Welcome to an Even Cozier Christmas in the Suburbs

Welcome to our “even cozier Christmas in the suburbs”! I say even cozier because each year, I try to make our home feel a little warmer and more layered than the Christmas before. And this year, I think it’s the coziest it’s ever been!

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I am a huge Christmas person. I adore everything about the season. The lights, the trees, the movies, the nostalgia, the giving, and of course, celebrating baby Jesus. It’s just such a magical time of year. And each year, I love to make our home cozier than the year before. 

Welcome to Home Made Lovely!

If you’re coming from Jen at Rambling Renovators, or any of the other tours hosted by my friend Krista at The Happy Housie, welcome to Home Made Lovely!

I’m Shannon Acheson.

I started Home Made Lovely about 9 years ago as a DIY blog with my husband, Dean. (Back then it was called AKA Design.)

Now Home Made Lovely is so much more…we still do DIYs, of course. But now I mostly teach women like you how to decorate their homes through my Decorating Uncomplicated course. I also share hospitality and entertaining ideas and talk about how to declutter and organize here on the blog. I’m working on a decluttering program to be ready to rock your New Year 2020. I also wrote an “everything home” book which is coming out in fall 2020! (I cannot wait to tell you more about that!)

Our Christmas Main Floor and My Decor Style/Colors

This cozier Christmas tour focuses on our main floor: a bit of the entry, the dining room, living room and kitchen. (I didn’t really decorate the laundry room and I didn’t photograph the powder room, even though it’s decorated too.) 

My personal decorating style is modern farmhouse pieces grounded with plenty of neutrals.

I always change out accents with the seasons, sometimes as the mood strikes. In the summer, we had a lovely sage green. In the fall, we had some burnt orange. And now, of course, we have red with a little natural greenery.

By keeping our base colors neutral – white, off-white, wood and black – it’s really easy to just swap out throw pillow covers, and other small decor to add those seasonal colors. 

This year, I love it all even more because after the holidays last year we swapped out our Nordvalla Grey sectional cover for the Nordvalla Dark Beige covers. Now our Ikea Ektorp sectional sofa is so dreamy and blends so well with our Wayfair chairs, the shag rug, the new shiplap and barn beam fireplace mantel and our dining room’s tufted chairs. 

I also opted to keep the touches of red and green limited mainly to red berries and natural (faux) greenery, instead of covering the couch in colored pillows, like I have in Christmas’ past. I’m finding this is helping to visually calm the space and balance out the really full Christmas tree – which I LOVE!

Let’s Take the Cozier Christmas Tour, Shall We?

Christmas Entry and Stairwell

Normally, I’d actually be in the welcome photo, opening the front door for you. But the day I shot these photos, we were hosting our annual Christmas party in the evening, so I was still in my pajamas. So, I thought I’d save us both that embarrassment, and just show you the open front door! #truth #lol 

Our double front doors open onto a sunken entry. This is actually one of my favorite features of the this house: because it’s a step down to the entry, the dirt stays contained and doesn’t spread all over the house!

In different seasons, we’ve had a console table or a bench in the space. Right now, the console table is here because we had to make room for the tree in the living room. Which meant we played musical furniture – the dresser than is normally in the living room is in the dining room, the bench that’s normally in the entry is in the dining room and the console table that’s normally in the dining room is in the entry. 

The entry is open to the dining room and the stairwell. 

One day we will change out the laminate flooring and maybe do something with the banister. But I really don’t mind it, since it’s really a decent neutral wood color with no weird curls or embellishments. It also makes a great base for hanging holiday garlands on. 

Entry & Stairwell Source List:

• Exterior Doors Paint Color – Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black
• Interior Doors Paint Color – Valspar Gallery Grey
• Wall Color – Sherwin Williams Eider White
• Trim Paint Color – Sherwin Williams Pure White
• Gold Framed Paintings – The Brick
• Console Table – DIY, no tutorial, sorry!
• Lamps on Console Table – Lowe’s
• Entry Light Fixture – Amazon or Wayfair
• Oversized Schoolhouse Lights – Wayfair
• Scale – Amazon
• Numbered Baskets – Michaels
• Coat Tree – Ikea
• Let’s Stay Home Sign – Splinters and Grace Designs
• Scroll Art – no longer available
• Oversized Art Prints – Navage Patch

Dining Room

Another favorite space of mine in this house is the dining room. We created the coffered ceiling and installed the light fixture shortly after we moved here a few years ago. 

Then we worked with The Brick to furnish the space. A few pieces aren’t available there anymore, but I’ve linked very similar pieces whenever possible below. 

For more of our dining room this season, check out this post. 

If you keep walking through the dining room, you will enter the back of our house. This is where the kitchen and living room are. It’s also my MOST favorite part of the house. 

Dining Room Source List:

• Wall Paint Color – Sherwin Williams Eider White
• Trim and Coffered Ceiling Paint Color – Sherwin Williams Pure White
• Light Fixture – Amazon or Wayfair
• Table – The Brick
• Cabinets – The Brick
• Tufted Chairs – The Brick, similar here
• Pew Bench – The Brick
• White Dresser – thrifted and repainted
• Cake Stand – similar here
• Greenery – Decors Veronneau
• Fulton St. Oversized Clock – Wayfair
• Skis – Micheals
• Santa Pillow – Micheals
• Mini Christmas Trees with Merry Christmas – Homesense

Cozier Christmas Kitchen

When we were looking at houses, before buying this one, Dean and I had walked through a few model homes. There was this one – it was way out of our price range – that had the most stunning open concept main floor layout with a ginormous island in the kitchen. I absolutely loved it. We even talked about how we could design our old house with that same sort of layout, but it would have required a LOT of work to make it similar. So, when we finally saw this house, I just KNEW it was a perfect candidate for creating that long island, open space.  

The kitchen was already open to the living room and we only needed to reno the space a bit. Which we did in the spring of 2017. (You can see that project reveal and get all the details here.)

The kitchen gets SO much use daily, since I work from home and the kids are homeschooled. Plus it’s always the gathering place during parties and get togethers. (NO joke people actually stood in the kitchen all night at our party this past weekend!)

Kitchen Source List:

• Paint Color – Sherwin Williams Eider White
• Shiplap Backsplash – DIY, tutorial here
• Counters – Walnut Butcher Block – Lumber Liquidators
• Samsung Range
• Samsung Dishwasher
• Samsung Fridge
• Range Hood Cover – DIY here
• Open Shelves – DIY (similar brackets here)
• Gather Sign – similar here
• Pepsi Crate – antique
• Spice Rack Shelves – DIY here
• Mug Rack – Amazon
• Magnetic Knife Holder – Amazon
• Magnolia Wreath – DIY here
• Large Clock – Micheals
• Bar Stools – Wayfair
• Track Light – Build.com, no longer available
• Fresh Baked Pies Sign – World Market
• Faucet – Wayfair

Living Room

Along with the kitchen – which is where my office is and where I cook and clean a lot – I spend the most time in the living room. It’s just so cozy! 

 

And if you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed by the angle of many of my stories that that corner of the sectional is my absolute favorite place to curl up and rest. Often with the family and with Jackson, our doggie. 

Like I mentioned, we’ve spent some time making this space even cozier in the last year. With the change of the slipcovers, replacing a couple of chairs, adding a new rug and building a new coffee table. Now it’s much more like the vision I’ve had in my head for the room. 

Originally, we were hoping to put this cabinet from our old house in the dining room. But with the tray ceiling that was already in there, it was just a touch too tall. So here it lives. Lol. 

Living Room Source List:

• Wall Color – Sherwin Williams Eider White
• Black Shiplap – DIY here, Paint Color Sherwin Williams Black Magic
• Sectional – Ikea Ektorp with Nordvalla Grey Covers
• Rug – Amazon
• Tufted Chairs – Wayfair
• Shiplap and Barn Beam Fireplace – DIY here
• Olive Topiaries – Wayfair
• Pine Cone Garland – Decors Veronneau
• Curtains – DIY here
• Bamboo Blinds – Amazon
• Chunky Knit Blankets – similar here
• Pouf Ottomans – Amazon
• Bug with Tree Pillow – Craftberry Bush
• Other Red Pillow – Micheals
• Neutral Throw Pillows – here
• Coffee Table – DIY here
• Red Christmas Pickup Truck – TSC Stores, similar here though
• Nested Side Tables – Bouclair
• Floor Lamp – Wayfair
• Sofa Table Lamps – Birch Lane, no longer available
• Sofa Table – DIY, no tutorial 
• Blanket Ladder  – DIY here
• Wall Sconces – Lamps Plus
• Bookcase – Wayfair
• Christmas tree and other holiday decor – collected over time from Amazon, Wayfair, Micheals, Homesense, Winners, and gifts. 

A Cozier Christmas Video Walk-Through Tour

 

More Cozier Christmas Tours

Go check out Leslie’s home at My 100 Year Old Home. And see all of the other tours below:

Sharing today with me are….

Monday

The Happy Housie ** Shabbyfufu ** Jenna Kate at Home
Inspiration for Moms ** We’re the Joneses

Rambling Renovators ** Home Made Lovely ** My 100 Year Old Home
Maison de Cinq ** Nick + Alicia

And sharing the rest of this week…

Tuesday

House by Hoff ** The Tattered Pew ** Clean & Scentsible
The Turquoise Home ** Rain on a Tin Roof

Stacy Risenmay ** This is Our Bliss ** Southern State of Mind
Styled with Lace ** Life is Better At Home

Wednesday

Taryn Whiteaker Designs ** Just a Girl and Her Blog ** Cherished Bliss
So Much Better With Age ** Cassie Bustamante

Lemon Thistle ** The DIY Mommy ** Love Create Celebrate
The Handmade Home ** Craftberry Bush

Thursday

Grace In My Space ** Rooms For Rent ** Modern Glam
Happy Happy Nester ** Town and Country Living

Two Twenty One** Place of My Taste ** Life is a Party
Sincerely, Marie Designs ** Willow Street Interiors

Friday

Tatertots and Jello ** A Pretty Life in the Suburbs ** Maison de Pax
She Gave it a Go ** Summer Adams

Amber Tysl ** All Things With Purpose ** Cuter Tudor
Chrissy Marie Blog ** The Happy Housie

 
 

Have you decorated for Christmas yet? Do you go all out? Or are you more of a Christmas minimalist?