Simple Christmas Dining Room Decorating Ideas
Did you see the Martha Stewart documentary recently?
It gave me an important reminder I already knew deep in my soul that has stayed etched in my mind for the past week.
You can have the prettiest home in the world, but chasing perfection and consuming an endless abundance of material possessions will never result in contentment. Especially not when you have to sacrifice everything else in your life in return.
Wall & Ceiling Color | Mural Wallpaper | Curtains | Rug | Christmas Tree | Tree Candles | Dining Table and Chairs | Chandelier (ours was a FBMP find)
This has been a weird year inching our way into Christmas decorating over here. Usually, Robert and I haul the bins out of the attic and dive in to decking the entire house top to bottom over the course of a few days.
This year, it’s a gradual process. I crave cozy holiday everything, but I get so overwhelmed with the clutter it brings every year. And the truth is I don’t want to live my life being a “stuff manager”. So I’m being more conscientious than ever about how we spend our time and energy.
I want simple, classic, elegant, non-fussy decor that seems minimal yet is just enough over-the-top to feel like a hug from Grandma.
And maybe a touch of drama too.
We painted our dining room ceiling the same navy as our walls (Romabio Blue Ridge Parkway), which definitely lends itself to needing a little balance of minimalism in the decor department. But I love it!!!
Related: Antique Painting Mural Wallpaper in the Dining Room
If you feel the same way in wanting to add some extra cheer without a lot of effort this season, I pulled together some quick and easy Christmas dining room decorating ideas that you can copy.
(By the way, we recently scored this wooden sideboard to replace our thrifted one that was looking rather shabby. I love the Midcentury Mod vibe it adds to the room! If Mad Men and Bridgerton had a baby, it’d be this dining room.)
1. Add a Simple Christmas Figurine to Your Regular Decor
Add a nutcracker or a mini tree on a table, and you’re done. Seriously. Why does Christmas decorating have to be complicated? (It doesn’t.)
When January rolls around, I could easily remove that little nutcracker and tree figurine, and keep the rest of this bar tray exactly the way it is. The less time you spend managing stuff, the more time you have to make memories.
2. Go Big on Scale to Use Less
If you want to fill up a sideboard with Christmas decor, you probably have two options:
- Add a bunch of small accents, vases, picture frames, etc.
- Or use 1 big piece of decor that makes a statement.
If a huge vase costs you $50, isn’t that still better than adding 8 small accents that cost $10 each? Maybe $50 for a vase seems pricey, but if it’s large enough to make a statement, it doesn’t need anything else to be placed alongside it.
The end result is a streamlined, no-clutter vignette.
This vase will definitely be staying months after Christmas is over.
3. Rely on Lighting
When in doubt, add a lamp to a credenza, sideboard, console table, wherever. Because every room is just made better with soft lamp light, especially in winter.
Related: Best Light Bulbs for Every Room In Your House
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4. Leave the Tree Naked
The Christmas police will not show up and arrest you for not putting ornaments on your tree. It’ll be okay. Add some twinkly fairy lights, maybe a few battery operated tree candles, and be done.
I love that this Christmas tree we used in here doesn’t create a lot of fuss, just ambience.
Related: Most Realistic Christmas Trees for All Budgets
5. Keep the Centerpiece Low
It drives me crazy when I sit down at a dinner table, and I can’t see people sitting across from me to have a conversation because the centerpiece is 3 feet tall.
If decor isn’t pretty and practical, it’s not serving us well.
Spread out some garland and simple pillar candles. Or place a few ornaments on a cake stand or in a bowl in the middle of the table. Boom! You’re done!
Related: Simple and Inexpensive Christmas Table Centerpiece
6. Use the Everyday as Holiday
We don’t have to buy holiday-specific everything. Our plates don’t have to have Christmas trees on them and napkins don’t have to have Santas embroidered on the hems.
If I buy a set of classic, neutral dinnerware at $100 and a set of Christmas-themed dinnerware at $100, aren’t I going to get my money’s worth much more using the neutrals dressed up with just a few evergreen stems on the table?
And it never has to be put away in storage taking up precious space until the next season.
Maybe it’s a sign of getting older and slightly wiser. Maybe it’s the “you-can-have-it-all” mentality from Working Girl mixing in with a 21st century reality check.
Yes, we can have it all. The pretty Christmas decor, time to attend the many holiday events on our calendars, energy restored by having rest. We can have it all.
But balance is the key ingredient to all of that.
Whether it’s how I decorate my house or plan my schedule or set my priorities or establish boundaries, mental well-being should play a factor in how I handle every aspect of the holiday season. Even if that means saying no sometimes.
You don’t need this from me, but basically I’m giving you permission to do less. Whatever you do in this season is enough. You deserve grace and peace and rest. If there’s anything my own health journey has taught me it’s that. ❤️
More Simplified Christmas Decorating Ideas
- 18 Simple Natural Christmas Decor Ideas Using What You Already Have
- 5 Minute Christmas Bow Ribbon Art
- Simple and Inexpensive Christmas Table Centerpiece
