Holiday Housewalk: Pink Cottage Christmas Home Tour

Hello and welcome to Fox Hollow Cottage! I’m so happy to be here sharing our cottage home with you for the 11th Holiday Housewalk with Jennifer Rizzo Design Company, the event creator. I look forward to our annual housewalks all year, it’s an extra special time when we all gather together to share our bedecked homes with you, shining bright with holiday cheer. From natural and farmhouse inspired, to traditional, and homes full of colorful Christmas cheer… we are here to inspire you with ideas for your home, as we share our mutual love for this beautiful season.

You won’t want to miss a single home in the housewalk line up! I’m telling you, each home has something truly unique & special! This year, I’m thrilled to be following my very, longtime blogging friend Kelly from Eclectically Vintage. You can click right here to jet over to the East Coast and tour her beautiful home!

Holiday Housewalk: Pink Cottage Christmas Home Tour

Hello new friends, and my sweet Foxes!! After loving the soft pink look I created down at The Little Cottage a few years ago, I decided to go all-in, and go PINK here at the main house. I liked it so much, but I didn’t get to enjoy it nearly enough. Problem solved! Welcome to our first ever pink Christmas… 

I really challenged myself to use what I had, and make simple tweaks to make this holiday look happen! It was actually very simple to go pink—by just splashing a bit here & there, and layering it with a generous base of silvers, golds & neutrals that I already had.

I’ll make sure to point out any new additions as we go, in case you want to go pink too, or actually, add-in any new color because I think my method would work well for any shade.

Something new’ish — now they aren’t Christmassy, but I’ve been so thrilled with our brass/gold wall sconces [find them here]. I use them every night, and on gloomy days too. They are going to make this Winter so much brighter. I am so, so happy I with them! 

My “pink dreaming” began while visiting my mom down in California for her birthday. It had been over 2 years since I’d seen my mom, and I took a few weeks to go see her, my dad and my sister. At the same time, I let my mom know that my previous pink holiday was being featured in a national magazine, and wasn’t it funny, that I had been feeling a pull to do pink again. Timing can be strange sometimes. One afternoon we ran into Target, and I found myself mooning over a pretty blush pink Hearth & Hand throw (pictured above) and decided to give up some suitcase space to bring it home with me (at home, my closest Target is 4 hours away, round trip). In that moment, my commitment to a pink holiday was born! Because suitcase space, is premium space when you are traveling. Then I got home and started waffling… haha. Because there are so many pretty ways to do Christmas, and I really do love them all… but pink I went! 

REIMAGINING: making the old new again

• Some of you may recall the wooden Christmas trees that Jim and I made a few years ago… well, a few of them got a pink washing, and became perfect for this years theme. I just custom mixed some craft paint so the shade complimented the other pink pretties I had to work with. 

• The years-old metal tray went from galvanized metal to a soft brassy gold, with a few shades of gold spray paint, with a finishing whisper pass of brushed nickel.  I love it! And plan to do the other for a matched set. 

• The crown on the flocked tree was spray painted for a fresh look as well, and the body of the tree was decorated with soft pink sating ribbon that was left over from the florals from our wedding. 

NEW:

This pink mercury glass tree is a new find this year at HomeGoods. It lights up and, it was only $14.99 — such a steal, and it adds so much strength to the overall “pink look” by anchoring the middle of the space between the living and dining room. I tried to put my “pinks” in just the right places, to keep a nice visual balance of pink throughout the space. The snowglobe was actually a gift one year from the folks at HomeGoods, and it’s funny how they ended up next to each other and suit each other so well! A happy pairing. 

 OUR SPARKLING PINK CHRISTMAS TREE 

Meet our 2021 Christmas Tree. I slightly tweaked The Little Cottage Christmas Tree look — I added the white & gold Merry Christmas ribbon, a few more pink ornaments, and changed up the tree “skirt”. I’ll dive into it with more detail later, in case you want a closer look and breakdown. 

IDEA: more with less

With modest sized trees, I really like to chunk-them-up a bit, by adding either a smaller tree(s), or something else substantial to add some heft to the overall space. In this case, it’s an upside down basket (to compliment the tree skirt), an old vintage silver tray, and a few trees.   This makes for an overall larger footprint, and makes the mid-size tree present as much bigger. Without the cost of a larger tree and more ornaments & embellishments. TIP: a tray on a basket bottom provides a level surface for your décor pieces to sit well, and safely.

IDEA: look for less

Another way to add more appeal and heft to your tree, is to have a mirror bounce all that sparkle and those pretty Christmas lights around. Large mirrors can be very expensive though. I’d love one of those Anthro wall leaners that run over a thousand dollars… but this XL wood framed mirror was under $50 at Ross, and I simply moved it behind my tree this year. Then I layered my gold Gleaming Mirror (from Decor Steals) for some glam and glow. You get all that light bounce, and the general feel, for a whole lot less! And my wood framed mirror is light & easy to move around. 

I use so many everyday pieces when I decorate throughout the year. Like this wood bowl. I just added a splash of holiday to make it feel Christmassy.

Bowls, trays, glass vessels, lanterns… there are so many non-Christmas items that can become holiday décor with some ribbon, a little faux snow, a candle, some ornaments, a sprig of greenery… use what you already have and add a pinch of imagination to deck your halls with less stress & less money! 

IDEA: 

This year, I amped up the shine by lining an old wooden box with tinfoil, and loading it up with loads of glitter & shine by filling it with Christmas ornaments, and tiny fairy lights. It’s my favorite thing this year. It’s super simple, but the glow is incredible! The tinfoil is key, because it really helps to reflect the shimmery ornaments & lights, and by using it, you can’t see any “holes” in the ornament arrangement so you need less than you might think. Oh, and to use even less ornaments, fill the bottom of the box with something fluffy first (like an old sheet or towel) to lift and elevate your whole arrangement to the desired height. 

This Christmas, I positioned a console table between the living & dining room. These lamps were on our lower level at the bottom of our stairs, and I switched them out for the whitewashed wood pair with the B&W buffalo check lamp shades. 

You’ve never seen these before, since I don’t really share that part of our home on the blog. The soft neutral shades look much better, the B&W was not looking good with all the pink and subtler shades. I’m so glad I had something I could switcharoo with (and it’s why I predominantly buy neutral décor that I can shimmy around the house to almost any room, as the whim strikes).  

My electrical spool “coffee table” made it’s way into the corner, and I topped it with that fat flocked tree we all love! To make it better fit with the softer look and all the baskets and rattan, I popped in in a basket as well. A lucky perfect fit! 

SIMPLE DECORATING TIP:

With the exception of my tree (which honestly isn’t that elaborate), I kept things so simple this year by using an abundance of Christmas Trees in all shapes and sizes. You can literally pepper Christmas Trees around and have an instant holiday feel. It’s easy to pop a tree anywhere, or gather them in clusters for impact. Either way, it’s foolproof! 

OUR FARM TABLE AT CHRISTMAS: 

Because we use our farm table frequently, I like to keep the everyday setting fuss-free. We are still able use it for meals as-is, or we clear it pretty quickly if needed. I simply added a long section of some gauzy fabric down the center. Anchored in the middle with a heavy vintage silver tray, pilled with candles, and flanked with glass & brass hurricanes (holding bottle brush trees, shocker, I know!)… and at the last minute I tossed a fun jingle bell garland down the center. Pretty casual, and very neutral, as I didn’t add any pink at all here. 

Basics & good staples are timeless! That pretty, gauzy fabric? It’s about 20 years old! 

SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND:

I’m always looking for chunky white candles that are un-scented, because when you gather 8 to 10 or more they can easily overwhelm you with scent! For these, I just want the glow & ambiance, and I do not want to be bowled-over with heavy or competing fragrances. Just something to keep in mind if you want to light many candles at once, or are more sensitive to scents. 

A vintage chalk board created the back drop for my Christmas mantel. Jimmy saved it for me years ago from an old school that was clearing everything out. When he left the house that day (for the life of me I can’t recall why I didn’t go) he asked if I wanted him to look for anything specific while he was out, and I mentioned a chalk board. I told him if he could find one that wasn’t too expensive, that I’d like a big one. Well this was free. So I’d say he did really, really good!

I had completely different plans for the brick wall this year, but we have to be flexible right? Usually when this wood & metal shelf isn’t sitting here, it’s tucked down in our sunroom. But right now, I’ve got a double bathroom vanity in its place, while we work on our bathroom renovation. 

So here it is, making a repeat performance. Luckily, my MERRY marque fits on its shelves so perfectly, that I can live with it. 

I haven’t had a chance to re-paint my kitchen island after not liking the new shade overly much. I’m happy it doesn’t look horrible with my colors this season. A lucky break for sure, because I have to be in the mood to paint, and I still haven’t landed on a new color yet. 

My most favorite, I’ve used him every year since I found him, Mr. Snowman head found his way onto the kitchen island this year, and it’s been optimal, because I get to see him all day long in this spot! The vintage German glitter-glass tree is so perfect with him, and I love them together. I nestled him in my teak wood bowl, and sprinkled in a few ornaments, and called it done. 

NOSTALGIA:

The tea towel tucked in the straw bag has my grandma’s fruit cookie recipe printed on it. My sister made them for us all one year, and it’s pretty much a family heirloom, as this recipe was handed down from her mother, and brought over from Europe. This little scrap of cloth holds so many good memories, and takes me back to her house… with the pale aqua walls, the squeaking wood floors and the tins lined with waxed paper, full of her hard work & love. 

And remember how I told you this vintage scale had to live here forever? It’s million poundness is still here. I decorated this so quickly. Again. TREES. Your Christmastime decorating BFF’s. 

I really didn’t get into the kitchen proper this year, so this is my holiday home tour thus far. We don’t have a protected porch area, so outdoor decorating really doesn’t happen here. I live vicariously through others for that. I will be doing our bedroom though, and I’m really looking forward to sharing that, but it’s not completed yet, so I’ll on the blog later in December.

I tend to get very chatty (most of you are used to me – haha), and this was running long, so I’ll get more into detail about our tree and our holiday mantel for you real soon! 

Wishing you all a bright, blessed & beautiful Christmastime. xo Shannon

Please keep the Christmas Holiday Housewalk spirit going by visiting Cassie next! You can click here to visit Cassie’s home at Cassie Bustamante or simply click on the #5 Cassie Bustamante image above — I’ve made it nice and easy for you! 

I’ve included convenient clickable shopping links below for you. Some may be affiliate links. Click here for full disclosure.

The majority of my décor 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 

• Shop Katrina And Co [click here] (for my teak wood bowl and more)

• Shop all my Amazon favorites & finds [click here]

• My ivory throw with fur pom poms [click here]

• My pink fringe throw blanket [click here]

Holiday Housewalk 2020 [click here]

Holiday Housewalk 2019 [click here]

Holiday Housewalk 2018 [click here]

Holiday Housewalk 2017 [click here]

Holiday Housewalk 2016 [click here]

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