How to Decorate Your Living Room for Christmas Like a Designer: 50 Festive Ideas

Try Rustic-Style Decor

A rustic living room is the perfect setting for a cozy Christmas decor scheme. This Montana cabin living room from Kibler & Kirch is embellished with lush greenery, warm lighting, and a pair of sofas piled with sheepskin throws and red, white, and green plaid pillows.

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Hang a Wreath on Built-Ins

Decorate your living room built-ins for Christmas by hanging a large wreath on the front. O’Hara Interiors decorated a lush green wreath with a smattering of clementines and a pretty satin bow to complement the white space.

Display a Collection

Christmas is the perfect excuse for showing off a holiday-themed collection. A growing family of large-scale Nutcracker figurines and Santa-themed ornaments set the festive tone in this spacious Vail, CO living room designed by Courtney St. John Studio.

Cluster Multiple Trees

Create an alpine feel with a cluster of trees. Finding Lovely harvested a trio of Christmas trees thanks to a National Park permit and displayed them in vintage crocks in front of a bank of windows. The middle tree, flanked with two smaller unadorned trees, is nine feet tall and decorated in simple mercury glass balls.

Light the Fire

If you have a fireplace, you're already halfway to creating a warm and inviting setting to make those Christmas memories. Be sure to complement a roaring fire with plenty of light around the room, from the mantel to the tree to the candlesticks on the coffee table, like this cozy living room from Inspired By Charm.

Decorate the Console Table

Decorate your living room console table with small decor touches. O’Hara Interiors placed a white poinsettia plant on a stack of white and gold books and filled a pair of bronze animal figurines with fresh cranberries for a festive feel.

Embellish With Ribbons

Use large silk or satin ribbons to decorate a traditional living room. Marie Flanigan Interiors added Christmas flair to a traditional living room with a large tree decorated in shades of blush and silver, and added a long silver ribbon on the asymmetrical fireplace garland to tie it all up in a bow.

Choose a Tiny Tree

Play around with proportions to add charm to a Christmas living room. Interior designer Ginger Curtis of Urbanology Designs chose a tiny tree for this spacious modern farmhouse living room.

"There's something whimsical and minimal about a Charlie Brown Christmas tree that just embraces simplicity in the midst of a holiday that can be overabundant," Curtis says. "What's even better is if you put your Charlie Brown into a basket, then stuff a warm, cozy blanket into the basket with the tree, and let it drape over to add another layer of soft, wintry texture that's perfect for the holidays."

Try a Statement Garland

Decorate your fireplace with a statement garland. This maximalist holiday mantel garland from Mel Bean Interiors adds a festive touch to the contemporary space.

Float the Tree

If you live in a spacious open-plan home, float your tree in the middle of the room instead of relegating it to a corner. In this Scandinavian living room, a tall tree decorated with minimal ornaments stretches to the ceiling, defining the seating area while remaining visible to the whole room.

Set Up a Conversation Corner

Decorate a conversation corner with Christmas colors and rustic decor for a cozy feel. This Montana cabin from Kibler & Kirch includes a pair of armchairs with a table in the middle covered in a plaid tablecloth and decorated with books, a red lantern, and a birch-clad pillar candle.

Make DIY Stockings

Decorate your mantel or wall with DIY stockings for a personalized look. A Beautiful Mess made this macrame stocking for a casual boho-style take on Christmas decor.

Incorporate Natural Elements

For a relaxed holiday vibe, stick to natural materials and tones. Greenery and natural accents like a twisted rattan wreath and chunky woven baskets complement the white walls and gold and wood accents of this fresh Christmas living room from Finding Lovely.

Create a Winter Wonderland

Create a winter wonderland with all-white decor. This Christmas living room from Liz Marie Blog features a flocked tree draped with a cozy knitted garland and a coffee table display of mercury glass tree figurines for a vintage effect.

Accent With Seasonal Fruit

Accent a Christmas living room with seasonal fruit for a bright and natural style. O'Hara Interiors complemented fresh greens on the mantel and coffee table with citrus accents that add freshness, scent, and color.

Stack Wrapped Boxes

Wrapped boxes are an easy and budget-friendly way to create a focal point in a living room with or without a tree. O’Hara Interiors stacked matching boxes with white poinsettia plants to create a focal point in this Christmas living room.

Swap Out Wall Art

Nostalgic Christmas art or signage can be sourced online and printed to fit an existing frame. Liz Marie Blog swapped out the art for a vintage Christmas greeting in a gilded frame above this rustic farmhouse sideboard decorated with a mini tree, stockings, and holiday decor under clear glass cloches.

Decorate the Window Sills

Decorate your window sills to add a festive feel to your Christmas living room. O’Hara Interiors placed a whimsical snowy llama figurine on the white window sill and hung a simple hoop wreath in the window.

Try Modern Christmas Decor

Complement a living room with clean lines and contemporary decor with an understated take on holiday decorating. This holiday living room from Jacqueline Blum Design doesn't try too hard to be festive, with minimal Christmas details like a simple garland and a row of stockings on the mantel.

Hang Striped Stockings

Offset colorful decor with black-and-white-striped stockings. Designer Annie Sloan dressed up this formal living room fireplace for Christmas with a trio of black-and-white-striped stockings and some colorful candles, and used houseplants to add height, color, and greenery without buying anything new.

Embrace Midcentury Style

Match your holiday decor and color palette to the style of your interior. This festive midcentury modern living room from John McClain Design is dressed up and ready to party with its vibrant and unconventional Christmas palette of blues and oranges.

Go For the Gold

Create a festive glow in a modern neutral living room with gold accents. Mel Bean Interiors brightened this spacious gray-and-white living room with gold accents on artwork, lampshades, and warm Christmas tree and mantel garland lighting.

Add Touches of Black

Black accents will add a sophisticated touch to your holiday decor. Lindye Galloway Studio added black accents to this neutral-toned Christmas living room that bring definition and a graphic touch to the tree and mantel.

Use Whimsical Lighting

Enhance the mantel with whimsical lighting for a cozy look. Emily Henderson Design embellished this mountain living room with a tall tree that takes advantage of the soaring ceiling height. Large star-shaped ornaments echo a large lighted star on the mantelpiece.

Display Christmas Roses

White roses and mixed greens will create a versatile holiday display for your living room. Craftberry Bush decorated the coffee table with a vase full of white Christmas roses to complement this neutral living room.

Pair Cream and Green

Use natural materials and muted colors to create a Scandi-style Christmas living room. This space from Lindye Galloway Studio layers shades of green and cream and wood bead garlands for a simple and tranquil feel.

Choose Blue Tones

Decorate your Christmas tree to match the color palette of your living room. Thistlewood Farms turned a blue-and-white themed living room into a holiday-ready entertaining spot thanks to a blue-and-white Christmas tree. Bright solid red ball ornaments scattered around the room offer a pop of seasonal color.

Hang a Large Window Wreath

If your windows face the street, hang an oversized wreath in the window for indoor-outdoor decor. This cozy Christmas living room from Inspired By Charm includes a large lighted wreath hanging on the inside of the bank of living room windows that is visible from the outside, too.

Add a Mini Tree

A bonus mini tree in a vintage metal bucket will add an extra boost of charm or sub in for a large tree in a small space. Neutrals, greens, and plenty of lights give this Christmas living room from Maison de Cinq a soft, romantic feel.

Decorate With Red Plaid

Give an all-white living room a holiday refresh with colorful accents. This Christmas living room from Liz Marie Blog is energized with a red, green, and white plaid rug, red throw pillows, and a china cabinet decorated in green and red accents.

Utilize Vertical Space

If your living room has generous volumes and tall ceilings, be sure to take advantage of vertical space. A large stout tabletop tree in a basket is placed on a side table in this spacious Scandinavian living room, taking advantage of the towering ceilings while seeming to float in the middle of the room.

Hang a Giant Window Garland

Drape windows with real or faux garlands to create a cozy feel. In this spacious living room, Emily Henderson Design placed a tall tree in front of a bank of windows framed with a garland to define the space.

Use Vintage Signage

Use vintage signage to anchor a Christmas mantel. Liz Marie Blog added urns full of greenery and an antique rocking horse to complete the picture in this farmhouse living room.

Style the Built-Ins

Style your built-ins with simple decor to create a festive feel. Inspired By Charm styled the living room built-ins with a collection of Christmas-themed objects, from miniature trees to a bowl of frosted pine cones to a collection of tiny houses under glass cloches.

Decorate the Sideboard

Set up a holiday vignette on a living room sideboard. Emily Henderson Design decorated a midcentury sideboard with a lighted garland, a gold lamp, some Christmas tree figurines, and a woodland creature draped in a miniature scarf.

Try a Gold Tree

A bright gold tree will add holiday bling to a modern living room. Emily Henderson Design decorated with bold red accents to wake up the blue, black, and white color palette.

Favor Silvery Tones

Complement a neutral living room with cool-toned silver accents. Inspired By Charm paired navy, emerald green, and metallic accents in this modern living room.

Decorate With Botanicals

Bring the tropics to your Christmas decor with a botanical theme. Casa Watkins Living decorated this living room Christmas tree with faux ivy, spider plants, palm leaves, pink ball ornaments, and orchids.

Drape the Room With Garlands

Fresh or faux garlands draped around the periphery of your living room will add a festive but understated sense of holiday cheer that doesn't take up any floor space, like this Christmas living room from Brexton Cole Interiors.

Hang a Fireplace Wreath

If your rustic stone fireplace doesn't have a mantel, hang an oversized wreath above the firebox instead, like this festive Christmas living room from Emily Henderson Design.

Choose a Flocked Tree

Decorate a flocked fir tree with hints of blush pink for a romantic Christmas feel. Maison de Cinq decorated with soft muted tones to complement the French-inspired decor.

Decorate the Piano

Decorate the top of your upright piano to create a seasonal display. Sara Toufali decorated her piano—a rescue found on the street and brought back to life like a Christmas miracle—with greenery, candles, and red berries to give it a festive makeover and create an atmospheric setting for playing Christmas carols.

Pair Mismatched Wreaths

Decorate around existing wall art by decorating it with wreaths or garlands. Casa Watkins Living hung mismatched wreaths over the existing art on the fireplace mantel that add symmetry with a twist.

Style a Glass-Front Cabinet

Any surface in your living room can become an excuse for a holiday vignette. Inspired By Charm styled a vintage cabinet with cozy blankets, placed a glass Christmas tree collection on top, and hung a DIY gingerbread wreath on the outside for a crowning touch.

Create a Makeshift Mantel

There's a hidden Christmas tree in the bookshelf of this living room from Emily Henderson Design. Styled with Christmas ornaments, it comes into focus, while a pair of striped stockings hang from the banister nearby, a good solution if your living room lacks a fireplace mantel.

Celebrate Snowflakes

Paper snowflakes are a whimsical and enchanting base for Christmas decor. Inspired By Charm added silver ball garlands, mini wood and bottle brush trees, a collection of vintage deer figurines, pinecones, and a vintage magazine rack filled with birch branches to create a generous and nostalgic Christmas living room.

Decorate with Sunflowers

Decorate a boho-style living room with the same free spirit as the rest of your space. This sunflower Christmas tree from Sara Toufali is a surprising and unconventional take on holiday decor that complements the space.

Cover the Tree in Berries

Decorate your tree with faux white berry branches for a wintry look. This pale toned living room Christmas tree from Casa Watkins Living is decorated with a mix of faux white berry branches and blue hydrangeas to add volume.

Use Primary Colors

Decorate with bold primary colors for a modern feel. Emily Henderson Design decorated an all-white tree with red, green, and blue ornaments and garlands.

Choose Earth-Toned Accents

Decorate a traditional living room with earth-toned colors. This Christmas living room from Brexton Cole Interiors includes a small Christmas tree decked with brown metallic ribbons that tie into the color palette and decor of the room filled with antiques and formal furnishings.