Do you find yourself changing your holiday decorating theme every year? I tend to keep a consistent look, and for years now I’ve called our style “forest and sea.” It still fits. I refresh the overall display by adding a few new pieces each season to complement the sentimental items we always keep.
This post is in partnership with World Market.
I love using twinkle lights and battery-operated candles throughout the house, adding garlands, and mixing large and small trees. I also include our favorite coastal ornaments alongside woodland-inspired pieces to bring the two themes together.
In just one week we’ll host family for Thanksgiving—about fourteen people this year. With Christmas following so quickly and a book deadline looming, I wanted to get a head start on creating a cozy, festive atmosphere.
Have I finished the menu and all the shopping? Is the house spotless from top to bottom? No—those answers are not quite there yet.
Still, I set the table and the mood ahead of time, which made me feel accomplished. Even if the cooking and cleaning aren’t fully done, the home will feel warm, festive, and welcoming. Priorities, right? And I’m confident we’ll pull together a delicious meal so no one goes home hungry.
A full Thanksgiving guest list was the perfect excuse to update our tableware. I picked up new white plates and paired them with black-and-white buffalo check cloth napkins and slate blue/green woven placemats for a fresh, classic look.
I often mix and match white plates collected over time, but when I found textured white stoneware plates with four subtle patterns, it gave the table that curated, collected feeling I love.
While shopping I also found charming ruffled paper trees with lights, wood tree-and-pinecone string lights, and snowflake votive candle holders. They weren’t essential for Thanksgiving, but they’ll work beautifully through winter and complement our existing decor.
The tabletop trees are battery-operated and glow softly at night. If we need extra space for dishes during dinner, they’re easy to move to another spot. At night they create a mini winter wonderland on the table.
One more find I loved: candlestick wall sconces. I’ve wanted something like these for a long time, and they add so much character to the room.
Combining sentimental pieces with a few new finds creates the most interesting and personal decor. Sentimental items tell your story and spark memories, while new pieces bring fresh joy and a little surprise to the present.
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Happy Holidays!
