Styling For Entertaining During The Holidays

Ah, winter. Setting your home at ease can make the last few months of the year feel as comforting as snuggling up with a cup of hot cocoa. While traditional pairings like red and green or blue and white scream decorating for the holidays, taking the approach of a whisper can ring in the spirit with grace and glamour.  

Decorating for the holidays is made easy with Sunbrella fabrics offered in a wide variety of color, pattern and texture.
Decorating for the holidays is made easy with Sunbrella fabrics offered in a wide variety of color, pattern and texture.

Home decorating for the holidays doesn’t need to be complicated; leave that to the airports and grocery lines. Instead, create a winter wonderland with accents and colors that make the season an extension of the rest of the year. Use ornaments on garland or throughout a table scape; swap out summer family photos with memories from the slopes; and fill a diffuser with seasonal essential oils like pine, frankincense and myrrh.  

Here are a few decorating ideas for the holidays to make your home glisten all season long.

 Let it Glow, Let it Glow

Celebratory sheens that hint at sophistication can immediately brighten your home and bring a touch of glamour without feeling over the top. Champagnes and silvers add elegance while complementing the crackling fireplace and twinkling lights around your neighborhood. They are also an easy complement for any color palette you choose. Sprinkle gold inflections into rustic tones, and use silvers to accentuate cool hues. For instance, illuminate deep cinnamon browns and mulled-wine reds with gold, or bring icy silver into blue-greens and snowy whites. Scour local design shops or online retailers for elegant mercury glass candle holders, twinkle lights and whatever else strikes your fancy. 

Christmas mantle decorated with gold accents and Sunbrella fabric stockings turning any living room into a space ready to entertain.
Christmas mantle decorated with gold accents and Sunbrella fabric stockings turning any living room into a space ready to entertain.

Deck the Halls

Add new textures

Add new textures to your home when decorating for the holidays, whether that be in your pillows or table runners, throw rugs or blankets. Start with a base color, like Platform Sangria then bring personality with a pattern reminiscent of the time of year: an elegant Layer Smoke, serene Essential Pine, or North Pole’s candy cane Cabana Classic. If you’re daydreaming of a ski lodge, pair a white Christmas palette with Simplicity Lagoon plaid. Elegance can also be found in more regal patterns such as Solana Navy. Also, don’t forget to extend your home decorating for the holidays into other common areas and your bedrooms. Layering fabrics with texture creates an atmosphere that feels cozy, warm and inviting.

Sunbrella fabrics in Platform Sangria, Essential Pine and Layer Smoke that will create a holiday ready space.
Sunbrella fabrics in Platform Sangria, Essential Pine and Layer Smoke that will create a holiday ready space.

Play with Fire

A cozy living room decorated for Christmas complete with Sunbrella fabrics to keep your family comfy all season long.
A cozy living room decorated for Christmas complete with Sunbrella fabrics to keep your family comfy all season long.

Nothing says “cozy” like a warm fire, so consider creating a vignette with fire as the centerpiece. Whether you have an outdoor fire pit or a stately fireplace at the heart of the home, use the area as an excuse to create a festive environment. Indoors, you might style the fireplace mantle with evergreen fronds, position a basket full of plush blankets nearby and stack bleached firewood in a brushed metallic rack (copper or silver adds a nice glow). If you’re creating an outdoor environment around a fire pit, offer seating on rustic Adirondack chairs with indoor-outdoor throw pillows covered in your favorite Sunbrella pattern. To be ready for fun at a moment’s notice, keep a s’mores kit (don’t forget the skewers!) stocked with graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate bars for an instant party. 

Jingle Cocktails

Fix your holiday guests holiday cocktails worry free. Sunbrella fabrics are easy to clean so no spill will ruin your sofa or your party.
Fix your holiday guests holiday cocktails worry free. Sunbrella fabrics are easy to clean so no spill will ruin your sofa or your party.

Once the stage is set, send those invites out so guests can appreciate your efforts. Decorating for the holidays can be exhilarating, but don’t overwhelm yourself. To kick off your jubilee, batch a variety of martinis or one-pour cocktails (like a Manhattan) ahead of time and bottle them in vintage decanters. Allow guests to pour and garnish for themselves at your martini bar before sipping from crystal coups. 

For a thoughtful little something extra, send your merry guests home with bottled cold brews to alleviate the morning’s aches and pains. Tis the season, right?

How do you bring the spirit of the season to life in your holiday home decorating? Show your #SunbrellaMoment with us on social and share your own decorating ideas for the holidays with us!

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