See The 2023 Southern Living Idea House All Dressed Up For The Holidays

With the holiday season right around the corner, we’re decking the halls of our 2023 Southern Living Idea House in the Leiper’s Fork area of Tennessee. We enlisted some merry-making help from Nashville party-planning and decorating service Busy Raisin’ Hell, who trimmed every inch of our place in the country with festive elements, memorable accessories, and thoughtful decor. Plan your visit to see the cheer in person (the Idea House is open for tours through December 17th; buy tickets here), or scroll through the snaps below for spirited decorating inspiration all season long.

Bring the Light

Our decked-out Idea House shines brightest at night, with classic white lights (installed by Bright Christmas Inc.) illuminating the roofline and casting a warm glow just right for welcoming neighbors who pop by for a cup of milk punch.

Greet Guests with Greenery

On the front porch, a large wreath and an asymmetrical garland crafted with magnolia leaves and fresh greenery make for a friendly first impression. Four small bells tied into the wreath lend a merry jingle whenever the front door is opened to invite folks in.

Embrace the Existing Palette

A white-and-neutral Christmas tree felt just right for the shared living and dining space, which is filled with warm woods and washed in a creamy coat of Sherwin-Williams Whitetail (SW 7103). Ornaments made from upcycled wood and recycled cotton deliver environment-conscious cheer to the tree. The presents are wrapped with fabric that can be reused season after season, and the ribbons on the chair wreaths can be saved and used again or repurposed for last-minute gift wrap.

Go Big with Garland

A lush, snowy garland peppered with shimmering metallic ornaments frames the living room’s grand fireplace, making it feel even cozier than usual. Berries, gold-painted foliage, and pinecones tucked throughout accentuate the home’s connection to nature and the acres of trees outside. Corduroy stockings from the Southern Living Home Collection at Dillard’s are hung with care.

Aim for Festive and Functional

No matter where you’ve planned to host, guests always end up in the kitchen, so deck the halls accordingly. That said, be practical with your decor. Keep your cook space clear and opt for out-of-the-way greenery and smaller, easy-to-move touches like these from Sanctuary South.

Decorate Every Little Nook and Cranny

Don’t limit Christmas decor to your primary entertaining spaces. Treat your everyday spots, like the breakfast room’s coffee bar, to playful touches too, like a rainbow of bottlebrush trees and mini holiday houses from Franklin, Tennessee’s The Heirloom Shop. It also sets a happy scene for kid-friendly activities, like cookie decorating. Gingerbread house placemats from Hester & Cook keep things merry and mess-free.

Inspire Generosity

We love a teeny tabletop tree, like the one planted in a silver champagne bucket in our laundry room. But we love it even more when it’s a giving tree: All of the ornaments feature adoptable dogs from Williamson County Animal Center. Santa, are you listening?

Trim a Tree for the Little Ones

While the living room tree may feature a few more breakable elements, we’re all about a kid-friendly tree that’s decked in a no-fuss way. This one on our second-story landing, for instance, features construction paper ornaments and a pom-pom garland made from upcycled yarn. Take a closer look at the star ornaments: They display the wishes of children served by Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee. Visitors may opt to donate money or grant a wish.

Gift Kids Creative Control

Let children’s sugar-plum-fueled imaginations run wild in their rooms. Here, the kids’ bedroom is outfitted with books and toys from Bound Booksellers & Gifts in Franklin. The cork boards above the beds are perfect for displaying homemade snowflakes and other holiday mementos.

Strike a Cheery Chord

In the basement lounge that’s adjacent to the recording studio, we trimmed the tree in a paper chain made with sheet music—a nod to nearby Music City. The honeycomb ornaments are made from recycled paper, and they’re held together with magnets so they can be easily reused year after year.

Layer in Natural Elements

Fresh greenery and a garland of dried citrus deliver a burst of celebratory color to the Party Barn, which is outfitted for easy entertaining for a crowd. The tree is decked in Earth-friendly elements with more dried citrus and dried florals, and the Osage oranges nestled in the sleigh beneath it were foraged on a hike.

Take the Merriment Outside

We’re all about giving outdoor spaces the same holiday treatment that we give our interiors. Here, we decked the door of our Garden Folly with a hand-wrapped fresh boxwood wreath and a vintage ribbon for a pop of Christmassy color.

Thank you to these generous vendors for helping us deck the halls: Southern Living Home Collection at Dillard’s, Modern Day Moguls, Brooke’s Bank Farm, Sanctuary South, Hester & Cook, The Heirloom Shop, Bound Booksellers, McKAY’s Sanders Hat Company, M.A.D.E., Bright Christmas Inc, Binkley Ridge, Dee-O-Gee. Additional thanks to Every Direction Films for capturing video footage of all the merry-making.

The 2023 Southern Living Idea House team: interior designer Laura Hodges of Laura Hodges Studio in Catonsville, Maryland; residential designers Bill Holloway and Luke Sippel of Lake + Land Studio in Hattiesburg, Mississippi; builders Mary and Patrick Hatcliff of Hatcliff Construction in Murfreesboro, Tennessee; and landscape designer Butch Hamby of Southern Creations Landscaping, which is also based in Murfreesboro. 

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Read the original article on Southern Living.