle. Pretty standard Christmas fare. 

But I love it. The warmth of the fat fabric trees and the tiny metal house remind me of a woodsy Winter village. 

That little vignette and the Christmas tree are something I see all day as I bustle around the house, and are often my evening view as well. From the best seat in the house. 

Wishing one and all a Christmas season full of Comfort & Joy! Especially in this particular Christmas season… may we strive to give comfort and spread joy in any way we possibly can.

Please make sure to keep the Christmas Holiday Housewalk spirit going by visiting my good friend KELLY next! You can click here to see Kelly’s Christmas Home Tour or simply click on the image above or below — I’ve made it nice and easy for you!

I know I usually add a “shopping source” list at the bottom of my posts in case you see something you like, but I kept things a bit more paired down this year. I shared my few new little things as I found them with you on Instagram & Facebook. Most everything else is from previous years, thrifted or vintage. If you see something I didn’t mention, comment or email me at foxhollowcottage@gmail.com and I’ll get right back to you. xo Shannon 

• OUR CHRISTMAS TREE REVAL & DETAILS [click here]

• DIY CHRISTMAS TREE BOX TUTORIAL [click here]

• OTTOMANS [click here]

Psst… FYI — Grandin Road has a 30% off site-wide sale going on right now! It’s where my tree, some of my decor and my ottomans are from. 

Holiday Housewalk 2019 [click here]

Holiday Housewalk 2018 [click here]

Holiday Housewalk 2017 [click here]

Holiday Housewalk 2016 [click here]

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