Holiday Home Tour: A Modern Cabin in Oregon's Evergreen Forest
‘Tis (almost) the season for holiday parties, cozy nights in, and fun-filled traditions with family and friends. And here at Schoolhouse, we get especially excited this time of year because it means we get to style our home for the season.
The good news is, you don’t have to cover every inch of your house in holiday spirit to set the mood. Simple tweaks like a well-placed wreath, sprigs of pine, and garlands of evergreen can create an abundance of cheer. Below we share a few styling lessons learned (both new and old) from our latest holiday photoshoot.
Rethink Greenery
While many equate holiday decorating with having a tree, there are lots of other ways you can incorporate greenery in your home and still make it festive and fun. Get creative with a welcoming winter wreath, display fresh-cut firewood near your mantel, or spruce up a large mirror, stair railing, or headboard with an evergreen garland. Not only does bringing the outdoors in add merriment, but it also brings in the fresh, crisp scent of the holidays home.
Styling Tip: For our Holiday photoshoot we spruced up the kitchen shelves with a rosemary garland. Our stylist, Jorie also made a small wreath with the extra sprigs.
Play Up the Color
When it comes to seasonal styling, you don’t have to stick to traditional holiday hues. Instead, try incorporating festive colors that you love or different variations of red and green. A tangerine throw, velvety green pillow, or persimmon step stool can add a pop of color in a way that still goes with the room's color palette long after the holidays are over.
Styling Tip: A mini tree makes for a fun centerpiece that's also easy for kids to decorate. Jorie also added a cranberry-stained wooden bead garland to the dining area for an extra pop of color.
Get Creative With Stocking Placement
Traditionally, stockings are hung over the fireplace, but in reality, there are a lot of other places for perfect placement. Hang your stockings on a dresser with knobs, bookcase, floating shelf, stairway, or wall hook. Maximizing every corner not only saves space, but it also breathes fresh life to an area of the house that you may not have paid attention to before.
Styling Tip: The cabin didn't have a mantel, so we hung the stockings on an existing entryway coat & hat rack, which ended up livening up an overlooked corner of the house.
Prioritize Play Over Perfection
No matter how hectic the holidays get, finding moments of play throughout the day is our number one way to enjoy this special time with family and friends. We know it can be easy to slip into the "to-do's" surrounding the season, so consider this your friendly reminder to focus on fun this year (and always). Whether it's getting messy with an impromptu food fight, stepping outside on a solo adventure, or making time to join in on the kid's crafts — prioritizing play over perfection will always serve you well.
Styling Tip: Incorporating seasonal crafts in our decor is always a Schoolhouse go-to. This DIY deer was made from cardboard + foraged branches and served as the perfect backdrop for some of our holiday ornaments.
Add a Nostalgic Touch
While seasonal styling helps us ready ourselves for the holidays, there’s something to be said about holiday rituals. From making hot chocolate on a cold afternoon to baking treats for a neighbor, one of the simplest ways to get in the spirit of the season is to participate in the activities of seasons past. Adding a nostalgic touch can be as simple as lighting a spruce-scented candle, cooking something special, or arranging dried oranges for a garland.
Styling Tip: To spruce up the space, we made a simple dried orange garland for the headboard in the bedroom. For a fresh take, try using dried persimmons instead — they're often more vibrant in color and have a uniquely beautiful interior structure.
