Hey you guys! It’s been a while since I’ve had the pleasure to talk to you, so I’m excited to bring you some holiday decor inspiration (for the 2023 holiday season ha)! This year I was feeling super nontraditional with my approach to decorating. I had a full-on moment of rebellion! Anti-ornament, anti-everything that I’d done in the past. I wanted to challenge myself!

So, I set out for inspiration. Like many of us, I head to social media for inspiration, and I stumbled on lots of beautiful holiday goodness. I knew I wanted to go unconventional though, so I was happy when I came across Nicki Bamford-Bowes’ page and her post of this pink Christmas tree she made last year. The pink had me already, but then when I saw the huge black and white striped bow that cascades down the tree and the minimal ornaments, it was just the creative spark I needed.

I decided to remix her design on my own tree. I’ve had my tree since 2019 and absolutely love it. I found it at The Home Depot, but unfortunately, I haven’t seen it there since then. It’s the perfect height and has 4,000 fairy lights that make it stand out even without decoration. They have similar trees but with 1500 fairy lights (but who’s counting lol). Nicki’s gigantic bow idea was a must, and I also had some inspiration I’d saved from back in the summer of a bloom display by a company called Brightly Ever After that included a champagne bubble wall. I had my plan: a huge bow and clear ornaments displayed down the center.

I set out to find some fabric for the bow because I knew it would be super hard to find ribbon in the size I needed. I went to my favorite local fabric store G Street Fabrics in Rockville, MD (not G Street in DC lol) and they had just what I was looking for. I can spend all day there because they always have a huge selection, sales, and remnant pieces, which is great because fabric can be a splurge! I was hoping to find a dusty blue velvet fabric to give a pop of contrast and cool down our chocolate fondue living room walls, and I snagged exactly what I was looking for! I bought 3.5 yards of fabric and 2 yards of stiffener for the bow part. Check out my Instagram for a tutorial on this large bow. It was quite simple to make.

Gosh…I’m gushing over how good the DIY gigantic bow turned out. Every time I glance up at it, I just smile because it’s the exact bizarre Christmas look I was going for. I told one of my friends I was going for avant-garde and I think I nailed it. What do you think? Would you try your hand at this ginormous bow for your tree?

Living Room Drapery | Wraparound Curtain Rod | Striped Rug | Olive Round Pillow

The main reason why I’m so late in decorating my home for the holidays is because I thought to myself, “Maybe I should refresh the living room”, because why not right?” (I love torturing myself hahaha). I’ve loved our living room the past few years in all its different designs, but it’s a constant work in progress. Jasen (my husband) had the idea to pattern these large Ikea mirrors on the wall a few years ago, and it made the space feel larger. As much as I loved it, I was ready for art. I found some pre-loved art from a company called Kaiyo that worked perfectly with the brown walls. I realized I didn’t buy enough art so I had to complete the look with these polished nickel candle sconces and deep olive tapered candles that kind of look brown depending on the lighting. To add some Christmas flair I draped some arborvitae stems on the sconces and added ribbon strips. Simple and quick!

Floor Lamp | Sofa (similar)

Candle Sconce | Olive Green Tapered Candle

I love to style surfaces like shelves and tables (I have an uncontrollable obsession with coffee table books and just bought another the other day). So to add even more stress to my life, I decided that I wanted to build floating shelves in the living room. But in true Rashida fashion, I didn’t want the typical slender profile of floating shelves. I wanted chunky shelves! So I did what any good wife would do…dragged Jasen into building the DIY chunky shelves with me. The larger shelving would be a nice bold addition and also bring shape and form to our flat walls. Jasen and I built the shelves in about 4 days total, and it was pretty easy (DM me if you need help!). I painted them the same chocolate fondue color as the wall, and I love how they came out because they look like they’ve been there forever, which was exactly what I envisioned. I’m honestly so excited about all the ways I can style them, whether it be maximal or scaling it back, monochromatic or bold colors, books, and other tchotchkes…I can’t wait! Prepare to be sick of me and my shelf styling! Lol

White Fringe Stockings

To round out my mini holiday living room refresh, my good friends at Lulu and Georgia sent me this beautiful flush mount light that I’ve been eyeing for quite some time. I can be yay or nay when it comes to flush mounts because they can often be kind of blah, but I love how this one crawls the ceiling and looks so sculptural. I selected the polished nickel finish to again cool down the temperature from the brown walls. Plus, polished nickel has had my attention all year. I still love unlacquered brass though. 

Flush Mount Light

I also ordered a new rug from Lulu and Georgia. It hasn’t come yet, but it’s this beautiful khaki green that’s festive and cozy. I’ll be using our current rug for the Spring/Summer, and the new one for the Fall/Winter. Changing your rugs out seasonally can be a splurge, I know, but it’s worth it in the long run when it comes to preserving them over time. I’ll be sure to drop some updated pictures here when the rug arrives.

Floor Lamp | Sofa (similar) | Olive Round Pillow | Coffee Table | Khaki Rug

I made a few changes to the dining area as well. I know some of you guys remember my chair dilemma. I’m still looking and will not give up! I actually did buy a chair that one of you lovely readers suggested. I’ll be getting back to finishing my dining lounge project at the top of the year. In the meantime, I found this round marble table on Facebook Marketplace for just $200!!! It fits perfectly into the space! I kept things minimal with this hanging wreath chandelier over the table to keep things festive. We have plaster ceilings and walls, so I was happy to find this ceiling hook from The Home Depot that made hanging the wreath easy by using a construction screw. I scooped up these mini twig trees from Target during Black Friday, and these pots from Home Depot for the trees to go in.

Table (vintage) | Chair (vintage) | Dining Room Drapery | Wraparound Curtain Rod | Twinkling Twig Tree | Plant Pot

I also switched out some of the kitchen artwork for a more wintery piece. I frequently pop into a local vintage/consignment store called Evolution Home here in the DMV area and pick up things that I think I’ll use at some point. They always have nice artwork, if you’re local you should check them out! 

The house is finally ready to entertain holiday guests. I hope you like this refresh and are inspired to get your space holiday ready in a way that’s unique to you. Merry Christmas EHD readers! If you’re late to the holiday decor train like me, I hope I was able to give you some quick decor ideas and also some refresh ideas for your space. Let’s continue this convo down in the comments!

*Design and Photos by Rashida Banks