One of the serendipities of farmhouse décor is the ease with which it lends itself to holiday decorating. All the farmhouse décor styles,
- American Farmhouse
- Classic Farmhouse
- French Farmhouse
- Modern Farmhouse
- Scandinavian Farmhouse
to name a few, start with the basic tenets of farmhouse décor: a neutral palette, natural elements such as wooden furnishings and decorative items, metals, baskets and textural fabrics. These fundamental building blocks of farmhouse décor are then layered with decorations suited to the season.
In the Upper Midwest, winter brings with it a plethora of natural material to bring the season indoors. Evergreen shrubs and trees, hollies, and other berry-bearing shrubs provide fragrant and colorful branches and boughs to fill galvanized buckets, vases, baskets and adorn mantles and railings. Pinecones are lovely on their own or mixed with colorful ornaments in bowls. A popular craft project suitable for children of almost all ages, with supervision, of course, is to paint “snow” on the pinecones. Links to two different but easy methods, as well as a few other display ideas, are included at the end of this article.
Pillows and throws in colors and textures evocative of the season replace or are strategically added to continue farmhouse décor for the holidays. Stockings made of linen, burlap or other textural fabrics in neutral tones, trimmed with or made in colors that represent your personal seasonal style, continue the farmhouse décor theme.
Adjustments are easily made to reflect the type of farmhouse décor style in your home. American Farmhouse décor tends to be a bit more to the rustic end of the spectrum and represents a very early time period. More heavily-patinaed finishes on containers – think “rusty” metal or really chippy paint – work well with this style. Vintage or made-to-look vintage handmade wooden and cloth toys and holiday decorations, coarser-textured fabrics for stockings and battery-operated candles (for safety) finish out the look.
Classic Farmhouse décor is very similar to American Farmhouse – still vintage, perhaps slightly less rustic in the finishes, but well-used and well-worn to be sure. Holiday decorations similar to American Farmhouse style but adding vintage-style lights updates the look.
French Farmhouse décor follows the theme, but the color palette includes faded shades of blue, green, pink and lavender that come from nature. Combine evergreen boughs and branches with dried hydrangeas and complete the look with a season-inspired ribbon to bring in the season.
Modern farmhouse décor, given its cleaner, sleeker vibe, is easily brought into the holidays with pinecones and ornaments in glass bowls and simple arrangements of greenery with branches and white lights.
Finally, of the farmhouse décor styles referenced here, Scandinavian farmhouse décor is filled with lighter-hued woods, natural fabrics, and shades of white, light grays and smokey blues. Seasonal elements from outdoors, white lights and white pottery round out the seasonal look.
Incorporating family tradition into holiday farmhouse décor is a joyful expression of family and home. Using the same design principles of the original farmhouse theme, finding budget- and family-friendly ways to deck the halls is as close as your backyard. A final touch is scent, the strongest sense for memory, emotion and creating ambience. Finding ways to fill the house with the scents of the season, whatever your traditions, is sure to bring home the comfort and joy of the holidays.
