Holiday decorating feels more personal when it builds on what you already love about your home. For interior designer Brian Gluckstein, greenery, light, and a collection of favourite ornaments are the starting points. His holiday decorating tips focus on creating a cohesive look, choosing decorations that suit your space, and giving familiar pieces a fresh arrangement each year.
1. Start with greenery and light
When you want to make an impact with a modest budget, Brian’s first suggestion is twinkle lights. They bring warmth to a tree, but they’re just as effective woven through greenery on a mantel or staircase.
Pine, cedar, or spruce branches provide a generous base for decorating. Outdoors, Brian likes to fill planters with greenery, add branches at different heights, and tuck in a few oversized ornaments. Lights help the arrangement stand out after dark.
Indoors, concentrate these elements where they’ll be most appreciated: around the entry, beside a gathering space, or on a mantel. Repeating greenery and warm light helps connect the decorated areas of your home.
2. Choose a tree that suits the room
Brian likes a generously sized tree, ideally reaching about a foot below the ceiling. Width matters, too. A tree should have presence while leaving room to move comfortably around it.
For a compact living room, he recommends a tall, narrow pencil-style tree. A tabletop version can also create a festive focal point when floor space is limited.
Brian often recommends using an artificial tree. A well-chosen one can be used for years, and the variety of sizes and shapes makes it easier to find a good fit for your room.
3. Let colour connect your ornament collection
One of Brian’s most useful holiday decorating tips is to build an ornament collection around a complementary palette. The ornaments don’t need to match, but a few recurring colours help different shapes, textures, and finishes work together.
Classic reds, greens, and golds offer one direction; softer champagne tones provide another. Choose colours you enjoy and that sit comfortably with your existing furnishings.
You can then add to the collection gradually. A new shape or finish brings variety without requiring a completely different scheme each season. Favourite ornaments remain part of the story, with colour providing the connection.
4. Create a few full arrangements
Brian likes a mantel that feels abundant without being rigidly symmetrical. Start with greenery, then work in lights, ornaments, and a few decorative objects at varying heights. Leave space for the shape of the arrangement to remain clear.
On a staircase, protect the handrail with a soft cloth or padding wherever garland is secured. This small step helps prevent scratches while keeping the greenery in place.
Elsewhere, group decorations rather than scattering them across every surface. Brian applies the same idea to holiday cards, collecting them on a mantel, piano, or side table. A defined display gives them presence and keeps the room feeling organized.
For a dining table, a cluster of candlesticks or small vases of seasonal greenery can be enough. Keep arrangements low when the table is in use so guests can see one another comfortably.
5. Give yourself time to enjoy it
Brian likes to begin decorating about a month to six weeks before Christmas. Starting early gives you time to enjoy the results and lets the decorating happen at a comfortable pace.
That doesn’t mean every room needs the same attention. In a small space, a tree, a few candles, or a glass vessel filled with ornaments can establish the mood. Let the size of your home and the way you use it guide how much you add.
The thread running through Brian’s holiday decorating tips is a sense of continuity. Familiar ornaments, a consistent palette, and recurring touches of greenery make the home feel festive while leaving room for personal traditions.
Photography by A Plus Creative
